Beautiful Ashland, Oregon is the home of Kokopelli River Guides.

Matt and Leslie on a 21 day Grand Canyon river rafting private trip in Oct-Nov 2007.

About Kokopelli River Guides

Kokopelli River Guides is located in beautiful Ashland, Oregon at the base of the Siskiyou Mountains and is a short drive to Medford, Oregon and the California border. Kokopelli's River Center is exactly that, a center for river adventures and learning. Rafting trips and kayak lessons are what we do for our jobs but we also play on the river for fun! We would like to share that love of the river with you. We are Ashland, Oregon's paddlesports retailer and carry rafting gear, kayaks, kayaking gear, and paddling apparel. We also rent kayaks and rafts from the shop.

Our Mission

Our mission at Kokopelli is to provide an intimate experience where not only your rafting guide or kayaking instructor gets to know you, but our entire company becomes your friend. You'll never be just another number to us. You are guaranteed to leave your whitewater rafting trip, kayak lesson, or your relaxing river trip with a newfound understanding and respect for the rivers of Southern Oregon and Northern California. Ashland, Oregon and the surrounding Pacific Northwest will become part of your soul and Kokopelli will be here year after year to entertain and pamper you on our deluxe whitewater rafting trips, inflatable kayaking trips,whitewater kayaking lessons or recreational kayaking lessons and tours.

We believe in taking care of and protecting the environment and the places where we play for future generations to experience and love as much as we do. That's why we have changed all of our electric usage in our shop to the Green Tags program which replaces "traditional polluting sources of electricity with clean, secure, and sustainable renewable sources of energy that come from solar and wind power from across North America."

Rivers for us at Kokopelli River Guides are a way of life. Rafting and kayaking are what we do not only for our jobs but for our vacations as well. There is so much beauty in Southern Oregon and Northern California that most people never see while driving in their car. But once you are on the river you can get to places and things that most people never see in their lifetime. Once you get out on the water you begin to shed away the layers of stress from every day life and begin to get in touch with what is really important in life. Running rivers is in our blood and we would love to share that love with you.

Matt, co-owner, loves whitewater kayaking and rafting on the Rogue River and Klamath River and all the creeks in between.

The Owners of Kokopelli

Kokopelli River Guides is owned by Matt and Leslie Dopp. Matt and Leslie met while living in Vail, Colorado living the ski bum and raft guide lifestyle. Both spent the summers guiding rafts down the rivers of Colorado. Matt also taught kayaking for Alpine Kayak in Vail as well. Matt has been raft guiding for 14 years and is an American Canoe Association certified kayak instructor. He still loves the adrenaline of rafting and kayaking and has been known to run some pretty gnarly creeks and rivers in his kayak and raft. Matt is an extremely patient kayak instructor and is well versed in most everything you want to know about boating equipment. Leslie has been a raft guide for 13 years and enjoys whitewater kayaking and rowing a raft on multi-day river trips with their dog Granite (who you see on their website) as her fearless co-pilot. Leslie is a competent Class 4+ raft guide. She enjoys the beauty of being on the river and the peace it brings her as well as the challenge it presents.

Matt and Leslie decided they were growing weary of the ski bum lifestyle in Vail so they decided to move to Ashland, Oregon and start their own business. They named the business Kokopelli because they really love running rivers and backpacking in the desert southwest and the Kokopelli figure is well known in this area. Kokopelli began simply as a kayak school and has evolved into what it is today- kayak instruction, white water rafting trips, kayak and raft rentals, and a retail paddlesports store...And it's still growing.

Both Matt and Leslie are actively involved in the daily operations of Kokopelli River Guides. You may see them running the retail shop, teaching kayak classes, guiding raft trips on the Rogue River and the Klamath River, or renting you an inflatable kayak to take for a day on the river. They both are actively involved in the Ashland Parks and Rec rafting and kayaking summer programs for kids. Matt and Leslie love what they do and being involved in a business that brings joy to so many people.

Greg Cross is one of our long time river guides who will entertain you and get you safely down the river.

Our Guides, Instructors, and Equipment

We provide only the best paddling equipment with all our rafting trips, kayaking trips, or our kayak lessons. Your river guides and ACA-certified kayak instructors have been handpicked and trained for their ability to provide the most entertaining, informative, and safe river trip you have ever experienced.

Transportation

Kokopelli provides transportation to and from the river and will pick you up at your lodging in Ashland or you can meet us at our River Center in Ashland. Our vehicles are clean, comfortable and air-conditioned, and we offer hearty and healthy snacks or lunches with all our rafting and inflatable kayaking trips.

Thank you and happy paddling,
Everyone at Kokopelli River Guides