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Guided Packrafting Trips on the Minam River in Eastern Oregon
& Wallowa Alpine Lakes

Deep in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, the wild Minam River flows 42 miles from its headwaters at Minam Lake. Our guided trips paddle the last 25 miles of river, mostly class I-II, for 2-4 nights of immersive wilderness travel. We cater each trip to your desires: from luxury fly in trips to our more rigorous backpacking style trips, each with a focus on land stewardship and packraft education.

Scroll down to read more and book your adventure. Trip season in Eastern Oregon generally begins in June. All-inclusive trips start at $355 per person, per day. Our flagship Amazon packrafting trips in Colombia run all year. Contact us for more information

Minam River | Paddle Through the Heart of the Wallowas

Join our expert guides as we hike in, pack in, or fly in to Oregon's largest wilderness and float out on one of the Wallowa's most important and scenic rivers. Discover a rich cultural & ecological history, epic camp sites, wildly fun whitewater, and the serenity that only comes with a wilderness float. 

We operate two types of packrafting trips on the Minam River:
 

  • Our 3-4 day trips departing from Minam River Lodge or Reds Horse Ranch are reserved for private groups only and require demonstrated solo paddling experience.

  • ​We also offer 1-4 day packrafting trips focused on education where we pack boats down to easier water, available both as private and group offerings. No whitewater experience required. 


All-inclusive trips starting at $400/person/day.
Contact us about private trips or see our public offerings & packraft courses on group trips page. 

  • WILD: Experience Oregon's largest wilderness from the water
  • LEARN: the basics of packrafting including paddle strokes, gear, loading, safety, how to fly fish, and locally-specific conservation practices
  • CUSTOM OPTIONS: from flying in and staying at the upscale Minam River Lodge to backpacking and camping
  • DINE: on chef-prepared, hyper-local gourmet camp grub
  • UNIQUE & EXCLUSIVE: at the time of this writing, Go Wild is the only permitted packrafting guide on the Minam River
  • EXPLORE & DISCONNECT: travel through the best of the Wallowas with local professional and certified guides

Alpine Lakes | Trekking, Fishing & Flat Water Paddling Adventures

Visit and float on up to 7 glacier carved lakes high in the Wallowa and Blue Mountains. Family friendly and wildly fun, these trips show you the best of land and water. Tours can be combined with packrafting introductory lessons, fly fishing focused adventures, and include an option to use our mules to pack all the gear.

Trip lengths vary from 2-5 nights and tour run late June through October. All-inclusive pricing starting at $355/person/day.
Call or email us to book.

  • FAMILY FRIENDLY: Because these are flat-water lake trips, they're great for kids, anyone new to paddling, or if you're just wanting to relax.
  • LEARN: the basics of packrafting including paddle strokes, gear, loading, safety, how to fly fish, and locally-specific conservation practices
  • CUSTOM OPTIONS: hike in or pack in with mules so you don't have to carry a thing.
  • DINE: on chef-prepared, hyper-local gourmet camp grub
  • SWIM & FISH: there are no better places to escape the summer heat than the high lakes of Eastern Oregon. Take the plunge!
  • EXPLORE & DISCONNECT: travel through the best of the Wallowas with local professional and certified guides
What to Expect:

The majority of guided American packrafting happens in Alaska. Eastern Oregon is our little secret. When you contact us we'll put together a trip proposal based upon the time of year you want to come, your paddling expertise, trip length request, and other factors.

The afternoon before your trip, meet your local guides in the small cowboy town of La Grande, OR for a pre-trip educational session on flat water. (Alternatively, this can be all you do if you're most interested in a lesson!) Get to know your guides, your boats, explore the map, learn about your adventure to come, and finish if off with a your choice of complimentary libation at the local pub.

On the day of departure, your guides will meet you at your accommodation for complimentary pick up in Sully, our adventure van, to our packrafting destination based on the time of year and river flows.

It's on the water from here on out. Expect class I-II water, fishing breaks, and expert guiding. 

At camp each night, your professional local guides turn into expert fun facilitators and chefs, serving hand crafted appetizers, cocktails, and gourmet campfire cooked meals, all sourced from hyper local ingredients.

Due to shifting snow pack and water levels every year, these trips require a good amount of flexibility. Contact us for more information.
Booking packrafting

Request More Info

Start the adventure! Fill out the form below and Dan will respond with your desired information. Call to book.

The Fine Print:

  • $500/p deposit due at time of booking. Due to the nature of our business with limited dates, trip sizes and commitments of guides, this is non-refundable. The deposit may however, be transferred to a future Go Wild trip if the cancellation is made 90 day prior to tour departure. 

  • Final payment due prior to departure by check, cash, or Venmo. Cancellations within 30 days will be charged the entire balance unless you or us can fill the spot at full price. 

  • Weather & Water Levels: All tours operate rain or shine. In case of extreme or dangerous conditions, tours are refunded in full. For packrafting trips, we monitor levels leading up to a trip. Be prepared for contingency plans, but we'll chat about these during the booking process.

  • Insurance: We require you to purchase travel insurance prior to your packrafting trip. There are numerous agencies out there. Find one that works for you. A good example is Ripcord which covers trip cancellation, interruption, backcountry evacuations and more.

  • For group trips, Go Wild has the right to cancel any trip that does not meet our 6 guest minimum; confirmations will be made 90 days prior to the start of the tour.

  • Contact us: 541.403.1692 // gowildusa@gmail.com

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