Program Description
Sundance Kayak School proudly presents our first ever Wild and Scenic Community Adventure river trip for First Descents Alumni. 5 days and 4 nights, a 36 mile, wilderness whitewater river adventure on one of the best multiday river trips in North America.
In the spirit of epic river adventures and the FD motto “Out Living It” Sundance invites you to seize this opportunity to get outside, challenge yourself, and be present with people who “get it”. Relax in the great outdoors, enjoy meals cooked with love, and unplug from the stress of the modern world. Dare to go “full send” and join us for a full immersion, whitewater retreat set in the timeless beauty of a river canyon. Join Sundance for the adventure of a lifetime and let us show you what a river trip is all about!
This is the one you’ve all been waiting for! If you have ever attended an FD Rogue program and heard about the spectacular wilderness canyon just downstream, maybe you wondered “what if I just kept going past the takeout?” This is that trip! -Gnomeo
The River:
Ride the raft or paddle your own inflatable kayak through class 2 and 3 rapids! You can opt for more splash and excitement in an inflatable kayak, paddle as a team in a guided whitewater paddle raft, or relax in style and take it all in from the Gear raft as your guide expertly navigates the river. The pool-drop character of the Rogue means that rapids can mostly be tackled one at a time with rest and recovery pools in between.
The Environment:
The Wild and Scenic Rogue River Canyon is known far and wide for its exceptional scenery, diverse wildlife and recreational qualities. One of the original 8 wild and scenic rivers for a reason – the Rogue greets visitors with classic, quality whitewater and an assortment of scenic camping spots. Bears, ospreys, deer, otters, herons and minks are all common wildlife sightings on the river. The water is swimming temperature and it almost never rains during the Summer months. Summer daytime temps are in the 80s and 90s with a few hotter days mixed in. And the beauty of being on a river trip during a hot day is… there’s a nice cool river any time you need it.
Camping:
Sundance will provide a chair, tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad for you to use during the trip, as well as a large drybag for keeping all of your belongings dry. Each afternoon we will choose an available camp along our journey. Our home for the evening will be an undeveloped beach, usually sand or gravel. Guides will set up the bathroom, perhaps some shade while you settle in. Guests are free to frolic at that point until dinner. Things to do are get comfy, set up your sleeping spot, hang out by the river, play a game, take a nap, go for a hike or a swim, read a book, eat snacks with your toes in the water..
Appy hour happens around 5, Dinner is served 630ish. Share stories about the day with friends, enjoy a beverage as the river animals settle down for the night and the stars come out overhead.
“If I had to choose a favorite location, which is super hard, I would have to say the Rogue River in Oregon. It truly holds a special place in my heart.” -Veggetti
Food:
We love cooking in the great outdoors! There’s nothing better than delicious food in the wilderness, so after a long day playing on the river, prepare to be wowed. The beauty of a raft trip is that rafts can carry a lot of stuff including a wide variety of culinary instruments – everything we need to cook and prepare quality meals.
We provide all of the food from the first day’s lunch through lunch on the last day. Our menu features fresh healthy ingredients that are filling and delicious. Hot breakfast with coffee and tea, a riverside lunch, appetizers, dinners and desert.. And snacks! We will provide a small amount of local wine with dinner and some limited drink options but if you have drinks and snacks that you prefer bring them along.
With advance notice we are happy to accommodate most dietary requests. Please let us know about any considerations at the time of your booking. You can make notes regarding dietary allergies, restrictions and preferences in your client portal after you register or better yet, send us an email to [email protected].
Experience the Lifestyle!
If you have never been on a multi-day, wilderness, whitewater river trip, you have got to come see this! Relax, unplug, enjoy world-class instruction, and become the kayaker you’ve always wanted to be. With raft support, bringing friends or loved ones along for the adventure is simple and easy.
As you move down the river, you will paddle through dozens of exciting rapids, revel in the peace and beauty of deep gorges, and be amazed by the breathtaking scenery and wildlife along the way. The timelessness and beauty of the Rogue will inevitably work its magic on you and the crazed pace of the real world will, for a moment, become distant and inconsequential.
Length: 5 Days
Prerequisites: You must have previously attended an adventure program with First Descents. Previous FD experience can be from any location or in any adventure sport.
