Rafting or floating on river near Bend

We are staying at Sunriver with 4 teens and are interested in floating on the river, but don%26#39;t know where to go on our own to accomplish it. We have a couple of large inner tubes if we go on our own, or alternatively we may want to take a rafting trip. Anyone have any options or opinions to offer? I am curious how fast the rivers flow and what to watch out for. When we passed thru Bend a couple of days ago we saw a bunch of folks in a river in tubes, but didn%26#39;t stop to figure out what they were doing. Thanks.

Rafting or floating on river near Bend

We always do whitewater rafting trips with SunCountry (www.suncountrytours.com). They will pick you up at Sunriver and bring you back. We did a ride with them just a few weeks ago.

If you are going on your own, just innertubing, go down near Drake Park. Sillybilly and Imagist are Bend locals, so hopefully they can give you more info on that.

Rafting or floating on river near Bend

Mtngrl,

The Deschutes runs along the Sunriver property line doesn%26#39;t it? I know I%26#39;ve seen kayaks for rent at the resort%26#39;s marina, but do they allow rafting and/or tubing too?

mistletoe--I can%26#39;t believe I forgot that! Yes, the marina there rents canoes and such. We have done that and it is fun. For a while the resort would not allow any private boats/tubes, but I think they relaxed that. I heard about that when we were there a few weeks ago. But even if not at the marina, yes, the river runs right there so you can do your own thing.

Floating on the Deschutes in Bend starts at Farewell Bend Park in the Old Mill District and goes to Drake Park downtown. It%26#39;s a 1.5 mile trip. It has become an immensely popular activity for all ages. There is a shuttle service that will drive you back to start over again for $1, or $3 all day. The City is recommending that people unfamiliar with the river walk the route first and become familiar with where the take out points are. The river looks calm but can be quite fast. Also, it is very important to pay attention and obey the exit signs.

Please be very, very careful. The Bulletin%26#39;s front page today shows that yet another person has drowned while floating the river.

I highly recommend renting a raft or multiple canoes from the Sunriver marina. I believe that the canoes are about $50, and all of their rentals come with life jackets and paddles.

It%26#39;s a good three-four hour float on one of the most beautiful stretches of the Deshutes. They pick you up at the end of the float and drive you back to the marina afterwards, where you can enjoy a cold beer on the deck of the Trout House.

Have fun -- oh, and wear sunscreen!!!

The Big Eddy trip is a good %26#39;quick trip%26#39; and is offered by sun country. It%26#39;s pretty lightweight if you are experienced rafter but I still have fun on that route!

The tubing route through Bend mentioned by Imagist is great. The take out points are there for a reason - so it is worth it to bring flip flops or tevas for the short walks and the ride home. Please, please, please wear life jackets... there have been a couple of accidents this summer, and one of them was an act of Darwinism (non-swimmer, non-life-jacketed...).

Don%26#39;t forget the sunscreen and water bottles... and have a great time!!!

We plan to do the Big Eddy. Necessary to make reservations in advance? Is the water nice to swim in (I notice a ';swimming hole'; in the description) or very cold?

Also, is there anywhere to rent tubes/lifejackets in Bend to float the Deschutes?

Thanks...I can taste the Black Butte Lager now, just 5 more days until we go :)

We have done the Bid Eddy several times, the last time being just a couple weeks ago. It is a fun ride:) The stop for swimming is after all the rapids and it is a short time, but we all enjoy it. Ask to do the Wheel of Misfortune! BTW, the water has never felt very cold when we have done it, but on a cold day it might.

Sorry, I forgot to address the reservation issue. Yes, definitely call as soon as you know when you want to go. They do fill up and you do have to have a reservation.

Thank you :) I%26#39;ve rafted class 5%26#39;s in West Va but my kids will be with me this time, 3%26#39;s sound just right. Good to know we can swim ;)