We were a group of 15 floating the upper deschutes near maupin. That is a long day, and our guides…read morestayed by us through and through. Incredibly professional and kind group. We had ages as young as 10 through 65 and all were well looked after. Even the teens had an outlet with some of the great games they did off the boat and the little stops we made along the river. Would do again, one of the highlights of our stay in Bend.

We were considering cancelling because it was unseasonably cold (early June) and the drive was…read morepretty far but we're all really glad we didn't. We met Rylan at a park next to the river in the town where we would start from and he led us to the boat launch point. He was equipped with jackets and pants for those of us who wanted to stay a little drier and life jackets and helmets (optional). He gave us a very detailed explanation of what we were going to be doing, how to do it as well as emergency instructions. On the river he not only made it exciting navigating us to the parts of the river we would enjoy but had good knowledge of the wildlife, geography and the locations we were in. At the mid-point we got out of the river for lunch and Ouzel set us up with a cooked meal from a local hotel in Maupin. Rylan had some fleeces for us to warm up and put us by a fire. We stopped at a few places along the river and at the last point got in the water. After getting the boat out of the water Rylan had some drinks for us and Ouzel had our car waiting for us after they shuttled it down. Definitely a first class operation that thought of everything we would need and made it as fun as I think it could possibly be. My 8 and 9 year olds loved it and thought it was the best part of the trip (except for being cold). When we got home there was a postcard from Rylan waiting for us thanking us for joining him on the river. What a nice touch. Next time we're in OR maybe we'll do a multi-day trip.

I recently went on an overnight rafting trip with 2 friends in Oregon, and RiverStone Adventures…read morewas fantastic! Dan (the owner) arranged an "off the books" trip for us when other rafting companies would not, because of the time of year (October). Our guides Lauren and Greg were awesome -- Lauren was our in-boat guide, and Greg was our host who went ahead and set up camp for us. Everything was spectacular, and the food was amazing! We even had fresh-caught tuna for one of the meals, as well as delicious steak for dinner and eggs and bacon for breakfast. I was joking with my buddies that the food we had while camping was better than the meals we'd had in town the days before and after! A truly inspiring experience, I highly recommend camping overnight at least one day to really get to see the dark skies at night and take your time. There was also enough splash and rapids (only class 2-3) to make it fun without being too intense for those afraid of water or with little experience.

WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! We rafted the Deschutes yesterday with Travis as our guide. Here is my take:…read more 1. Trip Organization: These folks have it dialed in from start to finish. They did everything to make this trip a memorable experience. All you need to do is make sure you follow their advice on what to bring with you such as water and sunscreen; simple and straightforward. A 2. Understanding the customer: Travis was very much attuned to how much "adventure" we wanted as a group. This was the first time rafting for several of us. Travis was great; he knew just the right amount of white water we could handle. A+ 3. The River: Holy smokes is it beautiful. A+++++ 4. Other: Travis is a wealth of knowledge. Not only do you get the white water experience but you also get his incredibly informative insights into the geology of the area, the history of the town and his keen eye to identifying all the wildlife on the river. A++ Rafting the Deschutes was a fantastic experience made all the more wonderful by the folks at River Stone Adventures.

We did the Big Eddy Thriller - Bend experience with Sun Country Tours in late July -- myself and…read moreeight family members. Overall, the company was spot on: easy booking, great communication (clear guidance on what to wear, where to be, and what to expect), and friendly, professional staff. Everything ran smoothly. That said, the experience itself felt a bit underwhelming for some of us -- particularly those with prior rafting experience. The three main rapids were billed as Class 3, but they felt pretty tame. I never really needed the foot holds while paddling, and the adrenaline just wasn't there. Additionally, the actual time on the water was only about 40 minutes, which felt short. While Sun Country's website does state "Trip Distance: 3 River Miles - Approx. 1.25 Hours," it seems that includes the 15-minute bus ride each way. With five boats in our group, perhaps our group moved faster than typical -- but either way, it would help if Sun Country clarified this more explicitly to set realistic expectations. On the bright side, our guide Dillon was perfect -- upbeat, skilled, and made the trip as fun as possible. He was a total pro and truly enhanced the experience. Jumping in the water always feels amazing and unless you're really concerned about not being able to get pulled back in the boat, you should show off your best back flip or bomb off the side of the boat and enjoy the refreshing dip. In summary: This is a fun, family-friendly rafting trip, especially for first-timers or younger kids. But if you've rafted before and are looking for something more thrilling or substantial, I'd suggest considering one of Sun Country's full-day or multi-day adventures instead. For the $79 per person (plus tip) price tag, it might also be worth weighing other fun options in Bend -- like a round of golf or a great meal.

We did the Big Eddy Thriller for the first time this last weekend and it was AMAZING! I brought my…read more7-year-old son & parents... ALL loved it and cannot wait to go again. A huge thank you and shoutout to Binzley our epic guide. He made the trip safe, FUN, educational, and exciting. We couldn't have asked for a better experience, especially for our first time. Safe to say we will definitely be booking another adventure with Sun Country Tours!

Great service, I'd recommend it on off days, due to long lines. If you have younger smaller kids,…read moredon't do rapids. We had both a 9 yr old and a 12 yr old flip over and needed to be rescued, which put a damper on the experience. But otherwise, really fun.

