Imperial River Company — Hotel in Maupin

Yesterday (7/31/15) was my first time whitewater rafting; and not being much of a water person, I was a bit nervous about it. The Imperial River Company is a really cool place. They have dining and lodging if you plan to stay a day or two; or you can book a full or half day rafting trip.

We did this as a company "team-building" (awesome excuse) trip. We chose the 18 mile rafing trip, so it was three sections with a break after two for some lunch. Our guide was Phil, and I couldn't recommend rafting with him enough; he absolutely knows the Deschutes and everything there is to know about rafting. He's done it all over the world, and was extremely fun to ride with. We had a large group (about 30 people), and all four of our guides were a lot of fun to be around - Phil, Jordan, Matt, and Laura (I believe, apologies if I'm mistaken). They honestly love what they do, and they're extremely personable. It really cut down on any anxiety that I was feeling and made the trip so rad that I can't wait to get back out to Maupin and do it again, this time with my wife and son.

It was about 104° out in Maupin yesterday, so the water felt amazing. It's a quick 2 hour drive from Portland, so even doing the 18 mile trip was easily done in a day, if you can't stay and need to return home. One thing Phil mentioned is that a lot of people from the Portland area call and try to cancel when it's cloudy/rainy out here, but it's typically always sunny in Maupin. He said they average about 300 days of sun per year; so don't be discouraged by Portland's weather on the day of your trip (I think it'd be a bit of fun rafting in the rain, personally; but the sun was good too) - you can always call the day before and make sure everything is looking good if you're worried.

Bring all of the essentials: water, sunscreen, snacks, etc.. However, you won't need these in the boat. They have a store that sells water, beer, and snacks in case your supply is low; picnic tables, plenty of shade, and a lot of happy people. It was nice to get away from the busy flow of daily life and hang out in a place where you can just relax and enjoy a beautiful part of Oregon.

They don't ask or anything, but I would suggest to tip your guides if you can. They're really great people, and they could likely make more money doing something more mundane in a big city; but they truly deserve...

We arrived and our room was like a furnace. Granted there was a heat wave, but lobby, restaurant and bar were all cool. Room had a window cooler (set in the wall, not sure what they're called, usually see them in windows of homes) and window cooler was set at high cool. Waited over an hour after we arrived for room to cool. Went to front desk and she sent someone in to fix it. He came and cleaned the vent and pointed thermometer gun at window cooler and said it was blowing 57 degrees. Didn't bother to point it anywhere else in the room, just directly at the fan. Guess he expected the 3 of us to sit in front of the cooler all night, since my bed on the other side of room was getting no air, and we were all sweating. Waited another hour and room never got cooler. I went to front desk to either get a fan or leave. We were offered another room which had an actual A/C. Huge difference. The second room was larger (bonus perk) and faced the river (bonus perk) but the air conditioner was a blessing. A notable 20 degrees cooler than the room we had originally.

On-site restaurant had a great sounding menu left in our room but they were working with a smaller menu (allegedly just for that day but they had over 100 one page paper menus printed up, so I doubt that's true). Burgers, chicken tenders and salads. Our orders were wrong. Missing avacado on sandwich and mayo placed on everything. Remake of burger was good. Fries had way too much salt and pepper. Crispy chicken sandwich is just chicken tenders on a hoagie or wrap. Best part of dinner was reasonably priced drinks.

They get 4 stars for the location. The location is amazing, right on the river and close to all the rafting companies. Volleyball court, swings, picnic tables, tons of grass and shady trees.

They had pricing brochure on their front desk, which was incorrect and prices on their website were $40+/night more in price than flier on desk. They have a rafting company but we went elsewhere for our rafting excursion.

Very dog friendly.

If booking in the summer make sure to ask if your room has a/c or a cooler unit, as it will make a...

You step onto the Deschutes not knowing what to expect. The sun leans low. The water pulls forward with purpose. The rapids, those crisp, roaring punctuation marks, start writing the kind of afternoon you’ll replay in your head for years.

Then Alex, our guide, takes the mic.

With the charm of a seasoned showman and the precision of a scientist, he turned a whitewater rafting adventure into something unforgettable. His wit is sharper than a dry martini. His knowledge of the river and the volcanic bones beneath it is the kind of insight that makes you feel smarter just for listening. He doesn’t just steer the raft. He steers you through time, weaving in the geologic history of the canyon walls while pointing out an osprey nest perched high above, hatchlings inside, chirping beneath the wind.

You hear the rapids before you feel them. Then comes the dance. Navigating tight fits between boulders. Gliding effortlessly over shallow shelves. The raft lifts and drops like it’s in on the secret. The kids laughed. The adults let go. And when the moment was right, we jumped in. Cold, clean, and utterly refreshing. A shock to the system in the best possible way.

It’s family friendly in the purest sense of the phrase. Thrilling, but never reckless. Informative, never dull. Wild, but still welcoming.

The Imperial River Company doesn’t just offer whitewater rafting. They offer escape. The kind where you stop checking your watch and start listening to the water, the birds, the laughter echoing off canyon walls.

Book the trip. Ask for Alex. Let the Deschutes show you what summer is supposed...