Main Salmon River Rafting

You will arrive in Salmon, Idaho the night before the trip begins. Salmon is a 5-hour drive (1-hour flight) from Boise and a 2-hour drive from Missoula. We have a pre-trip orientation at 8:30pm the evening before the trip begins.

DAY 1 Meet at 7:30am at the Stagecoach Inn for a 2-hour bus ride to the Corn Creek, the put-in for the Main Salmon River. Then, we journey into the pristine heart of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area, where we’ll encounter class III rapids.

This river calls to adventure seekers, who can choose between the paddle raft, inflatable kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and our luxurious “Queen of Sheeba Couch.” Fishing is excellent for anglers of all levels, and warm temperatures call for frequent dips in the river. In the evenings, we’ll enjoy delicious dutch oven dinners, relaxing by the campfire, playing horseshoes, listening to the guides sing and play guitar, and watching for shooting stars.

DAYS 2-5 Each day brings new discoveries: exciting rapids like Black Creek, Bailey, 5 Mile, Split Rock, Big Mallard, Elkhorn and Growler rapids, historical sites such as Buckskin Bill’s homestead and Jim Moore’s place (maybe you’ll find the fortune he buried in the hillside!), and the highly anticipated Barth Hot Springs — known as the best hot spring in the Pacific Northwest!

We’ll have opportunities to visit the “off-grid” homesteads of families who live along the river year round — Sue and Greg Metz at Yellow Pine homestead, Doug and Phyllis Tims at Campbells Ferry homestead, and Five Mile Bar, home to the river’s most famous resident, “Buckskin Bill.”

There are abundant hiking options along the way: Chamberlain and Bargamin Creeks, Rabbit Point, and Indian Creek, where you’ll see 2,000-year-old “immortal” yew trees.

DAY 6 We float for 5-10 miles this morning and run challenging rapids like Chittam and Vinegar Creek and arrive at the take-out at Carey Creek around 10am.