LGBTQ+ Rafting Trips
LGBTQ+ ADVENTUREs
At OARS, it’s always been part of our mission to inspire a love for wild rivers in all people through fun and meaningful experiences in nature, but we recognize there are people who haven’t always felt welcome on the river. On our dedicated LGBTQ+ river trips, you’ll be with a like-minded group of people who share similar interests, life experiences, and stories. These trips will be staffed by OARS guides who identify as LGBTQ+, or consider themselves allies of the community. Because of this, you can expect a safe, welcoming and judgment-free environment for your outdoor adventure.
Our trips naturally give you space and time to completely let go, be yourself and forget about the stressors of daily life. LGBTQ+ affinity adventures with OARS are an occasion for self-expression, celebration and joy. And if you’ve never been rafting before, you’re about to find out why the multi-day river trip experience is simply special. Get ready to marvel at breathtaking landscapes, splash through fun whitewater, eat delicious guide-prepared meals, share laughs with new friends under the stars and rest easy in some of the best campsites on the planet. And don’t forget your river flair! There’s no other vacation like this.
Specialty Trips
LGBTQ+ Trips
LGBTQ+ Rogue River Rafting Adventure – 4 Days
OARS invites the LGBTQ+ community to join them in a safe space for an unforgettable adventure on the “Wild & Scenic” Rogue River in Oregon
LGBTQ+ Rafting Adventure through Desolation Canyon – 5 Days
OARS invites the LGBTQ+ community to join them in a safe space for an unforgettable adventure through the heart of Desolation Canyon on the Green River
LGBTQ+ Rafting Adventure on the Main Salmon River – 6 Days
OARS invites the LGBTQ+ community to join them in a safe space for an unforgettable adventure on the Wild & Scenic Main Salmon River
Our Commitment to the LGBTQ+ Community
OARS acknowledges that members of the LGBTQ+ community have been historically marginalized in outdoor recreation spaces. Offering LGBTQ+ rafting adventures is just one way OARS has taken intentional steps in recent years to further our commitment to be stronger advocates for our LGBTQ+ friends and enhance access to the beautiful natural spaces from which many have felt excluded.
In 2021, we launched an annual Pride Month initiative at our American River operation that has raised just under $10,000 for the Sacramento LGBT Community Center to date. We were also among the first travel companies to change our booking and registration process to provide guests with non-binary gender options, and we continue to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion training for staff, as well as more intentional hiring from marginalized communities.
Most recently, OARS has partnered with professional adventurer and LGBTQ+ rights advocate Mikah Meyer on a variety of projects, including the short film Canyon Chorus presented by Eddie Bauer.
These river trips with queer people are extremely special because it feels so much safer. You can be yourself. You don’t have to put up an act. You don’t have to hold back.
Amar Bonsor OARS Desolation Canyon Guest