Lochsa Whitewater Rafting
The Whitewater Trip on the Lochsa is intense and not for the faint of heart. You WILL get wet, your raft may tip and you may have to swim until you are rescued. You must wear a life jacket and a helmet. That said, it is one of the most amazing whitewater trips anywhere in the world! If you want serious wave pounding Class IV+ rapids, this trip is incredible and is on the bucket list of every serious whitewater rafter. People travel from all over the world to experience the Lochsa. It is restricted to a minimum age of 17, although both outfitters will make exceptions for young adults a year or two younger if they are well prepared, such as a 15 year old who is on their high school’s water polo team, or has extensive whitewater rafting experience.
This is copied directly off ROW Adventures website: (and if we use it we should make this statement)
Few whitewater rafting trips anywhere on earth offer as much continuous, explosive whitewater as Idaho’s Lochsa River* (pronounced Lock-Saw). This one to three day rafting trip is big white water that satisfies the appetite for thrills for intermediate and expert rafters. Some rivers are big and slow while others are fast and technical. The Lochsa combines the best of both – it’s fast, technical and has a big volume of water. This makes for raft-smashing waves, big hydraulics and holes, and paddler-bashing excitement. Add supreme Idaho mountain scenery, talented guides and great service and you have the best whitewater rafting trips on the Lochsa River available.
From the New York Times, “The Last Wilderness” July 1, 2007
“The three rivers in the Route 12 corridor are designated Wild and Scenic, a federal protection, and they live up to the name. The Lochsa, which means Rough Water in the Nez Perce language, is ferocious and explosive white water, for hard-core rafters. The major stretch has more than 40 significant rapids. By that I mean, bumps with names, bumps that are the focus of many a rafter’s dreams. One night in May over dinner at a river rat hangout, (River Dance Lodge in Syringa, Idaho) a couple of guides showed me photos from a busy day on the Lochsa. Every frame was solid froth, with a bouncing raft in the middle of it. “
Scotlyn Ranch happily recommends both ROW Adventures and Three Rivers Rafting for this excursion. The Lochsa is only raftable May through mid-July, and many dates get booked up so having these two great outfitters to book this excursion with helps with availability.