Middle Fork Of The Salmon River Raft Expedition

The itinerary below is subject to change based on factors such as weather. Internal flight schedules are also subject to change. Overnight in Stanley is not included.

SEPT 1-3 Meet at 8am, and load up for a short flight to Indian Creek Air Strip. Guests often say the flight into the starting point on the river is one of the trip highlights! This flight to the lower put-in spot allows more time for hiking and exploring the canyon, as we won't need to cover as many river miles each day. This slower pace also provides more time for relaxing, fishing, and CME lectures.

Upon launching our rafts at Indian Creek, 4700 feet above sea level, you'll enter Pungo Canyon which has some fun whitewater before soaking in the Sun Flower Hot Springs, which is a natural shower! After hiking up to Loon Creek Hot Springs, we run Grouse Creek and Tappan Falls rapids. Ample time to explore pioneer homesteads provide the perfect balance to the on-river excitement. Evenings find us eating gourmet river meals relaxing by the campfire, playing horseshoes, listening to the river, and watching for shooting stars!

The Middle Fork is a catch and release Blue Ribbon Cutthroat Trout fishery with anglers catching as much as 100+ fish/day. Because we are high up in the drainage, fish usually max out at around 16 inches. MFRE provides instruction with two company fly rods and numerous flies for those who would like to learn the art of fly fishing. September is the ideal time for fishing on the Middle Fork.

SEPT 4-5 As we drop in elevation, the river widens and the spruce forest opens to vistas of pine-studded mountains and we enter Impassible Canyon, where no trails can be cut as the sheer walls go up over 3,000 feet. This section of the river is deeper than the Grand Canyon! We will navigate fun whitewater such as Haystack, Bernard, Earthquake Rock, Jack Creek, Cutthroat Cove, Redside and Weber rapids. Between rapids, you'll drift quietly over deep pools of transparent water, home to native cutthroat and rainbow trout. Short hikes underneath Waterfall Creek and up to Veil Falls are highlights for many of our guests.

There are many longer optional hiking opportunities throughout the river corridor and all have stunning vistas of the canyon. Some hikes are out and back and others are loop hikes. There is also always optional hiking from camp as the Middle Fork Trail runs along 80 miles of the Middle Fork. There are hundreds of hiking options... too many to list! If you are looking for a more active hiking trip, just let the Trip Leader know and we'll make it happen for you.

SEPT 6 The last day has some of the best and biggest rapids of the trip, including Rubber and Cramer Creek Rapids -- a great whitewater crescendo finale for the week. We arrive at the take-out point at Cache Bar around 10am and drive by bus one hour for a picnic lunch at the North Fork Country Store. After lunch, we drive three hours to Stanley, arriving between 4-6pm. You can leave your car parked at the MFRE warehouse in Stanley during the trip. After a hot shower at your hotel, enjoy Stanley for a nice dinner on your own at the Sawtooth Hotel or the Casino Club or drive 10 minutes to Redfish Lake Lodge. The next morning drive home or to Boise for flights after 12:30pm.