Oregon whitewater - Grande Ronde River, Blue Mountains, Union County

Union county, Red Bridge State Park to Hilgard Junction State Park section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II     8 miles
  The Red Bridge State Park to Hilgard Junction State Park stretch of Grande Ronde River in Union County is 8 miles long and has been rated as a class II section by American Whitewater. The average Oregon whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit harder to master than those in other states, so better not forget that many of the sections here are not safe for beginners. If you're coming from La Grande it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. The wonderful
    Oregon scenery and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream are reasons enough to come here and paddle. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. Great exercise and just being out on the river for a while are great reasons to come. This stretch
is mid length, it's good length for a morning trip. When you're paddling down a Blue Mountains river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too. The Red Bridge State Park to Hilgard Junction State Park stretch is one of many paddling stretches in this river system. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking there are not so many other good spots for that around here.

Briefly
 
about the general area:
Near Grande Ronde River you stumble on the Hoodoo Trail which is a tremendous hiking trail. Not much precipitation falls here at Grande Ronde River; most of the rain falls during November, and the driest month is July.
For the duration of the warmest time of the year at Grande Ronde River highs are commonly in the 80's. For the duration of the moonlight hours it's frequently in the 50's. The winter brings highs down to the 30's, and winter nights come with lows in the 20's to Grande Ronde River.

Grande Ronde River, Red Bridge State Park to Hilgard Junction State Park road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II
Length: 8 miles
Average Gradient: 22 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 45.29166
Longitude: -118.33917

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 45.34305
Longitude: -118.2314

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Current weather conditions at Grande Ronde River, Blue Mountains, Oregon
WXPort

Local climate location: PENDLETON BRCH EXP STN 8 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

La Grande Travelodge, La Grande
14 miles away
Free Wireless Internet Located in the Heart of La Grande Guests receive 10 percent off at 5 nearby restaurants Free Continental Breakfast Cookies in the afternoon Refrigerator, Coffee Pots, Microwave...

Lagrande Super 8 Motel, La Grande
15 miles away
Welcome to the Super 8 LaGrange. Our property is AAA Approved, we offer our guests a SuperStart breakfast, indoor heated pool and hot tub, high speed internet, cable TV w/HBO, ESPN, in-room coffee ma...

Best Western Rama Inn & Suites, La Grande
15 miles away
Discover this La Grande hotel surrounded by the natural beauty of Eastern Oregon conveniently located near Eastern Oregon University and Boise Cascade. Nestled between the beautiful Blue Mountains i...



OTHER_INFO
  Blue Mountains Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Blue Mountains.

Blue Mountains Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Blue Mountains.

All Oregon Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Oregon.
Books about whitewater paddling on Grande Ronde River, Oregon
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Grande Ronde River, Oregon.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Oregon

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near La Grande, Oregon
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of La Grande, Oregon, the metro area neareast to Grande Ronde River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Grande Ronde River.
 Whitewater Near Grande Ronde River:
Grande Ronde River, Union County , 8 miles away, Class II-IV - 17 miles long (Tony Vey Meadow to Red Bridge State Park)
Grande Ronde River, Union County , 10 miles away, Class II-IV - 9 miles long (Hilgard Junction State Park to Riverside City Park)
Grande Ronde River, Union County , 22 miles away, Class I - 32 miles long (Riverside City Park to Elgin)
 Ski Areas Near Grande Ronde River:
Anthony Lakes, Oregon , 18 miles away, 900 vertical feet
Spout Springs, Oregon , 27 miles away, 810 vertical feet
Bluewood, Washington , 48 miles away, 1125 vertical feet
Brundage Mountain, Idaho , 148 miles away, 1800 vertical feet
Mt. Spokane, Washington , 151 miles away, 2000 vertical feet
Tamarack, Idaho , 152 miles away, 2800 vertical feet
49 Degrees North, Washington , 153 miles away, 1851 vertical feet
Bogus Basin, Idaho , 169 miles away, 1800 vertical feet
Mission Ridge, Washington , 175 miles away, 2200 vertical feet
Echo Valley, Washington , 176 miles away, 900 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Grande Ronde River:
La Grande Travelodge, La Grande , 14 miles away
Lagrande Super 8 Motel, La Grande , 15 miles away
Best Western Rama Inn & Suites, La Grande , 15 miles away
Rugged Country Lodge DBA Double H Investments, Pendleton , 34 miles away
Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center, Walla Walla , 37 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Grande Ronde River:
Time and a Half Campground, Union County, 10 miles away
Camp Elkanah Campground, La Grande, 12 miles away
Emigrant State Park, Meacham, 13 miles away
 Trails Near Grande Ronde River:
Hoodoo Trail, Union County , 8 miles away,  4.6 hiking miles, 708 feet elevation difference
Marion Jordan Trail, Union County , 9 miles away,  5.2 hiking miles, 1298 feet elevation difference
Park Saddle Trail, Union County , 9 miles away, 7.4 hiking miles, 1154 feet elevation difference
Little Dark Canyon Trail, Union County , 9 miles away,  4 hiking miles, 219 feet elevation difference
Antler Spring Trail, Union County , 11 miles away, 2.6 hiking miles, 339 feet elevation difference
Evans Trail, Union County , 11 miles away, 4.7 hiking miles, 1956 feet elevation difference
Boulevard Trail, Union County , 11 miles away, 6.1 hiking miles, 1596 feet elevation difference

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater