When the weather gets hotter, the river traffic gets heavier. Float from Riverbend Park down to Drake on a hot day and you might feel like you’re shoulder to shoulder with most of the town. Don’t get us wrong, that can be a blast. But if you’re looking to avoid river rush hour, it might be time to find a new spot.
Check out stretches up in Sunriver or down near Tumalo State Park. In Sunriver, you can float from Harpers Bridge to near the Sunriver Marina. Or at Tumalo, put in at the state park and float a stretch with some class I rapids down to near Highway 20.
There are other options but know your route. Stretches of the Deschutes can be extremely dangerous. If you’re sticking to the standard route in town and need gear or a shuttle, Sun Country Tours operates a rental station at Riverbend Park. They rent paddle boards and tubes.
For a shuttle, Cascade East Transit will be running their ‘Ride the River’ Friday-Monday, starting this weekend! ($1.50 per ride).
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2012.
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