O.A.R.S.' roots lie deep in the Grand Canyon. O.A.R.S. was the first oar-powered outfitter permitted to run the Colorado through the Grand Canyon back in 1969. Over 30 years we've built our operations --- based upon delivering superior personal service, hiring only the best guides, and using the highest quality, impeccably maintained equipment --- to cover more rivers of the West than any other river company.

As the largest and most diverse river company in the West, running rivers throughout Idaho, Utah, California, Oregon, Wyoming the Grand Canyon, and even internationally, O.A.R.S. is uniquely positioned to build for you a spectacular vacation or quick getaway that you'll treasure forever. Here's how it began...

George Wendt, president and founder of O.A.R.S. barely missed being one of the first 1000 people ever to raft the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. That trip fostered a dream for him, that later came to fruition, forever changing the life of this former middle school science teacher.

In 1969, that dream came true; with his friend Ed Gooch, Wendt established Gooch-Wendt Expeditions, running professional trips on the Colorado River. Shortly thereafter, the company was selected as the first small-raft, oar-powered operator in the Grand Canyon, and was appropriately renamed O.A.R.S. (Outdoor Adventure River Specialists).

In 1972, Wendt and his wife Pam took over full operation of O.A.R.S. In 1974, they left their home in Los Angeles and moved to the small Sierra Nevada foothill town of Angels Camp in Calaveras County just miles away from the free-flowing Stanislaus River. O.A.R.S. began to gain wide recognition as a full time river outfitter, running high quality trips on the Stanislaus, American, and Tuolumne rivers in California, and the Rogue River in Oregon, in addition to the Grand Canyon.

Although O.A.R.S. has grown its operations and reputation substantially over the last 35 years, becoming the largest and most diverse river company in the West, our ongoing mission has remained the same.

O.A.R.S. Mission and Goals:

We strive to enrich people's lives by providing outstanding adventure experiences. Our goal, since 1969, has been to help people of all ages enjoy "the best outdoor experience of their lives." We personally encourage and actively support awareness, deeper appreciation, and preservation of our rivers and natural ecosystems. Our trips are great adventures that emphasize heightened attentiveness to human impact on the environment.

Goals

  • To maintain sustainable growth at all levels of our operations
  • To operate responsible tourism
  • To give the highest quality of service possible to our clientele
  • To involve local communities in our programs
  • To conserve and protect the environment and all that lives within
  • To provide ongoing training for our staff and guides
  • To educate our staff and clients about the environment

"We're told that the best thing you can provide to children is a positive role model. We are much in O.A.R.S.' debt for providing exactly that for our grandsons. All your staff were great... the kids will never forget them." --Bill Connelly, Suffield, CT