Paulina Plunge Tour

Imagine a place hidden deep in the Oregon mountains where natural water slides let you zip downhill into a pool. All this and more await you on your Sunriver getaway when you sign up with Paulina Plunge Tour.

While this adventure can be strenuous as far as keeping pace, it was a complete blast. I loved the group we were with, everyone had a great time, and it was pure relief at the end to be ferried straight back to our car!

It can be difficult to find the right parking lot, so be sure to carefully pay attention to where you want to go. They have staff directing you to your parking lot, so just tell the guide if you are part of a group doing the Paulina Plunge, or if you are interested in hiking in yourself to the waterfalls and natural water slides, because there are two different parking areas, depending upon which way you choose to access the natural slide.

When you buy your tickets online with Paulina Plunge, they will email you a confirmation, with instructions for where to meet and what time. Be sure to get there early, because the roads are not paved and it’ll take you longer because you have to drive slower. They'll also remind you about what to bring with you.

Paulina Plunge Tour: Fun Facts & Cool Features

This is a biking/hiking tour, where you make stops at each of the waterfalls along the way. Riding a fat tire mountain bike, you’ll descend 2,000 vertical feet. It ends up being four, 1 to 2-mile segments in between each stop at a waterfall. There are a total of six possible waterfalls to visit, weather permitting.

At the end of the day, you get a shuttle ride back to the parking lot. Make sure you bring sufficient gear, including closed toe shoes such as tennis shoes or water shoes. No Speedos or bikinis are allowed. For the biking/hiking, it’s recommended that you wear a tank or t-shirt and shorts. A helmet is provided, but if you have one that you own and it fits well, feel free to bring it. If you bring a camera, be forewarned that it’s your responsibility, and there’s a good chance it will get wet. I skipped the camera because I didn’t want to have to worry about it all day. Don’t bother with a towel, because you’ll air dry fast. Skip the bug spray, but bring sunblock. This activity is available from June 15 to September 4.

This is an activity for the physically fit. It entails a lot of biking and at there are two half mile hikes descending 250 feet each. Two tours operate each day; one from 10 AM to 3 PM and another from 9AM to 2 PM. You have to make reservations online, and each rider has to have at least a 28” inseam, due to restrictions on the available bikes.

Getting There

There are two ways to reach the natural slides. You can either hike in yourself or with an outfit like the Paulina Plunge Tour. The difference would be that if you do it alone, you have to hike down and then hike back up. However, an advantage of going solo is that you can keep your own pace. You don’t have to keep up with anyone else’s schedule, and that can be a good thing if you like to just take your time and appreciate your surroundings.