You step onto the Deschutes not knowing what to expect. The sun leans low. The water pulls forward with purpose. The rapids, those crisp, roaring punctuation marks, start writing the kind of afternoon you'll replay in your head for years. Then Alex, our guide, takes the mic. With the charm of a seasoned showman and the precision of a scientist, he turned a whitewater rafting adventure into something unforgettable. His wit is sharper than a dry martini. His knowledge of the river and the volcanic bones beneath it is the kind of insight that makes you feel smarter just for listening. He doesn't just steer the raft. He steers you through time, weaving in the geologic history of the canyon walls while pointing out an osprey nest perched high above, hatchlings inside, chirping beneath the wind. You hear the rapids before you feel them. Then comes the dance. Navigating tight fits between boulders. Gliding effortlessly over shallow shelves. The raft lifts and drops like it's in on the secret. The kids laughed. The adults let go. And when the moment was right, we jumped in. Cold, clean, and utterly refreshing. A shock to the system in the best possible way. It's family friendly in the purest sense of the phrase. Thrilling, but never reckless. Informative, never dull. Wild, but still welcoming. The Imperial River Company doesn't just offer whitewater rafting. They offer escape. The kind where you stop checking your watch and start listening to the water, the birds, the laughter echoing off canyon walls. Book the trip. Ask for Alex. Let the Deschutes show you what summer is supposed to feel like. read more

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Clean, nice fire pit. They have a restaurant and a Bar. But best of all it's on the Deshutes River where the fishing is GREAT. We stay here every time. read more

Imperial River Company - Trout - Hotels Near Me - Maupin, Oregon

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We had the most amazing rafting trip today! There was 8 of us - all related and out for a fun afternoon without children and just an adult fun lovey weather day! Sam was our guide and from the moment we met him, he made the trip magical for us all! His expertise combined with maturity and humor and fun made it the perfect day for us all! We all felt so welcomed by him and his kind mannerisms and even sweeter personality made for a perfect day for us all! The check in was so easy and everyone was simply the best! But we will be back and ask for Sam! And also refer him to all our friends! We did not want the day to end! We will all be smiling and thinking of our trip and Sam for many days! Hope to be back soon! Thank you Sam!! You are a gem! Barb Cooper :) read more

Stay here on my Deschutes fishing trips. Perfect location and nice place to stay. The room themes are fun and interesting

Beautiful location and great staff! Loved our rafting trip with them. We will be back.

Our bicycle group stayed here for several nights in June,2024. Lovely setting along the Deschutes River. Our room, the Birdwatcher,wasn't fancy but spacious with comfortable beds and tasteful murals on the walls of trees and with sweet little birdhouses. Breakfast included was plentiful and ideal before a bike ride. Delightful dinner on the shady patio by the river. Dave was our excellent server. Although they also run rafting trips, we didn't have time on this trip. Very nice and shady Maupin city park is next door which our friends with RV's and tents enjoyed. read more

Imperial River Company - One corner of our bedroom, the Birdwatcher's room. Each room has a theme. - Hotels Near Me - Maupin, Oregon

A lovely place that was clearly built with care and consideration by the owners. The location is stunning, the rooms are quirky and fun and the staff are personable and adept. read more

Really decent hotel in an unexpected cool location. Rooms were clean and charming and roomy - great for a group of motorcyclists. The bar and restaurant are decent. Only nit is you will get the odd gnat or fly as the place is close to the River - keep the door closed. Also, a train may rumble through town at eve hours. None of this detracts from a great place at a decent rate. read more

Beautiful hotel, and outdoor patio but the low rating is for the poor quality food. The staff is a bunch of young and inexperienced kids who kept forgetting to bring what we asked for. Had to ask for a box at least 6 times and eventually gave up and went to the bar myself to fetch some boxes for our party. The food made us all sick. I ordered the salmon and shrimp dinner and before even making it the hour drive back home I was starting to feel ill. I've been crapping straight liquid since last night. Was complaining about this to my friends who also ate w me, and they said they've been shitting their pants since we left too. So come here if you need to be cleansed out. If you want a colonoscopy definitely eat here. read more

Rivers are nice. The bathroom hooks were perfect for my socks! The carpet felt so good between my fingers. They don't offer room service but I was comforted by the painting on the wall that said "Room Service." The beautiful vase by the window really helped me fall asleep. The alarm clock was perfect. The fake plants in the room helped me breath. But don't bump them... they will do the opposite. The ceiling light. Old photos of children on the walls. Really neat, but I couldn't find the batteries that were making their eyes blink. Right on the river, which is cold, but the air conditioning works. Would have given 5.1 stars, but I lost my gloves. All in all, splendid stay. read more