Floating down the natural river, with refreshing crips snow melting mountain water is absolutely a…read moremust do. And then repeat the experience as many times as your time allows. We he city has great service set up for drop off and pick up, for a nominal shuttle fee. You can also rent the tubes and life jackets. Plan on 90-120 depending on the time of the season and the day. We like to start early and skip lunch, do the float around noon and be ready to head to grab a bit to eat by 2 or 2:30. The float is relaxing, people around are always in a great mood and you get to enjoy the local scenery, river front homes built over a few decades with all kinds of decor and rooflines, bring a few refreshments and snacks to enjoy while floating. And also hang on for a few minor rapids to get more wet than a Amer and add to your overall excitement and experience. We LOVE DOING THIS activity!

On a Sunday morning, after exploring Bend and attending a concert the night before, my husband and…read moreI decided that we wanted to float the Deschutes River. Luckily, we managed to do a walk-up appointment and get our tubes for floating. They do offer online reservations, more than 24 hours in advance, but they had plenty of inner tubes so a reservation was not needed that particular day. From start to finish, they made the entire process extremely easy and seamless. From being able to park your car and get a ride with your inner tube to the drop off point and then being picked back up by the shuttle and returned to the parking lot, and everything in between. They provided us with a good safety briefing as well as the opportunity to leave our car keys since I had not thought about bringing a waterproof pouch. For just about $30 per person, it was well worth the experience and took us about two hours, but we did stop after the rapids and spend some time just swimming before continuing on. If you are a local or just visiting the Bend area, I cannot recommend floating the river enough.

Meh. I thought the price was fair for the tubing experience, but they could provide such…read morebetter...several things, for customer enjoyment. (I've done the tube float down the Virgin River at Zion, and canoed and rafted countless rivers and lakes, several guided, some private.) The outhouses were full and needed to be serviced. So gross. We were there on a Sunday morning; perhaps yesterday was super busy?! Ew. Nobody offered to keep our keys. This is weird to me. Every raft/tube outfitter I've ever gone with has checked our keys for us. The tubes worked well and were fine. They're backless, though. Nicer models with backs and cup holders are so much better. The tip prompts are obnoxious. I paid for a service. Tipping is for people who go above and beyond. When I pay for a float, I shouldn't have a tip option presented right at booking. Weird. Then the driver also has a personal Venmo QR code on the bus. The only way I'd consider tipping is if I was personally fitted into a pfd, the driver handed me a water bottle or a slice of watermelon or something after the float, etc. They literally did nothing but hand us a life jacket, tell us where to get out of the river, and drive us to and from. They've been having issues with people missing the take out at Drake Park. We did see an employee on a kayak paddle out to help someone come in (she should tip him!), but otherwise there is no sign or anything, so if you're not paying attention you absolutely could miss it. To compare directly, on the Virgin River, an employee was standing IN the river, ready to help us, a huge sign was present, and another employee was on the shore to help carry tubes back to the trailer. Surely the city of Bend would allow them to erect a sign, even if only during business hours?! Or stack some of the orange tubes on the shore so floaters can see them clearly.

My daughter and her children had a blast with Nathan on the white rapids. They couldn't stop…read moretalking about all the fun they had. Thanks Nathan. Lucinda Wedge

HAD THE MOST AMAZING FUN SPONTANEOUS day wow this was incredible man this experience is worth every…read morepenny not even to mention the amazing views just breathtaking

I love the vibe here. Cute & eclectic. Beautiful outside area with a comfy area inside the…read moreoutfitter bar. Bartender Zach is so charismatic & makes sure you're taken care of! Laid back & homey.

Came here with a family of 7 so we got our own boat but 1 person sat in the middle seat and didn't…read morerow. She didnt want to row so she was fine with that. The overall trip was fun but not the best I've done. We did a class 3 rapids and the beginning of the rapids was slow as in it took some time to get into the rapids. It was fine because our guide was nice and telling us about the surrounding lava rock. The guide was great at telling us what to do. He let people ride the bull and jump into the water if they wanted. I'm so glad we did this as a family activity.

Super friendly staff and easy to book online. Drop off and…read morepick up service was easy and the staff were very nice and helpful. I would rent from them again!

I would like to give a big shout out to Bend Kayak School rentals! Such an amazing and professional…read morebusiness. I had family in town and needed to rent a tandem kayak for the day. I called a popular local rental place and got a quote of $168/day and then called Bend Kayak School and was quoted $95/day. The difference is ridicules wouldn't you say. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND BEND KAYAK SCHOOL if you are in need of river fun rentals. They were such a pleasure to work with!

We were looking for a mountain bike for my wife so she can stop listening to the ride stories and…read morestart being apart of them. We saw a bike there that was exactly what we were looking for and were pretty much ready to swipe that plastic. The owner insisted that we take the bike around the parking lot a few times to make sure the fit was just right. Although the bike fit like a glove we we were glad he was there to build customers and not to just sell bikes. Thank you and we will be back! P.S. My dad is looking for a bike to so see you soon!

We were visiting Bend and looking to float the River. Found this place searching google for float…read morerentals. The owner was working when we came in and was super helpful and friendly. He pulled out a map and explained to us how floating the Deschutes worked and the start and end points and how to get back once our float ended. He even shut down the shop to drive us to the launch spot with our rental, since we couldn't fit it in my car. Costumer service doesn't get better than that!

Used them to rent tubes to float the river. Easy check in, right on the river, what more could you…read moreask for?!