zoller's outdoor odysseys

I have taken the Zoller's Outdoor Odysseys white water rafting adventure twice - once in September 2012 and once in August 2014. Both times were absolutely amazing! And the weather couldn't be beat! Beautiful Mount Hood can be seen almost the whole drive to the location! The instructors were very friendly, knowledgeable and fun to be around while in the raft. At first I was very scared to go white water rafting, but the staff at Zoller's help make everyone feel very confident about rafting and pay very close attention to the needs and feelings of their guests while on the raft. I would highly recommend Zollers to anyone in the Seattle/Portland area looking for an awesome, thrilling adventure!

My friend and I went this past weekend and went on our first whitewater experience. Our guide Zach was awesome (so was Ben) and you can't beat the scenery! I believe we both got bit by the rafting bug...we'll be coming back for sure!

Took a trip with these folks and took my kiddos ages 10 and 11. We had the time of our lives and hope to do it again. You can't go wrong here. (Note: Do not take the paddles and saddles package. The horseback riding company is not professional and caring to their customers. A big disappointment after having such amazing and professional service on our rafting trip.)

My friends and I had a great trip down the White Salmon with Ben, one of Zoller's guides. Ben is very experienced with unending interesting stories and history of the White Salmon. We had a great time and hope to go back as soon as possible.

This was the first time our family of four has gone whitewater rafting and we had a fantastic time!! We signed up for the middle gorge run that started at 1:30. We arrived about an hour early so we could eat lunch before the trip began. Zoller's offer a variety of different sandwiches which are made with fresh ingredients and are delicious. As well as, caesar salad with/or with out chicken. There are also snacks and drinks available.At our assigned time, we were given a choice of wetsuits (long or short), jackets, life vests, helmets and booties. We were then assigned to our guide for the trip. Zach was our guide and he was awesome!Once we boarded the raft, Zach went over all the safety and rowing instructions with us. For the next 2 1/2 hours we had a blast. Zach was an excellent guide, and I feel, went the extra mile to ensure we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We all decided (individually) to do the ride over the falls and I would say our crew did awesome job! Zoller's Outdoor Odysseys is a family run operation and I can't speak highly enough of their operation. They are very professional, friendly, fun and treat everyone like family! We can't wait to return and hopefully have enough courage to do the upper gorge!High recommend and tip your guides if you feel they did a great job!Also, there is a photographer on site that captures some amazing shots! You are able to view these at the end and decide if you would like to purchase. I also brought my little water proof camera, secured it to my life vest and took some pics when I was able.

The water was cool buy they supplied wetsuits, the rapids were class III to V. We choose to go over the water fall, great choice. The pictures they took were great. If we had more time would have done it again, I am sure we will when in the area next. The guides were knowledgable and professional.

Shawn was the very best white water guide I could have imagined. I was a little afraid of this rafting adventure. Shawn made me feel comfortable and completely comfortable making a decision to "hop off the raft" before the 12' waterfall....then "hopping back on" to finish the trip. Our group loved this adventure and would definitely repeat it! So much fun...and GREAT guide!!!

Fun Trip. It was five days and about 80 miles from Hell's Canyon Dam on the Oregon Idaho border down (north) to Heller Bar in Washington. We went in mid august. There was still lots of water in the river with plenty of class three and few class four rapids. Also fishing was excellent for smallmouth bass and a few trout. We were taken very good care of and fed abundantly and well. Many thanks to Derek and his crew; Zack, Amanda, and Mike. They also had some extra gear like paddleboards and kayaks to play with. I did some lesser rapids in a kayak later in the trip. It was a blast, including flipping over mid rapid. Woo hoo! Lucky the water is pretty warm in august. The trip is kind of like two trips. The first three and a half days or so is a relatively clear snake river with most of the rapids. After that the Salmon River joins us and it is huge. The river gets much bigger and siltier and less turbulent. It is also more accessible to other boat traffic. The river deposits big beaches and the nicest campsites are at this point. This beachier portion of the river is very pleasant in its own right. However if you want just the first part of the trip, the three day version takes in most of it, taking out at Pittsburgh landing. Another thing I recomend about Zoller, is their logistics. A lot of the outfits I looked at featured various bus rides and even flights at various points along the way. Zoller uses a shuttle service. They picked up our car at Hell's Canyon Dam and the care was waiting for us at Heller bar. The cost is included in the price of the trip. Cost is very competitive with other operators on the River. That was very convenient.