2025 Start Dates:
- September 6th – 10th
Number of bookings per reservation: 2 (You and your “plus one” guest)
Cost: $1695 per person.
All prices are per person and are subject to a 3% Government Use and Service fee. Guide Gratuity not included in the price.
Includes: Meals, camping equipment, shuttles, raft support, world-class guiding and required river gear.
Does not include: Meals or lodging before or after the trip. Please let us know if you need help with planning, we encourage participants to coordinate their travel day logistic together for ease and affordability. The Galice Resort may be an option!
Meeting Location: The Galice Resort
Photo Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1: Your trip begins at Almeda Park at 9 am. After we complete any last minute packing and load waterproof bags onto rafts, we will provide a detailed safety briefing with information about river safety and the upcoming journey. Next we launch into our river trip, getting used to our boats and as we descend deeper into the wild and Scenic, letting the river wash off all of the stress and frustration of the modern world. After a few miles we will leave the road behind. During the day we will usually travel 3-6 miles before lunch and 3-6 miles in the afternoon. We aim to arrive in camp at around 330 each day.
Day 2:
The next morning you will wake up in one of the most beautiful places! Coffee is always out by 7am or earlier upon request. We serve breakfast at 8 and then aim to be floating around 10. The morning is a wonderful time to float on the river. Throughout the trip we may pull over for occasional side hikes and points of interest. Snacks are always available and we always give time for nature moments. Inflatable kayakers will enjoy choosing their own adventure and challenging themselves in rapids along the way. By camp you will start to feel like you’re getting the hang of this!
Day 3 & 4:
By day 3, we will begin the feel the groove of the river lifestyle! Immersed in the wilderness and saturated with the spice of life so to speak. Far from the stress of work and politics, your only jobs out here are to have fun, be safe and be present. In the river, the groove allows you to be more fluid and go with the flow and before long, you will begin to anticipate your next move and read the river.
Day 5: When you wake up, although this is our last day… Try not to think about it! Our morning follows our typical schedule from coffee to lunch. Our takeout time is 1 pm at Foster Bar. After loading into vehicles, there is a 2 hour van shuttle back to civilization. Our goal is to be back in Galice between 4-5 pm.
Kayaking is soul food: Kayaking is one of the best ways to enrich your life and relieve stress, and you will be surprised by how fast you gain skills and confidence on the river. By day 4 of your beginner kayak class, rapids you wouldn’t have dared a few days ago will now seem do-able. The crazed pace of the real world becomes distant and inconsequential. You notice that your life is more in tune with the nuances of the great outdoors. In addition to the song of the river, you hear the strum of a distant chord that now includes you in the workings of nature.
Don’t Take Our Word For It. Hear What Our Guests Have To Say!
Additional Information
When Sundance participated in our first FD program back in 2013 we knew we had found the perfect fit. Since then, Sundance has taken part in dozens of FD programs over the years and those programs have become a core part of our business. All of the Sundance Kayak Instructors have worked on FD programs and this summer we will be running 7 more week-long, FD kayak programs out of the Riverhouse Lodge. Suffice it to say that we have a ton of friends in the FD community!
Just to be clear, this is not a First Descents Program. This is an awesome Sundance gourmet kayak adventure vacation with other people who have all previously attended an FD Program including the guides! (If this had been an actual FD Program, we probably couldn't serve you Rogue Valley wine with dinner ;D ) This is your trip and Sundance's only agenda here is to help make this your best vacation ever!
We love kayaking!
Why Sundance? Maybe you've heard of us? Sundance Kayak School has been in business for over 50 years!
Our roots run deep in the culture of wilderness River Trips. Nestled on the edge of a wilderness canyon, Sundance has spent decades honing our craft, providing wilderness multi-day retreats and world-class kayak instruction on the Wild and Scenic Rogue River.
The recipe is simple: Bring adventurous people from all over the country and embark on a wilderness Multiday expedition - a personal first descent on the magnificent Rogue River, in the spirit of the epic rivertrips that started it all and inspired the FD legacy.
The thrill and reward of accepting the challenge of a whitewater river trip, mixed with experiencing the fun, majestic beauty and timelessness of a wild and scenic river are the reasons people come to Sundance Kayak School. Come join us for 4 days of fun, challenge and relaxation on the Rogue River!