| The Willamette Valley, Oregon's largest wine region, brings the perfect balance of temperature, humidity, soil and river recreation. We are excited to announce that Willamette Riverkeeper will hold its 6th Annual Pinot Paddle on the weekend of July 25th - 26th, 2026! Experience a weekend of world-class wines and a celebrated National Water Trail.
While Pinot Noir is the Valley’s leading varietal, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and some 75 other varietals are also worthy of attention. Location is the key ingredient with wine, which is also true when it comes to selecting your paddling route and camping spot. We’ve combined the best of both worlds with a weekend itinerary completely unique to our own Willamette Valley AVA which includes:
- Two days of scenic paddling along the Willamette River.
- Wine tasting from local vineyards featuring pleasing Pinots and other varieties.
- A conversation with the winemakers.
- Wonderful local musicians featuring classic acoustic and bluegrass notes.
- Delicious catered meals from McMinnville's local caterer, Biscuits & Pickles, paired with wines from throughout the Valley.
- Spacious camping along a quiet back channel.
- Informative talks about current conservation issues on the river and what Willamette Riverkeeper is doing to improve the river's health and support community voices throughout the basin.
WHEN: Saturday & Sunday, July 25th - 26th, 2026
WHERE: Salem to St Paul, on the Willamette Water Trail, with a camp out on Grand Island. Over two days, we will paddle 28 beautiful river miles!
COST: $579 per guest - which includes all tasting fees, wine with dinner, a catered meal Saturday evening, a catered Sunday breakfast and lunch to go, ACA event insurance, live music, camping fees, overnight gear shuttle, and shuttle transport to and from your vehicle. This year, all registered participants will receive a commemorative and river-friendly wine glass!
You may pay using via credit card at checkout or mailed check. To save on credit card fees, Willamette Riverkeeper prefers check payments. All payments made by check are due within two weeks of registration. Please send checks to: Willamette Riverkeeper 454 Willamette St. #218, Eugene, OR 97401
WHAT TO EXEPCT: Pinot Paddle participants will launch from Marine Wallace Park in Salem on the morning of Saturday, July 25th. While you are out paddling, Willamette Riverkeeper will transport your overnight gear to the campsite. Please load your boats with only the items you will need to access during our first day on the water. Together, we'll paddle 12 miles to our campsite on Grand Island, an Oregon State Parks Greenway property located behind Wheatland Bar.
After you set up your tent, you can relax with appetizers provided by Biscuit and Pickles and enjoy a wine tasting highlighting a variety of Willamette Valley pinots and other notable selections from our featured wineries. You can also learn more about Oregon Pinot grapes from our vintners, or feel free to ask our staff questions about our work and Willamette River ecology while listening to live music.
Afterward, enjoy a fully catered gourmet dinner experience, also provided by Biscuit and Pickles. You will also receive full pours of your favorite wines sampled during the wine tasting and beautifully paired with our evening meal.
As the sun rises over the Willamette on Sunday morning, we will offer a morning stretch and yoga session after your restful sleep under the stars. This will be followed by a hot breakfast and packable lunch. After breakfast, we will break down our camping gear, pack into our boats, and head downstream, paddling 14 miles to our take-out at San Salvador Park, where we'll load ourselves, watercraft, and gear onto our shuttle rigs and be transported back to our vehicles. Our estimated arrival time back is between 4PM and 5PM.
WHAT TO BRING: Please pack a lunch, snacks, and two full water bottles for our Saturday paddle; the rest of your meals will be catered. Participants should bring all their own paddle supplies (boat, paddle, PFD, whistle, sunscreen, dry bags, etc.), warm clothing for the overnight, and camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, flashlight, toiletries, etc.). If you paid for a canoe rental, it will be ready for you when you check in. Note: Willamette Riverkeeper does not supply any overnight camping gear.
WHERE TO PARK: Parking for this event is a 34-minute drive from Wallace Marine Park. You will need to drop your gear at Wallace Marine Park in Salem at 8AM and then take your car to St. Paul. The shuttle bus will leave St. Paul at 9AM to bring all participants back to Wallace Marine Park for a 10AM launch.
PLEASE NOTE: Fluctuating volume, upwellings, strong eddies, and strainers can create challenging navigation issues. It is strongly recommended that participants understand basic paddling skills and have some experience traveling on moving water!
If you do not have your own watercraft, a limited number of Willamette Riverkeeper tandem canoes are available to rent for the weekend at $100 per boat. You must reserve your canoe during registration to guarantee its use. We do not have kayaks for rent. Each participant must register separately.
We will send a reminder email with more details as we get closer to the event.
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY: This event will occur rain or shine. If the event needs to be rescheduled due to hazardous safety conditions, we'll provide a 50% refund if registrants are not able to attend the newly scheduled date. If you have a personal emergency, we will refund 50%. No refunds after July 1, 2025. |