We've rafted the White Salmon many times and always go with Zoller's. The guides are great, the equipment is always in good shape, and everyone works hard to make sure each guest has a positive experience.This week's trip was another great day! We took the middle/lower trip for the first time and had a blast. The middle portion of the river has lots of white water, including the class 5 Husum Falls. The lower portion has only been open a couple of years - since the removal of Condit Dam. It's interesting to raft thru the former Northwestern Lake. The river gets very narrow in parts. At one point you have to get out and walk around some rapids and another falls. Be sure to take a snack and a bottle of water. Your snack will stay dry in a special bag the guide brings. Our guide, Max, was great! He had lots of stories to tell us and was very clear in his paddling instructions. I'd request him for another trip.

We went rafting on the middle Salmon River with Shawn as our guide. W spent >2 hours on the river with some very exciting experiences including going down a 12 foot waterfall and everyone sitting on the front of the radt with our legs out at "Rattlesnake". He made sure we had a great time, but they were also concerned about our safety. There were 2 other rafts in our "convoy", one whose occupants didn't go over the falls (there is no pressure to do so, but it sure was fun!). We have rafted before, but Zoller's is as good as we have experienced and although we live a fair distance from here, hope to return.

Very experienced and entertaining guide -Silas Miller. We will return and ask for him again. He knows the river well; routing us thru great whitewater.

This was my first time rafting. Our adventurous out of town friends encouraged a few of us to go along for the ride. They provided wet suits and booties to keep you as warm as possible from the cool water, helmets and life jackets for safety. Eat a meal before you go and make sure you are hydrated! Paddling isn't that hard once you get the hang of it. It's actually harder to find a rhythm with folks on the boat but you find your way.Opt in or out for the "waterfall". We heard a few "scary stories" about going over the waterfall from the guide. I had envisioned a huge 20 foot waterfalI, but it was not that high. I think it was to scare the kids on the boat, as it's not for the faint of heart. We were interested in going but from the stories, we opted out and wished we had gone for it. You should be open to swimming, being underwater, quick to make decisions if need be, and listen to all safely advisories from the staff.The guys had a TON of awesome energy and made the experience really fun and relaxing.Smile for the camera! There are a few photo opts during the ride and you can take home a CD with really nicely taken photos of you and your friends/family during your adventure. The CD is $35, not cheap, but if you split it with everyone in your group, it ends up being less expensive. My favorite place for a meal after a day around Hood River is Full Sail Brewing. Don't forget to write in your guide's book at the end (and leave a tip if you had a good time)!

My family and I went rafting on Aug 13 and had a blast. We were celebrating my father's 74th birthday (he's very fit for his age). We had a large group with varied ages and levels of athleticism/confidence and everyone had a great day. Ben was our guide and he made safety a priority, so although the water was running high from rain the day before, we felt quite safe in his raft. He's unusually knowledgeable about history, flora & fauna, etc. on that river so we learned a lot as well.A few of us chose to go over Husum Falls, with Mark. Awesome. We flipped on the way over, as expected that day, but had a blast and I can't wait to try it again. But don't try it if you have any reservations - it is full on and not for the faint of heart (or weak swimmers). They won't allow you anyway if they aren't confident that you'll be ok.This stretch of the White Salmon is particularly beautiful,and the rapids are spaced so that you can look around and enjoy the day but it never gets boring. This is my third time rafting (Colorado & Iceland were the other spots) and it's the best yet.Get there early if you want to get a bite to eat at their little cafe. Picnic tables outside are a nice spot to sit with your group. We went to Everybody's in White Salmon afterward (as did half the other guests) for burgers and good local beer.Thanks Mark & Ben for an awesome day!

I take friends and family on this river at least once a summer and without fail, I always book with Zoller's. I've had amazing guides every trip, and they are incredibly accommodating for special requests. I took my Girl Scout troop a few years ago and requested female guides - sure enough, we had some fierce gals leading my own fierce kiddos down this crazy fast river. This past summer, I had two French exchange students with us and our guide was great, making sure they understood the directions. A few tips: First, if they suggest wearing the splash jacket - heed their advice. The water is crazy cold and you don't want to ruin a beautiful trip by being uncomfortable. Second, don't forget to sunscreen your neck! Third, be sure to ask the guides to let you "bull ride."

Located about 90 minutes north-east of Portland, the white salmon river makes for a fun ride for the entire family. This river has changed substantially in the last few years after the dam above was removed. The crew at Zoller's was very friendly, enthusiastic, and knowledgable. The equipment is all like new and very well maintained. We did the middle and lower gorge trip which took about 3 to 3.5 hours. It was spectacular. There are a couple of water falls which depending on use time of year can be riding over. We had to portage over one as the water was running hard and fast. Feeling more adventurous, try the upper gorge which has more class iV rapids that the middle and lower which are mostly III's. Hint: bring your GoPro as they have helmet mounts. They give you everything you need so you only really need a bathing suit. If you wear glasses, bring something to hold them in place.