Groups and Clubs, Kayaking

American Whitewater restores rivers dewatered by hydropower dams, eliminates water degradation, improves public land management and protects public access to rivers for responsible recreational use.

AW's River Stewardship team represents paddlers' interests to restore rivers, eliminate water degradation, improve public land management and protect public access for responsible recreational use.

Oregon Whitewater Association is a website with lots of information on Whitewater rafting and kayaking in Oregon.

As a kayaker, this site is a great resource for those who follow recreational politics and river law. Their description:

"Your center for canoeing, kayaking, rafting, fly-fishing, river conservation, river access, and river navigability law. (Including river running, river trips, raft trips, whitewater trips, float trips, wilderness rivers, and Wild and Scenic Rivers.)"

We often get questions about local canoe clubs at the shop. If you're looking for some experienced fun people to get you started canoeing, and especially whitewater canoeing, get in touch with the LCCC. From their website:

"The Lower Columbia Canoe Club, which is based in Portland, Oregon, provides boaters in Oregon and Washington the opportunity to learn river safety and paddling techniques, meet other paddlers, and organize paddling trips. LCCC welcomes all members of the paddle sport community including canoeists, kayakers, sea kayakers, and inflatable kayakers."

The Oregon Ocean Paddling Society (OOPS) is a very active sea kayaking club centered in Portland. They regularly have several paddling trips, educational activities and social events scheduled each month, supported by their online monthly calendar and member forums within their informative website.

Portland's premier kayak school and adventure travel company. The friendliest and most committed instructors in the northwest, whether you've never been in the water before or you're a class V boater looking for a new challenge, we can help you improve. Flat water family trips in Portland's backyard to epic first descents in China and beyond.

The North West Rafters Association is a private, non-profit organization for river runners around the state or Oregon. There are individual chapters in several counties and at-large members throughout the state. The NWRA helps rafters with access, permit allocation, river conservation, and other relevant river issues. Also the chapters meet monthly throughout most of the year and feature presentations on river trips, river equipment, safety, raft repair, river issues, and other information of interest to their members.

The Oregon Kayak & Canoe Club (OKCC) is a group of boaters in the Portland area who have joined together to pursue a common interest in whitewater boating. Their primary focus is to organize river trips at various skill levels. Safety, as well as enjoyment, is considered important on all club-sponsored trips. They are also involved in ocean kayaking, slalom races, instruction, and river conservation.

PDXkayaker is the local Portland, OR boatin crowd. Not an organized club, but a very active email list where you can find gear for sale, lots of boating partners of all levels, and mind expanding conversation.