It’s that time of the year again when rafting in Washington becomes a topic of conversation.

School groups, wedding parties, businesses, families, soccer leagues, roller derby teams - the list goes on - ought to be making their plans, solidifying their dates. (Group Discounts are available.)

Washington white water rafting begins in earnest in early spring when the rivers begin to rise from snowmelt and rainfall. The snow runoff usually reaches a crescendo some time in late May or at the beginning of June. So, if you are an adventure seeking person or novice river rafter, the dates around the Memorial Weekend are the dates you want to target.

During spring runoff, every river in Washington is runnable with the danger being that some rivers become too rambunctious to raft.

For Orion, the Sauk, Wenatchee, Methow and the Deschutes Rivers are the rivers we can arrange river trips on during that time period.

As the snow in the mountains melts out and the summer weather moves in, the rivers in western and eastern Washington slowly recede to reasonable levels perfect for just about everyone interested in rafting. Sometime during July or the start of August, the rivers have receded to such an extent, we relegate our trips to rivers that are dam-controlled like the ‘magic’ Skagit in North Cascades National Park, the ‘wild and scenic’ Deschutes River in north central Oregon and the ‘mighty’ Tieton outside Yakima, Washington.

It’s during August, when the days are long and the Washington summer temperatures reach their peak, that river trips with the kids and the grandparents are suggested.

To recap:

Spring is the most adventurous time to raft.

Come mid-June, rivers are still full from bank to bank, but it’s no longer high water and great for every type of boater except kids under the age of 12.

Late in July, if you are just looking to beat the heat and get out into nature, this is the ideal time for you. And your kids. And your parents. Grandparents.