Sun Country Tours
Sun Country Tours is a Bend, Oregon-based outdoor adventure operator founded in 1978 that runs guided whitewater rafting trips, river tube rentals, and photo packages on the Deschutes River, serving tourists, locals, and groups as a subsidiary of POWDR.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersBend, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sun Country Tours does
Sun Country Tours is a Bend, Oregon-based outdoor adventure operator founded in 1978 that runs guided whitewater rafting trips on the Deschutes and Umpqua Rivers in Central Oregon. The company offers a portfolio of five core products: the flagship Big Eddy Thriller signature rapids experience, Full-Day Trips, the multi-day Umpqua Two-Day Adventure, River Tube Rentals for self-guided floats, and Photo Packages sold as trip add-ons. Operations are seasonal and concentrated in the summer months, with guided and self-guided river experiences delivered to tourists, locals, and organized groups (corporate teams, families, reunions) who book directly through the company's website or by phone.
The business runs on a direct-to-consumer commerce model with three revenue streams: per-person guided rafting trip fees, one-time tube rental income, and add-on photo package sales. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and customers are routed through an online trip-comparison booking tool. Distribution is single-channel via suncountrytours.com, supplemented by email newsletter capture and organic Instagram and Facebook presence (accounts shared with sister resort Mt. Bachelor). Marketing includes co-branded partnerships with Yeti and Subaru, and the company's website cross-promotes Mt. Bachelor's downhill mountain biking and zip line offerings.
Sun Country Tours has been a subsidiary of POWDR, a privately held adventure lifestyle conglomerate that also owns Mt. Bachelor, Copper Mountain, Snowbird, Eldora, Woodward, and Soda Springs, since at least the current corporate structure. Its competitive position rests on 45+ years of continuous operation, a signature product (the Big Eddy Thriller), and regulatory access via a partnership with the USDA Forest Service for river permits on federal land. The company employs between 51 and 100 people, primarily seasonal, and has no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or leadership changes in the source data.
Sun Country Tours firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sun Country Tours
- Legal name
- Sun Country Tours
- Website
- https://suncountrytours.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Sun Country Tours is a Bend, Oregon-based outdoor adventure operator founded in 1978 that runs guided whitewater rafting trips, river tube rentals, and photo packages on the Deschutes River, serving tourists, locals, and groups as a subsidiary of POWDR.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sun Country Tours industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Adventure Tourism & Outdoor Recreation
- NAICS
- Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Whitewater Rafting, Kayaking & River Adventures (THAJABAB)
Keywords
Where Sun Country Tours is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bend
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sun Country Tours business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Guided Rafting Tours: Revenue from guided whitewater rafting trip experiences including Big Eddy Thriller, full-day trips, and multi-day Umpqua 2-Day Adventure packages. Customers pay per person for guided river experiences.
- Tube Rentals: Rental income from river tube rentals for self-guided floating experiences on the Deschutes River. Customers rent tubes and float independently.
- Photo Packages: Additional revenue stream from professional photography services during rafting trips, sold as add-on packages to customers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Sun Country Tours product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sun Country Tours provides guided whitewater rafting experiences and river tubing rentals on the Deschutes River in Central Oregon. The core offering includes the signature Big Eddy Thriller rapids trip, full-day rafting trips, multi-day Umpqua Two-Day Adventure expeditions, and self-guided river tube rentals, supported by certified guides, safety equipment, and on-river photography services.
Product overview
Sun Country Tours operates as an outdoor adventure company offering guided whitewater rafting experiences in Central Oregon (Bend & Sunriver, OR). The core product portfolio centers on guided whitewater rafting trips, with the flagship Big Eddy Thriller as the signature offering since 1978, supplemented by Full-Day Trips and the multi-day Umpqua Two-Day Adventure. The company also offers river tube rentals for self-guided river floats and Photo Packages as add-on services. Additional activities like downhill mountain biking at Mt. Bachelor are referenced as partner offerings rather than direct products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Big Eddy Thriller: Flagship whitewater rafting experience offered by Sun Country Tours since 1978.
Companies that use Sun Country Tours
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sun Country Tours technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sun Country Tours partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- USDA Forest ServicecorePartnership with USDA Forest Service for land use and river access permits, critical for operating whitewater rafting trips on federal lands.
