O.A.R.S Profile [2024] - 25 reviews, 2 trips
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# of trips

2

Type

Global operator

Service level

standard

Travelers age

5 — 65

Trip prices

$2,578 — 6,495

Tour languages

Unknown

Trips other travelers liked

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O.A.R.S Reviews & Ratings

5/5  Excellent
25  Reviews
See all O.A.R.S tour reviews
Excellent
25
Great
0
Average
0
Disappointing
0
Terrible
0
K

Kristina

Aug 2019

Provided byO.A.R.S

Equally amazing!

The entire OARS staff was easy to work with. The reservation staff was super helpful. The trip on the Merced River was a blast! Many thanks to our guide, Alicia, who...

J

Jackson Lake Kayaking and Camping

Jul 2019

Provided byO.A.R.S

Incredible experience for both seasoned and novice campers/kayakers!

We took our family of five to Wyoming for 8 days. My husband is a seasoned hiker/camper but the rest of us ...well... let’s just say, AREN’T. We had a fantastic time...

D

Dianne

Jul 2018

Provided byO.A.R.S

Well organized

Just completed the Gates of Lodore whitewater rafting trip 4 days 3 nights of pure fun! Best family event ! The guides were so personable, professional and fun ! Wel...

M

Maria

Jul 2018

Provided byO.A.R.S

The best!!

Had a blast at the American River, South Fork this past weekend. Our guide was the best!! Bekah you are amazing, fun, and witty. You kept our family safe and we will...

L

Liz

Sep 2017

Provided byO.A.R.S

Amazing

Wow! Celebrated turning 60 the Wild and Scenic Rouge River 4 days. This trip far exceeded my expectations - great, fun guides - Special thanks to Kate, Nicole, Max, ...

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Editoral Review of O.A.R.S

Founded in 1969, O.A.R.S. was the first exclusively oar-powered rafting company permitted to operate trips on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Now California-based O.A.R.S. has expanded its operations to include locations around the western U.S. and the world, and has ventured beyond rafting to include sea kayaking and hiking trips as well. Still family-owned, O.A.R.S. has as company president the same man who founded it, George Wendt, who makes sure everything runs smoothly. 

What Makes Them Stand Out?

Start with its guides, which are the keys to any successful rafting or adventure trip. O.A.R.S. trains all its guides for its U.S. trips – including  training in CPR , first aid, water rescue, wilderness first responder techniques, and Leave No Trace Principles -- and works with top local operators on its international trips. Next, O.A.R.S. provides many comforts on most of its camping-based trips that other outfitters don’t – including three-person tents (for two people), camp chairs, sleeping bags with sheets and pillows, and thick ground pads to go under the sleeping bags. Third, O.A.R.S. tries to accommodate as wide a range of people as possible on its adventure trips, from young children to seniors and the physically disabled, conditions permitting.

Who Travels With Them?

People who love the outdoors and enjoy getting wet and camping out, without having to do the heavy lifting on the trip, should like O.A.R.S. About 70 percent of their customers are repeats or referrals from past customers. O.A.R.S. accepts children as young as four years, seniors up into their 80s, and all ages in between. In short, you don’t have to be young and highly athletic -- but rafting and other adventure activities do require some level of physical fitness to provide a rewarding experience. Weight restrictions may apply for rafters, for instance, and pregnant women and anyone with certain medical conditions need a physician’s approval. 

Where Do They Operate?

O.A.R.S. runs rafting trips throughout the western U.S., in Colorado, Utah, California, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona, Alaska, and Oregon. A number of domestic trips are offered in U.S. national parks such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, Arches and the Grand Canyon. Their international trips range from Bhutan to Fiji, Chile to Croatia, India to Zambia. 

How Does It Work?

On rafting trips, O.A.R.S. provides all the needed equipment, including rafts, life jackets, dry bags, roomy tents, sleeping bags, camp chairs, portable toilet facilities, and more; offers up three hearty meals each full day of a multi-day trip; highly experienced guides; and more. You bring only clothing, cameras, and other items of a personal nature. Rafting trips range from placid Class II floats to exciting Class IV and V whitewater, but much of each day is spent off the water, walking, hiking, viewing wildlife, birding, or relaxing. Some U.S. trips and most international trips feature lodge stays with camping mixed in. Hiking or sea kayaking are the central focus of some trips. 

Why Travel With Them?  

With more than four decades’ experience, O.A.R.S. knows how to run a successful and safe rafting trip. Guides are trained professionals and there’s an emphasis on comfort and flexibility that you may not find with some other rafting and adventure travel companies. 

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More Details

Solo friendly

  • No single supplement

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About the company

O.A.R.S. was the first exclusively oar-powered rafting company permitted to operate trips on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Through our four decades in the adventure travel industry, we have become the largest and most diverse family of river-based adventure travel companies in North America, operating on over 1230 miles of rivers in the continental U.S. In addition to our signature Grand Canyon trips, we offer adventure vacations in Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, as well as in British Columbia, Chile, Galapagos, Fiji, Baja and Peru. The heart and soul of O.A.R.S.—from president and founder George Wendt to the more than 300 dedicated guides and employees on our team—is that we are all genuinely invested in every passenger, every trip and every lifetime memory.

We consider our O.A.R.S. outdoor adventure guides to be among the best in the industry! Some began their river-guiding careers more than 30 years ago; others were born into it. They are entertainers, historians, geologists, botanists, chefs, medics, anthropologists, event planners, authors, photographers, wilderness pathfinders, and they are the single most complimented component of our organization. Our guides are also professional, playful and ever mindful of your wants and needs, and their enthusiasm for the natural world is contagious

Our Adventure Consultants and our year-round office staff who provide you with all the trip-specific tips, trip planning assistance and adventure travel trip logistical support have more than 100 years of combined experience in the adventure travel industry, as well as close to 1000 river trips between them.

You concentrate on fun. We brew the coffee, cook the meals, pump the boats, provide the gear, plan the day, find the best camp spot, and we strive to fill each day with excitement, discovery and the attention to detail you deserve. O.A.R.S. provides the best average guide-to-guest ratio in the adventure travel business (1:4).

Outdoor adventure vacations are our specialty, and we work hard to provide our guests with the best travel experience of their lives. If part of your trip under our control wasn’t everything you expected, we will work with you to make it right.

O.A.R.S Trips & Specials

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Deals

 

LOWER KLAMATH RIVER RAFTING, CA

3 Days of Family-Friendly Rafting | June 17th | From $606

SPECIAL OFFER: Save $100 per person off the regular rate for the Fathers Day Weekend.

 

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Awards

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