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This was my 3rd year rafting at Imperial, and it literally gets better each year. The guides are freaking funny and informative and just so fun to spend the day with. Our guy this time was Brian (who actually recognized me from last time). He had a shaman's knowledge of the river and all the quirky things in the area, but literally made us laugh a few times so hard we almost peed. Super awesome dude (his sister Kelly was also great the year before, btw). The river itself is gorgeous. Great rapids in areas with calm floats in between. Its perfect. We love it and look forward to our yearly trip here more every year. We are loyal Imperial River Company customers and will be back next season for an even longer trip down the Deschutes. read more

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Always a comfortable stay when we come here each year for the Salmonfly hatch. The atmosphere is always a very energetic, relaxing and fun. Service around the whole Lodge, restaurant and bar. All equally amazing! Brian is a great bartender and always fun to have a chat with. Over the past decade I've completed the stay in each room of the hotel. Each one of them is very unique, equipped with their own special books and backstories. It's an amazing lodge, great for anyone looking to disconnect, relax, fish, raft, birdwatch, whatever strikes your fancy. A very enjoyable place anytime of the year. read more

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Loved it here! Our room was huge and sparkly clean. Liked that there were different bed configurations available in different rooms. Continental breakfast had a bunch of options and restaurant food was decent. All the staff I interacted with were super nice. Maupin is a quiet little town, which I appreciated. There is a train that goes by about every 4-5 hours it seemed like but it wasn't hugely distracting. Loved the balcony and river view although it was too cold to hang out outside for too long. This is a place that obviously wants you to enjoy your stay. Will be back when it's warmer! read more

The best place to eat along a river on a warm summer day. Burgers are great and the barbecue sauce is their own. My only complaint is that they changed the way they seat and serve people. It used to be a sit down and be served place, now it's an order at the counter and then sit down. Service used to be better but food is still good and location is awesome. read more

Imperial River Company - Imperial burger with fried egg and sweet potato fries - Hotels Near Me - Maupin, Oregon

Stayed at the Imperial River Company for a quick little trip to celebrate my partners 70th birthday. I've always loved coming here. With the beautiful Deschutes River flowing right by your back door, how can you go wrong. Everything is very clean and comfortable, staff very friendly and sitting out on the patio with a margarita and sweet potato fries watching the River go by on a sunny February day - well, doesn't get much better. read more

******* Disclaimer ******** This review isn't for foods. I review nothing but foods. But I guess I can offer good travel tips after my vacation, so this is sorta exception. I came here for the "whole day white rafting" on Deschutes River! ******************************************** Booking: Online or call. Online is definitely easy. There's a season for rafting - when the water level is low, it's not fun. Make sure you contact them first so that you can do it. Fee: $100 for the whole day (adult). I guess $60 or so for the half day. I do recommend the whole day!! The whole day package comes with 18 mile of rafting - 2 sections before lunch, and 1 more difficult/exciting section after lunch - and lunch. Attire: I recommend to wear swim suits, shorts, and T-shirt. They have water proof light jackets you can wear under the life guard jacket if you don't wanna be "SOAKING WET". You WILL get wet. I warned you. Stuff you might bring: They have a photographer - you can buy all the pictures for $60. But we didn't have it since he/she called in sick that day. Bring the water proof camera! It costs you only a little, and you do want that since there're tons of quiet down time you don't need to paddle and can enjoy seeing all the nature. You don't need to bring anything else - they provide you water and a snack bar while moving to the next point. You might need a towel during the lunch and after rafting, but you don't need it during rafting. Personal belongings: Put everything in the car. You can leave your car key in the building - they lock it while rafting. - Locale Destination - It's on Bakeoven County Rd - right on the banks of the Deschutes River, Maupin, OR. It's an hour drive from Bend. It's beautiful - lots of trees, river, and mountains. The town I passed to come to this white rafting experience had some cool classy buildings - good old American classic - like a gas station. I wish I could take pictures there ;( If you come here for rafting, it's good idea to stay this lodge or places nearby (the whole day rafting starts at 9 am). You don't see 5 star accommodations around here, but you see old and small charming places. The staff were all fun, knowledgeable, and funny. - Gluttony Expedition - Rafting: They'll teach you how to do it and give you tips before we start it. It's easy. The guide tells you what to do while rafting. Lots of down time not to paddle. If you fell into water, just be calm so that all of your clues can help to pick you up. Don't get panic. It happens. You can swim in the river if you want. The guide tells you when things get bumpy and let you sit at the front of the boat to enjoy it!! Just listen to your guide. They're well experienced!! It's really fun!! Lunch: They'll provide you BBQ - burger (beef, chicken, or vegetarian), salads, fruits, cookies, and drinks. *** For a whole day package It's decent. It tasted good after rafting!!! - Conqueror's Deduction - This was my first time for rafting. This was easy and a lot more fun than I thought. It's more like "paddle sometimes, lots of non paddle time to enjoy the scenery". You don't keep paddling non stop here. I'm sure you can have those experiences somewhere else, but this is definitely easy and tons of fun!! I was thinking to get my own boat and paddles for myself to enjoy it while rafting ;p The knowledgeable staff really helped us to enjoy it. Do it if you had a chance. It's REALLY FUN!!!! read more

