Owyhee Wild and Scenic River (Oregon) ( Idaho/Oregon border to Leslie Gulch/Owyhee Resevior)
In 1984, congress designated 120 miles of the Owyhee River in Oregon as a wild river component of the the National Wild and Scenic River System. The Owyhee National Wild River provides visitors with unsurpassed solitude in canyons of unique beauty and form.
The Owyhee National Wild River extends from the Oregon-Idaho Border to the Owyhee Reservior, excluding 14 miles near Rome Oregon.
Phlox wildflowers along the Wild and Scenic Owyhee River. BLM photo: Larisa Bogardus
The river is divided into three boatable sections.
The upper section is accessed in Idaho on either the South Fork or East Fork of the Owyhee River and terminates at Three-Forks OR.
The middle section starts at Three-Forks OR. and terminates at Rome OR. This is the most demanding section, with two Class V rapids.
The lower section starts at Rome OR, and terminates at Leslie Gulch OR. The lower Owyhee section consists of Class III/IV rapids and is the most popular section to float.
