About Three Sisters River School

The mission of Three Sisters River School is to inspire confident, capable river runners through expert instruction, progressive learning, and a spirit of adventure—while fostering safety, inclusivity, and a lifelong connection to rivers and wild places.

  • Operating season | May - September

  • Locations: Upper Deschutes, McKenzie, Santiam, and Crooked

Three Sisters River School collaborates with individuals, guide outfitters, and local companies to provide custom river experiences that are open to all recreational enthusiasts. Rivers and River trips provide incredible bonding experiences that are empowering and transferrable to every individual no matter the skill. Rivers are like the planet’s arteries—they bring life, movement, and rhythm – engaging with this flow is special. Whether you’re brand new to kayaking or working through a plateau, we have a course for you.

“Rivers are just water, rocks and gravity, yet they produce the most astonishing beauty with a special kind of magic and infinite challenge” - Doug Ammons

Whitewater Kayaking

ABOUT: Make a general about paragraph - Growth, improvement, new rivers and challenges, build confidence, what makes TSBC a great option, etc.

Rates

  • $55-70/hour sliding scale

    • varies due to type of clinic, length, gear, and number of people

      • All clinics are customizable; when you reach out, we can share various options and maps charted with details for various local spots

  • Ratio dependent on course - please reach out with questions

Jump to: Beginner Courses, Intermediate Courses, Advanced Courses

Beginner

For paddlers who are new to kayaking with limited experience in a hardshell kayak.

Curriculum:

  • Dry-land basics

  • Proper fitting of gear

  • Wet exits

  • Balance & maneuverability fundamentals

  • Flatwater paddling practice

  • Games & confidence-building exercises

  • Introduction to river safety concepts

SIGN UP

Intermediate

For paddlers who are comfortable with wet exits and flatwater maneuvering and are ready to enter more challenging current.

Curriculum:

  • Comprehensive safety review

  • Warm-up: games, drills, efficient paddling technique

  • Video analysis (each participant)

  • Paddling a Class II-III river stretch

  • Reading water & identifying features

  • Working eddylines, maintaining angles

  • Intro to ferrying and controlled downstream movement

Sign Up

Advanced

For developing paddlers preparing to push toward Class III–IV whitewater.

Curriculum:

  • Safety review and rapid risk assessment

  • Boof technique (timing, edge engagement, landing)

  • Advanced downriver strategies

  • Intro to racing technique (lines, momentum, boat placement)

  • Downriver play techniques

  • Surfing and feature utilization on the move

Sign Up

Have questions? Send us an email at info@threesistersbackcountry.com.

Three Sisters River School Guides have over 16 years of river guiding experience with formal kayak instruction and swift water training. Our River School Programs are certified by the American Canoe Association (ACA).

Guide Certifications