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There aren't many options for getting a bite to eat in the town of Maupin, especially if you'd like to couple it with a cocktail. As far as I can tell you actually have two choices: bar food or the Imperial River Company. Seeing as I am not a huge fan of platters containing copious amounts of greasy goodness, I chose The Imp (already nicknamed it, 'cause I've subconsciously made it my permanent go-to post-rafting spot). And it was definitely the right choice. First off, they have free Wi-Fi. In this town of no discernible cell coverage, this alone warrants a five-star review. The view of the river from the dining room, bar, outdoor bar tables and fire pit doubles down that five-star potential; you are close enough to dip your toes in the water regardless of where you sit in here. The service was enough to put a smile on my face. The bartender/waitress was personable, attentive, and in possession of that admirable, yet elusive, skill of simply taking good care of her customers. Her awesome service, too, is deserving of a five-star review. So why only four stars?! Well, the food was hit and miss. The barbecue sauce was phenomenally tasty. That I had to slather it all over my veggie burger to make it edible is unfortunate. The quesadilla was really flavorful. The salsa that came with it prominently featured overripe tomatoes which killed any semblance of freshness. There needed to be more consistency with the food dished up. The Imp is multi-purpose to be sure, offering lodging, catering, event hosting, rafting, biking, fishing, and hunting. Check out the other reviews for the scoop on those aspects as mine is limited to the food and drink alone. read more

Imperial River Company - Great outdoor seating, right on the river. - Hotels Near Me - Maupin, Oregon

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Just stayed at the hotel this week. Everything was great. Great restaurant, great outdoor areas, and everyone was so helpful. Went rafting with there company and they were fantastic. Planing on coming back next summer for sure. read more

An oasis in the desert. Comfortable room, well decorated with local historical images and facts. Nice swinging chairs right on the river. Good breakfast that includes protein. Lost a star because the restaurant wasn't open on our visit (Monday), and hotels like this should never have little round toilets. read more

This review is for the rafting trip only. My family and I have visited Maupin many times over the years for whitewater adventure. We went with Imperial for the first time this year as our previously used outfitters were all booked up. As far as the guides went, they were good. The rafting experience itself was good-as expected. However, after a long drive from Portland and hours on the river, we were starving. The lunch they provided was dismal at best. I wish I had taken a picture of my burger-it was a 2 oz patty, less than 1/2" thick and charred to a crisp (literally black and crispy) and only covered about half the bun. Sides were no better-potato salad was similar to Reser's potato salad you buy by the bucket at the supermarket. 'Fresh baked' cookies were just ick. We got back on the water after lunch, still hungry, but enjoyed the ride. At the end of it all, we were excited to see and order our pics but found out they were experiencing "early season technical issues" and only managed to take pics of the other boat that traveled the river with us. This was terribly disappointing considering my friend from Florida was visiting and my 12 yr old had just decided to tackle her terrifying fear of water. All in all, not the best rafting experience available in Maupin and at a higher price. read more

This was by far the best way to end the summer. The guide - Brian- was very interactive, knowledgeable, and just plain entertaining. The IRC's business is well set up with the lodge, rafting, and restaurant, all on the same site. So you can book your adventure and room all in one sitting. I would recommend the all day trip to anyone who likes rafting. read more

