Middle Fork of the Salmon River - Whitewater Rafting in Idaho

Overview

Among whitewater rivers, the Middle Fork of the Salmon is a legend. The pure, clear, free-flowing river drops 3000 feet during its 105 mile journey through Idaho's remote and spectacular River of No Return Wilderness, the largest wilderness area in the lower 48 states. Natural and untamed, the Middle Fork is protected by Congress as one of America’s first Wild and Scenic Rivers. It has shaped its course through a rugged and diverse landscape. There are no roads leading to its banks and little remains of man’s brief presence other than prehistoric pictographs and dilapidated log cabins.

   

• Trip Duration: 5-6 Days
• Trip Length: 80-105 miles
• Intensity: Intermediate, Class III-IV
• Season: June-September
• Minimum Age: 7 (12 at high water)
• Begins in: Stanley, Idaho
• Ends in: Salmon, Idaho
• Closest Airport: Boise, Idaho
• Highlights: Natural hot springs, Native American pictographs, pioneer homesteads, incredible scenery.
• Other Highlights: Wildlife viewing, Blue-Ribbon trout fishing.

Details

Idaho's legendary Middle Fork of the Salmon River is an iconic white water rafting trip. Bounce along through more than 100 rapids over the 105-mile stretch of the Salmon River. The free-flowing Middle Fork drops 3,000 feet through central Idaho's remote and spectacular "River of No Return" wilderness. Natural and untamed, scenic and diverse, the Middle Fork of the Salmon River is one of America's first "Wild and Scenic Rivers" protected by Congress.

We launch our boats into the Salmon River nearly 6,000 feet above sea level and immediately enter an enchanted forest of fir and spruce. The river is steep, shallow and narrow and we careen through boulder-choked rapids. With each passing mile, side creeks tumble into the Middle Fork's clear sparkling water and deepen the flow around our boats. The whitewater rapids are frequent and challenging on the Middle Fork. Guides speak their names with reverence - Velvet Falls, Ram's Horn, the Chutes, Pistol Creek, Devil's Tooth and House Rock to name a few.

Dropping in elevation, the Middle Fork of the Salmon River widens and the spruce forest opens up to vistas of pine-studded mountains. Rafts drift quietly over deep pools of transparent water—home to native cutthroat and rainbow trout. Guides stop the group often to visit nearby Native American pictographs and pioneer homesteads. ROW guides are intimately familiar with this majestic canyon and use their interpretive knowledge to help draw the silent stories from these historic places.

Further downstream, the trip enters Impassable Canyon. Granite mountains of staggering dimensions slice out of the clear Middle Fork water and into the cobalt blue Idaho sky. We'll stop for hikes underneath Waterfall Creek and up to Veil Falls. Soaking in the many natural hot springs along the Middle Fork are highlights for many of our guests.

As we near the end of our journey, having dropped 3,000 feet in elevation and gained a lifetime of memories, it's hard not to envy the Native Americans and pioneers who spent their whole lives in the vast wilderness along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

ROW offers raft-supported hiking tours of this magnificent country. Load up a day pack with supplies to get you through the day, then hike to camp where you're gear will be waiting, tent will be set up and food will be cooking.

If you need to purchase some gear before your whitewater rafting trip, ROW has assembled the more common items at our ROWear online store, hosted by New Headings.

Itinerary

(While this is a typical itinerary, every trip is unique. Water levels, as well as the campsites we are assigned by the U.S. Forest Service, vary week to week. This itinerary is meant to give you a snapshot of the trip but should not be considered an exact itinerary. Extreme high water or low water trips begin at Indian Creek—a 25-minute flight from Stanley, ID.)

DAY 0 –
Arrive in Stanley by 7:00pm MST to meet ROW’s team leader at the Mountain Village Inn for a one-hour orientation meeting. We'll answer any last-minute questions and provide waterproof bags for your gear. Dinner on your own. You could schedule some time at the hotel’s private hot spring (reserve when checking in).

DAY 1 –
Meet your group at 7:30am. We'll take a two-hour bus ride to Boundary Creek and start our trip. At 6,000 feet elevation, the air is crisp and the forest thick with fir and spruce. At the river we'll go through a safety orientation while your personal gear is loaded onto our rafts. After orientation, everyone chooses a raft (paddle or oar-powered) and climbs aboard. The first 15 miles of the Middle Fork are fast and rapids are steep, narrow, come in quick succession. During lunch, we'll explain how we minimize our impact on the river with Leave No Trace camping ethics. After lunch the river continues to be lively and challenging. Every few hundred yards a creek tumbles into the river, increasing the flow. We travel between 10 and 15 miles the first day and arrive at camp around 4:00pm. Enjoy the free time for hiking, fishing, reading or just relaxing. Hors d’oeuvres are served around 6:00 and dinner around 7:30. After dinner, a campfire is lit and the warmth invites all to share stories of the day, and life.

