Lochsa trips feature technical, fast, and high-volume water
This provides big holes and hydraulics, raft-smashing waves, and a lot of paddler-bashing thrills. Plus, the scenery in the Idaho wilderness is simply majestic. With natural beauty in abundance and our high-quality service and guides, our Lochsa rafting trips are some of the best whitewater runs in the world.
You can join the ROW Adventure Center for a great whitewater experience on the Lochsa River by choosing a 2-3 day adventure, a Super One-Day (30-mile) trip, or our most popular, our Classic one-day (20-mile) trip.
The Lochsa boasts more than 40 major rapids as it runs from its headwaters in the Bitterroot Mountains to where it eventually meets the Selway and Clearwater rivers. Names such as The Grim Reaper, Bloody Mary, Ten Pin Alley, Mile Long, and the incomparable Lochsa Falls, hint at the excitement the rapids have in store for those willing to brave them. While our guides have led whitewater excursions worldwide, most agree that the Lochsa, with its unusually long and frequent rapids, is their favorite. Each spring, guides vie for the chance to return to the thrills of the incomparable Lochsa.
Our trips along the free-flowing Lochsa begin as soon as the winter snow in the region begins to melt, usually in early May. Rafting adventures continue on the Lochsa until the water level drops too low, usually sometime between late June and mid-July. Since there are no dams along the river, water flow on the Lochsa tends to be the slowest at the beginning and end of the season, with the highest water levels occurring in the late spring. May 15 through June 15 is generally the time of peak flows before the waters gradually begin to recede. While these guidelines may help you decide when to schedule your trip, please remember that every year is different, with the flow of any given year depending heavily on snowpack and temperatures. In our experience, after decades of guiding on the Lochsa, we have found that May 15 - June 15 is almost always the time of peak flow.
Another factor to consider when planning your Lochsa trip is that not all guests agree that the times of peak flow are the best time to run the river. More experienced guests seeking maximum adventure will want to plan their runs for this time, while others may prefer the more technical challenges that come with lower water levels. As the water level drops after mid-June, the exposed rocks and boulders create some of the country's most challenging whitewater, requiring extra skill and agility to navigate the rapids. While the water level is lower, there is still a seemingly endless procession of electrifying rapids. The farther into the season, the more technical the run becomes. We guide trips along the Lochsa each year as long as we can, depending on water flow, but generally, our last runs are between June 28 — July 5.
Please be aware that on this particular trip we do have a minimum age requirement. If your group includes teenagers, please plan to join us after the fifteenth of June when the warmer weather and slower water make the river more appropriate for younger guests.
ROW is proud to be an Equal Opportunity recreation service provider under a permit from the U.S. Forest Service. We operate under special use permit from the Clearwater National Forest. All our operations and facilities are operated on a non-discriminatory basis. ROW is bonded and fully licensed by the states of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. We are members of America Outdoors, Idaho Outfitters and Guides Assn., Montana Outfitters and Guides Assn., National Association of Interpretation; Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation and many other effective organizations.
So what are you waiting for?!
The season is short, and spots fill up quickly...give us a call today and book a whitewater rafting trip of a lifetime! Contact us at 208-770-2517.
- No other Lochsa company has more knowledgeable guides ready to share their stories of the region's natural and cultural history.
- Hands down, the best lunch on the river!
- Superb gear to keep you warmer.
- We are the longest-operating company on the Lochsa under the same ownership.
- We are the FUN rafting company... why would you go with anyone else?