We were married on the River by the Best Freaking Reverend Ever!! Saturday was a wonderful day that will be remembered by our family forever. Topher was our fantastic river guide/reverend. Our youngest, 12, was a little apprehensive but within the first 10 minutes of our trip, Topher had her giggling and she ended up being the our best "bull rider" on the boat. He was full of jokes, stories, games, and history lessons that kept our motley crew engaged and laughing. We even had the privilege of hearing his first ever Deschutes River Haiku. You'll have to ask him about that one. Ages in our group ranged from 12-53. Our crew was adventurous and ended up in the water on more then one occasion, but never felt unsafe. It was all in fun. The best part, was the second leg of the trip when we got married. Topher (who is ordained) picked out the perfect spot, in the eddy right at Boxcar rapids. We had our closest family on the raft with us, while the rest of the boats watched from behind. The day was perfect. I also want to give a shout out to the rest of the crew at Imperial River Company. They were so accommodating and also a big part of why our ceremony was so successful. Casey, the bus driver was sweet and took the time to pull over to show the rest of our family where they could park to get the best view of the ceremony from shore. He also has great taste in music. I wish i could remember everyone's names...but thank you Kelly, Sombrero guy (who took video), Jason, and the other guides and to all the fellow rafters who patiently attended the wedding and cheered us on! I highly recommend Imperial River Company and any one of these guides, but especially Topher, because he is the BEST FREAKING REVEREND and RIVER GUIDE EVER!!! Thank you, we WILL be back. White water roaring Our nuptials At Boxcar Happy Forever Show less read more

We have been coming here for over 12 years, my birthday weekend. This trip was horrible, the staff was rude, the service has changed for the worse, they wouldn't let us have a cocktail on our patio and told us we couldn't BBQ on our patio which we have always done in the past and our room was full of bugs with cob webs in ever corner. We borrowed the vacuum and cleaned it ourselves. Then to top it all off we couldn't book our same room for next year because the people the weekend before took it which was against their rule of 1 year in advance....Not that we wanted to stay again anyway. They have No loyalty to their previous, faithful customers, we were treated like dirt and told it didn't matter to them because they had plenty of people begging to stay. One more thing. The rafting wasn't fun because they shoved us in a boat with 12 people total. It is expensive and not worth the price read more

We give the rafting, especially our guide Topher a 5/5 star! He went above and beyond in his knowledge of the river and ability to make it fun and safe for a family! We even enjoyed having his pup Rio along for the ride! Unfortunately we were disappointed in the bunkhouse room as another room was behind us and guests were very loud. The restaurant's food and service were great! read more

My husband and 2 buddies spent 3 days here and took a full day rafting trip. It was a blast. They can't stop praising the entire trip. Great room, great food and awesome river guide. They already have plans to go again next year. read more

Been rafting with them 3 years in a row. Did the overnight with them and had a blast. Plus we hardly had to lift a finger beside row!

We are staying in the Conestoga room with a beautiful back deck that faces the Deschutes River. There is a really great painting of Conestoga wagons on the Oregon trail. It's mid- June so we were worried about getting rained on when we went rafting. Fortunately we got a gorgeous sunny day. Our guide, Brian, made the whole trip exciting! We ordered drinks at the bar after our 6.5 hour float (including a 40 minute lunch stop) and hung out on the lawn and played volleyball. We will definitely be back! read more

This was honestly, hands down, the best experience that my husband and I have had at a hotel! We were on a roadtrip from Portland and had car trouble and stumbled upon this place. It turned out to be an amazing experience and the owner, Rob, is incredibly hospitable and friendly. The atmosphere is amazing and the outdoors surrounding the place is breathtaking. We will definitely be coming back! read more

Stayed for 2 nights in late October with my wife. Went to fish a day on the Deschutes. Wasn't crowded at all since rafting season was over. Stayed in a big second floor newer main lodge room overlooking big lawn and river. Super big private deck outside that would be awesome in summer. Room was cabin-like, big and quaint. Very clean and well appointed. Deck outside is fantastic. Small bar is very nice and clean and cozy. Good tap brews and mixed drinks as well as nice wine list. Restaurant food and service were excellent. Yummy desserts too. Very warm and accommodating staff in all aspects of the stay. I highly recommend this place. read more

Imperial River Company - Deschutes River canyon. - Hotels Near Me - Maupin, Oregon

The setting is great and love the decor, but hate the new style of ordering. We went and sat outside forever until finally someone told us we have to stand inside and order at a counter, get our own water, own utensils -- all of this might be ok, if it was priced accordingly; the price of food is sit down prices for example $16 for a salad with chicken, but you serve yourself? For this price, I expect to be waited on... if it was $7, I could be more understanding. It used to be a full service restaurant where you could relax and haves nice meal. We also had the crabbiest waitress this last time and was just seemed angry to be there. Bummer! read more

Stopped in mid-afternoon while on a 380+ motorcycle ride. Hot day, appreciated the AC in the bar. Staff was very friendly and attentive... they had an issue with the propane so my lunch took a little longer to prep, but that wasn't a big deal and they provided free chips/salsa during the wait. read more

My family and I went on an all day rafting trip with Imperial River Company and had the best day ever! Our guide Brian was super friendly and accommodating. At the end of the day we let the kids play on the lawn while us adults enjoyed a beer on the patio. It was lovely! read more