DAY 2 –
We awake around 7:00am and enjoy fresh-brewed coffee. Breakfast is served and you pack up your personal gear. The rafts are loaded and we depart from camp around 9:30 for an adventure-packed day of rapids, magnificent scenery and fun. We make it a point to visit one or two pioneer homesteads on these first few days. We'll likely stop to explore the old miner’s camp at Powerhouse Rapids. Today’s a good day to keep your eyes open for the nest of the American Dipper, a small gray bird that swims underwater and builds its nest above fast-flowing water.
We'll have plenty of fun rapids as the river continues its quick descent. We'll pull out the “Duckies,” our inflatable kayaks, for those seeking a more intimate experience with the river. We’ll stop for a soak in Sunflower Flat Hot Springs where several pools above the river cascade over a rocky cliff to create nature’s perfect shower. We make camp around 4:00pm and enjoy hiking, fishing and relaxing. After dinner the night sky welcomes stargazers and, later on, the river lulls you to sleep.

DAY 3 –
The river canyon opens now and we’ve dropped over 1,500 feet in elevation. Days and nights are warmer. The fir and spruce give way to ponderosa pines, sagebrush and riparian hardwoods. The sparkling-clear water carries us swiftly along as the river channel widens and narrows with the underlying geology. One of today's highlights is stopping to view pictographs of the Native American Tukudeka, or Sheepeaters, who lived in this canyon until the 1870’s.

The afternoon is casual as the current slows a bit. We'll learn about early pioneers like Charlie Norton, who had a run in with a bear as amazing as the saga of Jedediah Smith. By mid-afternoon we arrive at camp near Loon Creek, around 50 miles from our starting point. Tonight’s highlight is a hike to the Loon Creek hot springs and fishers may enjoy casting a line into Loon Creek. Summer evenings are long, with darkness arriving around 9:30pm in June and July. The night sky, crackling campfire and fresh mountain air will help you sleep like a baby.

DAY 4 –
Another day of fun rapids and incredible Rocky Mountain scenery. We’ll likely see big horn sheep as we pass several mineral licks. Those fishing will continue to find bountiful trout and birdwatchers are likely to spot golden eagles and falcons. We pass our last hot spring at Hospital Bar, so named because early cattlemen let their stock rest and feed at this large flat and easy ford across the river. We'll also see Tappan Ranch, where Red and Daisey Paulsen-Tappen grew a bountiful garden and raised a family with self-sufficiency and $300 a year in the 1920’s and 30’s.

Continuing on we run the Tappan rapids. This is a great photo opportunity with plenty of splashes and thrills. The final miles to camp offer a chance to lean back and take in the monumental scenery of the River of No Return Wilderness.

Day 5 -
Today we run Haystack Rapid, the most dynamic rapid on the river. Side canyon “blow outs” have changed its course twice in the last few years. This is the official start of Impassable Canyon. Below Haystack rapids, the canyon narrows and deepens creating a series of action-packed rapids. A favorite stop is at Waterfall Creek, where a steep trail leads up to the Bighorn Crags. We walk beneath the falls and on hot days finish with a jump into the river. Shortly downstream the river cuts into the Idaho batholith – the largest monolithic chunk of granite in North America. The river has carved into the granite and created towering walls for neck-bending panoramas. Further downstream we stop to hike to the base of Veil Falls, a soul-stirring cavern replete with pictographs and magic. Today’s scenery is truly among the most astounding on earth.

From camp the silhouette of canyon walls against the wine-dark sky will captivate you as you reflect, celebrate and further connect with newfound friends on your last night on the Middle Fork
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DAY 6 –
As we push off from shore the river takes us past the former hideout of Earl Parrot, Hermit of Impassable Canyon. His story is as big as the canyon and adds just one more thread of wonder to your Middle Fork experience. As the sun breaks over the canyon rim, more big rapids greet us as we pass beneath vistas of staggering dimensions.

We stop to enjoy lunch on a glistening sand beach just a few miles above the Middle Fork's confluence with the Main Salmon. We proceed onto our takeout, carry personal gear to the waiting bus and settle back for a two-hour ride to the town of Salmon. Enjoy a hot shower and change of clothes then meet your guides for ROW’s hosted farewell dinner.

DAY 7 –
If you drove to Stanley and had your car shuttled, it is waiting for you at the hotel. If you are flying home, you'll board an air taxi for the one-hour flight back to Boise to connect home.

ROW Difference

The ROW Difference on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River

• An itinerary designed to visit as many points of interest as possible.
• Knowledgeable guides share the canyon’s natural & cultural history.
• Cargo boat travels ahead & sets up camp, including your tent
• Your choice of oar rafts, paddle rafts & inflatable kayaks
• Smaller oar-rafts to maximize the excitement of the rapids
• Complimentary wetsuits & wetsuit booties provided early-season
• Trip ends in Salmon to maximize time on river on last day
• Trip includes farewell dinner in Salmon
• Over 25 years of experience as a whitewater outfitter & 16 years on the Middle Fork.
• Specialty Trips include: Fishing Expeditions, Family Magic

FAQ

What are typical meals on the river?
The quality of our food reflects the quality of the wilderness environment in the Middle Fork canyon. We hand select the freshest fruits and vegetables and pack them carefully in huge ice-coolers. Likewise, these coolers carry fresh dairy products and meats. With these ingredients we prepare bountiful, healthy meals.

