Meet us at the Cascade Raft River Center (7050 Highway 55, Horseshoe Bend, ID 83629) to check in. This trip departs at 8:30 AM, and this is the time we'll be jumping on the bus and heading to the launch point, so please check in at least 15 minutes prior to the departure time. The shuttle will take you through Garden Valley to the Deadwood Campground which is our launch point. After gearing up and a short safety briefing, you'll hit the river and start downstream toward rapids like Oxbow, Hardhat, Gateway and S-Turn. If time permits, we'll take a quick stop at the Pine Flats Hotsprings.
After S-Turn, we'll disembark from the raft to portage it around Big Falls. We'll need your help to carry the raft a short way and then you'll hike up and around the falls before descending the bank to meet your raft. The trail is not long, but the footing can be uneven. Following Big Falls, you'll challenge rapids like Upper and Lower Blackadar before we stop for a riverside lunch. The action continues after our break with more class IV whitewater!Tackle Lone Pine, Little Falls and Surprise before we reach the end of our 13-mile river journey. After our first take out at Danskin boat ramp we'll get back in the shuttle for a quick snack and a trip to our second put in: deer creek boat launch site. From there we will raft some exciting class III & IV rapids including Bronco Billy, Staircase, and Slalom.
Time on the water varies with the river levels, but in the main part of summer we'll reach the take out point at the Danskin Boat Ramp around 3:30 PM. Your shuttle vehicle will meet you there to take you to the second put in for approximately 90 additional minutes on the water. At the conclusion of the Lower South Fork section, you will return you to the Cascade Raft River Center. You are welcome to leave a towel or dry shirt or shoes on the bus. It's about a 30 minute drive back to the River Center where you can change clothes, view action photos from the trip, browse the gift shop, or grab snacks and beverages from the Rio Cafe.