I've rated with Imperial three times over the last four years. Their trips are incredible, and we've always had a blast. This year we took our 7-year old kid. She felt safe and had a great first trip down the river. She can't wait to go back and ride the bull again through Boxcar. Brian was our guide and he made sure everybody felt safe and had fun. We did the 13 mile half day trip. read more

The room was full of flies and the staff was horrible - condescending, rude, and antagonistic. The worst customer service skills I've ever seen in a hotel. They do not care for your business!!! read more

My family booked an all day 18 mile River trip and we were very happy with our experience. Brian was the most amazing guide! He was knowledge, safe and so much fun to spend the day with! We floated fir a few hours then came back to the meeting area for lunch. After we went rafting again for some afternoon fun. We are ready to go again and HIGHLY recommend this company! read more

Great location of course...on the river on a warm summers night I guess it's a good thing that there aren't many choices of places to eat, because it was a 25 minute wait on the patio just to get someone to bring us water. Poor, poor, poor service. Food was ok, nothing special. Wish they would have better trained staff. So if you do choose to eat here don't be in any rush is my advice. read more

5 stars because this is the best accommodations one can find in Maupin (just don't think 5 start hotel class like you may be used to). We were planning a late fall steelhead trip to celebrate JP's birthday and when I stumbled across the Imperial River Company's Lodge I felt like I had struck gold. Nice accommodations along the river AND a restaurant (which is a bonus since the town of Maupin is SMALL and even more quiet when it's not rafting season). We ended up in the bunkhouse room since we were bringing our dog, but I would love to check out the newer rooms that overlook the river and were built a couple of years ago. Our room was definitely kitschy with a cowboy mural and corresponding motif, but it was spacious and even had a fridge so we could store the snacks we brought. Great social firepit area out back with fantastic Adirondack chairs. Made some new friends and then retired to have dinner in the bar area. I ordered the Lamb Gyro and it was some of the best lamb I have had in quite some time. JP loved his steak salad. Food and drink prices were VERY reasonable and everyone there was super social and nice. The breakfast served the next morning consisted of bread and english muffins, some cold cereals and a couple of other things. We were in grab and go mode as we wanted to get on the river early, so not certain if they actually bring out different food later on. Had dinner the second night in the Lodge as well. Ended up in the dining room this night since the bar lacked seating due to the OR-OR State game. Went with the BBQ beef sandwich this time and it wasn't nearly as good as my lamb gyro, but still tasty. JP had the Imperial Steak sandwich which he enjoyed. Service in the dining room was much slower than what we had experienced the night before, but they only had one server on and a fairly busy room. All in all we enjoyed our time in Maupin and are thankful that a place like the Imperial Lodge exists in an otherwise sleepy little town. No TVs/phone made for a quiet and relaxing get-away. read more

We love staying at the Imperial River Company when traveling for the family reunion in Tygh Valley. The staff is always friendly, the rooms are very comfortable and clean! Does not get better with a beautiful setting in the Deshuttes River! Highly recommend! read more

Nicest place in town! A clean, green oasis right on the banks of the Deschutes River. A recently renovated lodge with brand new river view rooms. My S.U. and I spent a July 4 weekend there to escape the firecracker noise in PDX. We stayed in one of the smaller themed rooms (fishing) that was very nice. Faux fishing poster painted on the wall and quotations from Rancid Crabtree, the fishing writer Patrick McMannus's character, on the walls. Nice!! It's on a flat stretch of the river just upstream of the city park so you can get in and out of the river if you're willing to brave the 'coolness'. 'There are swings in the shade by the river for quiet contemplation. It was perfectly quiet and relaxing. What was remarkable was the restaurant. The place is run by a member of the family that owns the giant Imperial Ranch in Oregon so all the beef and lamb comes from the Ranch. Damn! I had a fine sirloin steak for dinner one night, a lamb gyro for lunch. S.U. flipped over her NY steak. Another night, venison medallions with an nice Pinot Noir by the glass. MMmm. Not too expensive either. Since it is in Maupin, the Deschutes River rafting town, they also run their own trips. We did a sweet 13 mile half day trip that was just enough to justify doing nothing else but read, eat, swim and sleep the rest of the time. I want to go back and try the place in the winter. read more

Man....what a freaking awesome weekend this was. We went rafting twice this last weekend for my best friend's bachelor party. We had Alex and Kalvi as our guides. They were knowledgeable, nice, and funny as hell. Couldn't have asked for a better experience. Seriously will remember this weekend for the rest of my life. We will certainly be back. Thank you, Imperial River Company!! read more

Imperial River Company - Hotels Near Me - Maupin, Oregon