Cornish game hens stuffed with wild rice and served with broccoli and Béarnaise sauce. Baked Idaho trout, served with green beans and Idaho mashed potatoes. Juicy ribeye steak, fajitas, or made-on-the-river lasagna are a few other possible entrees. Big salads of vegetables and fruit add color and variety to every meal. Desserts are made fresh each evening in our Dutch ovens and range from double fudge brownies to pineapple upside-down cake. We serve juice every morning and moderate amounts of bottled wine with dinner. We also provide two beers and two sodas or juices per person, per day. There's always plenty of cold water, lemonade mix, tea, coffee and cocoa. And you're welcome to bring your own beverages or alcohol as well. We have plenty of ice to keep your drinks cold.

When is the best time to go?
Because the Middle Fork has no dams, the water is highest when early-summer warmth melts the snow from the high mountain peaks. Winter snowpacks affect each season’s water levels. In general, the river peaks in mid-to-late June. Early June to early July is the time to come if you want high water thrills. Mid-July brings somewhat lower flows as the bulk of the snowmelt has already runoff and novice rafters may be more comfortable joining us at this time. The river gradually lowers as the summer passes, bringing incredible clarity to the crystal waters. Late August and September are wonderful times to be on the river because few people are around and the colors of the hills become more radiant. This is also the best time to fish the Middle Fork.

How do I get to Stanley?
Air taxi transport to/from Boise is available. Or drive to Stanley and shuttle your car to the takeout point in Salmon. If low or high water requires a flight into Indian Creek, there is an extra charge. Call 1(800)451-0841for pricing.

What type of watercraft do you use?
In addition to the sweep boat that carries all the camping gear, we use three other kinds of river craft. The traditional raft is a 16-foot self-bailing, oar-powered raft which a guide controls with two large oars. (Many companies use 18-22 foot rafts, which take a good deal of the fun out of the rapids.) We also offer smaller 14-foot paddle rafts. Four to six people paddle while a guide steers. On some stretches of river, we can add inflatable kayaks, or Daring Duckies, to the mix.

You have the choice to ride in any of these boats, and many people enjoy trying all three during a trip. On the few trips we operate with less than 13 guests, we may not have enough people to support a paddle raft. (We will still have duckies on smaller trips, if requested.)

Who guides your trips?
On any river trip, the guides are the most important factor for your safety, enjoyment, and the success of the trip. ROW guides are exceptional people with years of river experience. We maintain a tobacco-free policy and most of our guides have taken interpretation courses from certified instructors. We look for guides who are willing and eager to share, teach, listen, learn, laugh, play, discuss, and, above all, work hard to provide a safe, relaxed and spontaneous adventure.

While in camp, two or three guides are preparing dinner while the others are free to spend time with you. They might show you the way to a nearby hot spring, give a fly-fishing lesson, or just to sit and visit with the group. Our guides are the main reason many of our guests return to ROW time and time again. (References gladly provided.)

What do you do when not on the river?
One of the reasons the Middle Fork is such a fabulous trip is due to the incredible variety of sites and activities along the way. ROW takes pride in historical interpretation and takes advantage of as many side excursions as possible. We share stories of the early pioneers and hike to at least one old homestead cabin. We explore at least three different Native American pictograph sites.

We stop to soak in hot springs and always try to camp at one of them. Our trip is planned so the fifth day doesn't have many river miles. We stop and explore Waterfall Creek and maybe lead a hike under the falls. After lunch we hike to see Veil Falls, and we have a few other 'secret' surprises. We strongly believe that understanding builds greater appreciation, and we hope our love of this majestic canyon is contagious.

What is riverside camping like?
We call it luxury camping. In order to make your trip run as smoothly and comfortably as possible, we use a large sweep boat to carry camping gear, food and supplies ahead of the main group. This allows our smaller rafts to be lighter and more maneuverable, which makes for a safer ride with more bounce and splash. And the sweep boat arrives at camp early to setup the kitchen and spacious 4-person tent we supply for you.

All you have to do is carry your personal gear to the tent of your choice and roll out your sleeping bag, flannel liner and thick, self-inflating foam sleeping pad (all of which is provided by ROW and stored in a ROW-provided waterproof bag).

(Note: In rare circumstances we may have a trip on the Middle Fork with less than 13 guests. In this case, we may not run our sweep boat. Our guides are still happy to set up your tent.)

What gear do I need?
ROW provides each guest with a packing list before the trip. For items you may not have, we've got you covered. Wetsuits and booties are provided at no extra charge for trips departing June through July 6th. We also supply sleeping bags, liners, sleeping pads and waterproof bags.

Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Also visit our Whitewater Resources page for additional information.