The riverside town of Maupin is usually a pretty quiet place, catering mostly to anglers who come to fly-fish for the native Deschutes River redside trout. On summer weekends, however, it becomes a bit of a zoo when river rafters descend.

Accommodations and Food

If you don’t want to camp, stay in a cabin at the Oasis Resort (609 S. U.S. 197, 541/395-2611, www.deschutesriveroasis.com, $40 and up). The Deschutes Motel (616 Mill St., 541/395-2626, www.deschutesmotel.com, $61 and up) is above the river near Maupin’s main downtown area.

The fanciest place in Maupin is the Imperial River Company (304 Bakeoven Rd., 541/395-2404, www.deschutesriver.com, $89 and up), which has a riverside lodge. Some rooms have balconies overlooking the river, and all are nicely decorated and quite comfortable.

Right in town, the Maupin City Park (Bakeoven Rd., just downstream from the bridge, 541/395-2252, $16 tents, $21–24 RVs, reservations recommended for summer weekends) is on a grassy riverbank lot. Unlike almost all of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) campgrounds along the Deschutes, Maupin City Park has water and showers.

Both upstream and downstream from Maupin are several riverside BLM campgrounds ($8–12). Bring water, or be prepared to filter it from the river. Harpham Flat Campground is the main launching spot for day trips on the Deschutes, and this place can be a little more hectic than the neighboring campgrounds. The nicest spots are actually a ways downstream at Beavertail and Macks Canyon, 21 and 29 miles north of Maupin, respectively.

Eat a hearty prefloat breakfast at the Oasis (609 S. U.S. 197, 541/395-2611, www.deschutesriveroasis.com)—it’s also a good place for a burger. The Imperial River Company (301 Bakeoven Rd., 541/395-2404, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily May–Labor Day, 4–9 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Labor Day–Oct., 4–9 p.m. Fri., 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Nov.–Apr., $8–20) is the most full-service restaurant in town, featuring steaks from the family cattle. The eatery that is most attractive to rafters coming off a hot day on the river, however, is the ice cream shop by the bridge.