Eco-Friendly, Adventurous & Affordable Family Vacation Suggestions

Avid outdoors-person Katrina Kehl wanted her children’s introduction into the natural world to be a pleasant experience. A backpacking trip would mean a lot of pre-planning, packing, walking with heavy packs, cooking and cleaning up after meals. After careful consideration, her family chose to join an all-inclusive whitewater rafting trip on the Lower Salmon River in Idaho.

In a recent conversation Katrina revealed to me, “Joining an O.A.R.S. vacation is enticing because the logistics and details are managed for us. There is little work involved on the parent’s part. Additionally, a whitewater rafting trip forces kids to be resourceful and play with what is available. It also forces the adults to slow down and have a conversation or read a book or do nothing at all. Being in a raft and hiking and enjoying camp also gets you to stop, look around and pay attention, if only for five or six days. The trip is so relaxing: you have no idea what is going on outside the river canyon and eventually you do not care. It is different than going to Hawaii or Europe or a resort, because in those places you always have access to TVs, phones, electronics, and a schedule.”

Katrina and her family will be joining their fifth O.A.R.S. trip this summer – this time on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

O.A.R.S. was founded with the genuine dream of helping people of all ages and abilities enjoy the best outdoor experience of their lives. A family owned and operated company; O.A.R.S. understands the value of quality family experiences. As a result, they provide a plethora of family-friendly vacations that offer:

• Family discounts of up to 15% on select departures
• Experienced guides who understand and support the needs of children and parents
• Healthy, delicious food with organic choices
• Numerous locations, activities, and skill levels to choose from with vacations that cater to families with children as young as four years of age
• One guide designated as "Fun Director," helping to keep children entertained
• "Fun Bag" on each family friendly vacation, stocked with games and toys for all ages
• Options for families ranging from trips for first timers with young children to experienced whitewater veterans with teenagers or young adult children.
• The practice of the 7 principles of Leave No Trace to assist you in creating a heritage for your children, and their children, so they may experience the same enjoyment of the natural environment.

Families frequently ask the O.A.R.S. Adventure Consultants for their suggestions. Here are some of their picks for family vacations:

For the youngest adventurers – appropriate for children ages 4 and older – these family river trips help your children gain confidence and interest in the outdoors while you kick back and relax:

• The Lower Klamath River in Northern California is a gentle Class II river with bouncy, easy rapids and warm, pleasant swimming holes. 3 days
• The San Juan River is a major tributary of the Colorado River. This relaxing float trip offers terrific hiking opportunities, a high concentration of accessible Anasazi ruins, warm weather and warm water. 2 ½, 4, or 6 days

Appropriate for families with children ages 7 and older:  

• The Lower Salmon River in Idaho meanders warm, wide and mellow, making it a great rafting getaway for young families or beginning rafters. It is home to some of America’s most beautiful inland river beaches, sprawling alongside clear, mellow pools and inflatable kayak play spots. Experience four distinct gorges with a full gamut of boat options: rafts, dories, inflatable kayaks. 4 or 5 days
• Southern Oregon’s Wild and Scenic Rogue River winds its way through one of the most beautiful pine-forested canyons in North America. Throughout the river canyon are bald eagles, osprey, Great Blue Heron, a variety of ducks, river otters, whitetail deer and black bears. 3, 4, or 5 days
• Raft through Dinosaur National Monument on the Green River through the Gates of Lodore. There are numerous gentle hikes through side canyons to waterfalls, as well as petroglyphs and fossilized remains of dinosaurs preserved in ancient rock walls. Large riverside beaches and moderate whitewater make this an ideal adventure for young families and laid-back vacationers. 4 or 9 days
• Experience the deepest gorge in North America on Idaho’s Hells Canyon of the Snake River. Enjoy warm water and exciting Class III rapids similar reminiscent in style to Grand Canyon rapids. Included is a private flight from Lewiston, Idaho, to Halfway, Oregon, with spectacular views of Hells Canyon below. 3 or 5 days

Additional suggestions:

• Cataract Canyon at lower water flows, 4 or 6 days
• Yellowstone/Grand Teton Explorer, 5 or 6 days
• Main Salmon River in Idaho, 5 or 6 days

Appropriate for families with children ages 8-9 and older:

The Lodge at Chilko Lake multi-sport vacation in British Columbia offers whitewater rafting, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, wildlife viewing, horseback riding and lake kayaking from lodge-based luxury. Explore the turquoise waters of the largest alpine lake in North America. 5 days

Rafting Idaho’s Middle Fork of the Salmon River is one of the most sought-after whitewater trips in the country. The Salmon winds over 100 miles and has more than 100 sets of rapids. One of the most notable highlights of the Middle Fork Salmon is its constantly changing terrain. Beginning at 6000 feet in elevation, the Middle Fork is initially a high alpine river. But as it continues, the scenery changes significantly as the river travels through forested hills, open, rolling grasslands, and finally into a narrow, rocky gorge called Impassable Canyon. 6 days

Blink and your summer vacation will have come and gone. Blink again and your children will be learning to drive and, before long, heading to college, careers and families of their own. Is it ever too early to plan your family vacation?
 

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor