Headwaters River Adventures

Headwaters River Adventures was founded in 1981 as a whitewater rafting company specializing in Class IV and Class V commercial rafting trips and instruction. The principle partners of the company were Joe Willie Jones and Mary Ann Terry. The first year of operation commenced in the spring of 1982 in Keno, Oregon near the put in of the Upper Klamath. Operations were moved to Redding, California in 1983 and then to Ashland, Oregon in 1984. Headwaters held commercial rafting permits on various rivers in the Northern California and Oregon regions of the United States and was considered to be a pioneer rafting outfitter in the region. The company conducted several exploratory runs in the region which included a number of first rafting descents on rivers that are now considered classic Class IV and V rafting trips. River trips were operated on the Upper Klamath, North Fork of the Umpqua, Upper and Lower sections of the Rogue and Upper and Lower sections of the Owyhee in Oregon, and the Middle and Lower Sections of the Klamath, Cal Salmon, Scott, North and Middle Forks of the Smith, Burnt Ranch Gorge and Middle sections of the Trinity, and the North Forth of the American. In 1989 Headwaters was sold to American Adventure Expeditions out of Colorado.