- American RiversminorListed as a partner organization, likely for river conservation advocacy and river access initiatives.
- YetiminorBrand partnership with Yeti for outdoor gear, likely providing equipment sponsorship or co-marketing as both serve the outdoor adventure market.
- SubaruminorAutomotive brand partnership, likely involving vehicle sponsorship or co-marketing for adventure travel transportation.
- POWDRcoreParent company operating Sun Country Tours as part of POWDR's adventure lifestyle brands portfolio. POWDR owns multiple ski resorts and adventure companies including Mt. Bachelor, Copper Mountain, Snowbird, and Woodward.
- Mt. BachelorcoreSister resort under POWDR, cross-promoting summer activities. Mt. Bachelor offers downhill mountain biking and zip line experiences, with Sun Country Tours mentioned as an activity option on Mt. Bachelor's website.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sun Country Tours competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Backroads: Established active travel company offering biking, walking, and paddling trips worldwide; broader portfolio but overlapping target market of experiential adventure travelers seeking guided outdoor vacations.
- REI Adventures: Guided adventure travel arm of REI offering rafting, hiking, and cycling trips worldwide; broader platform with overlapping customer base of outdoor enthusiasts and brand-aligned consumers.
Direct peers
- OARS: Multi-day whitewater rafting outfitter operating guided trips on Western US rivers; the closest functional comparable to Sun Country's guided-river-trip business model and adventure-tourist customer base.
- Austin Adventures: Active adventure travel company offering guided outdoor trips including rafting, hiking, and wildlife experiences; comparable in family/group focus and packaged-experience model.
- Wilderness Voyageurs: Pennsylvania-based outfitter running guided whitewater rafting and paddling trips on Eastern US rivers; comparable in guided-rafting business model and packaged-experience pricing.
- ROW Adventures: Idaho-based guided rafting and wilderness adventure outfitter offering multi-day river trips; comparable in scale, product mix, and nature-tourist focus.
- Holiday River Expeditions: Utah-based operator of guided rafting and kayaking expeditions on Colorado and Green Rivers; comparable in multi-day river trip offerings and outdoor-adventure customer profile.
- Western River Expeditions: Utah-based outfitter running guided whitewater expeditions on Western US rivers including the Grand Canyon; directly comparable in service model, tiered trip portfolio, and target customer segment.
- Mad River Boat Trips: Vermont-based whitewater rafting outfitter offering guided New England river trips and tubing; similar in service mix (rafting plus tubing), family/group customer focus, and regional outfitter structure.
- Momentum River Expeditions: Colorado-based outfitter running guided whitewater trips on the Arkansas and other Western rivers; comparable in skill-tiered product mix and guided experience offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sun Country Tours social profiles
Digital presenceSun Country Tours financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sun Country Tours leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Sun Country Tours funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sun Country Tours M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sun Country Tours
What does Sun Country Tours do?
Sun Country Tours provides guided whitewater rafting experiences and river tubing rentals on the Deschutes River in Central Oregon. The core offering includes the signature Big Eddy Thriller rapids trip, full-day rafting trips, multi-day Umpqua Two-Day Adventure expeditions, and self-guided river tube rentals, supported by certified guides, safety equipment, and on-river photography services.
Is Sun Country Tours a public or private company?
Sun Country Tours is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Sun Country Tours founded?
Sun Country Tours was founded in 1978. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Sun Country Tours based?
Sun Country Tours is headquartered in Bend, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sun Country Tours make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Guided Rafting Tours are the primary driver. The others are tube Rentals and photo Packages.
Who are Sun Country Tours's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Backroads and REI Adventures. Direct peers are OARS, Austin Adventures, Wilderness Voyageurs, ROW Adventures, Holiday River Expeditions, Western River Expeditions, Mad River Boat Trips and Momentum River Expeditions.
Does Sun Country Tours have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sun Country Tours.
What industry is Sun Country Tours in?
Sun Country Tours's product category is Adventure Tourism & Outdoor Recreation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJABAB, Whitewater Rafting, Kayaking & River Adventures. Its NAICS code is 487210 and its SIC code is 7900.