Moyie River Rafting

The Moyie River is an exciting, but relatively unknown, whitewater day trip in North Idaho. With Class II-III whitewater, the Moyie is a great introduction to the area's wildlife, scenic beauty and exciting river rafting. The Moyie River floats through a secluded wilderness canyon and is within two hours of Spokane, Wash. and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. ROW's whitewater day trip floats 15-miles of the Moyie. It's a great escape for area guests and locals, and is one of the best kept secrets of Idaho rafting day trips.

Not available for the 2024 season

 

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Raft on Moyie River

Itinerary

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Day 1

Moyie River Rafting

This trip meets in Moyie, ID 

Map to the Moyie meeting spot 

The Moyie River, one of Idaho's best-kept whitewater rafting secrets, is an adventure not to be missed. ROW pioneered these 11-15 mile rafting trips on the Moyie River in 1981, and every spring we delight in sharing this hidden whitewater rafting jewel with guests of all abilities.

The Moyie is a tributary of the Kootenai River and flows south through a remote wilderness canyon in North Idaho. It's Class II-III whitewater cascades through a lush cedar forest and bounces our paddle rafts through a seemingly endless succession of galloping rapids. The Moyie River is a whitewater rafting day trip filled with excitement, scenic beauty, wildlife, and action-packed whitewater.

ROW uses paddle rafts on the Moyie River, so you're an integral part of the action as we travel through the whitewater rapids. During higher water flows, we use 14' self-bailing rafts, and as the water lowers, we switch to smaller 13' rafts to maximize the excitement. We usually see osprey, mergansers, and songbirds when floating through this secluded wilderness canyon, and occasionally we'll spot a moose, bear, or harlequin duck.

The Moyie River is less than two hours from Spokane, Wash. and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and is just 40 minutes north of Sandpoint, Idaho.

MEETING LOCATION

Where to Meet: Towards the end of this document, you’ll find directions for how to get to the Moyie Springs store, where we'll meet you at 9:00 AM Pacific Time the morning of the trip. Driving from Spokane you should allow about 2 1/2 hours. From Coeur d'Alene allow about 2 hours. The store is busy with regular local customers in the morning, so please arrive between 8:30-9, but not earlier. If you realize you're early, stop for a cup of coffee at the Three Mile Cafe, just 3 miles north of Bonners Ferry. Or, enjoy the scenic overlook just east of the Moyie Springs store on the other side of the bridge. The store's phone number is (208) 267-6266. When you arrive, pass through the metal gates to the right (west) of the store and park in the back. Here we'll welcome you and you'll change into the wetsuit provided by ROW. Then we'll drive in our bus about 45 minutes to the put-in, located roughly 5 miles below the Canadian border. We’ll have a safety talk here, and then board the rafts. At the end of the day, we return you to the store between 4:00 and 5:00 PM depending on group size, weather and/or water level.

Driving Directions:

  • Head north on Highway 95 and travel through Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry.
  • Continue north on 95 for three miles to the 3-mile junction.
  • Turn right here onto Highway 2 and follow the signs for Moyie Springs/Montana.
  • Drive about five miles and look for the Moyie Springs General Store.
  • If you cross a high bridge over the Moyie River you've gone too far.  

Map of Moyie meeting point.

The closest airport is in Spokane, WA.

When to Go: Our season on the Moyie runs daily from late May through Early June depending on water levels. As the weather warms up in early spring, snow begins to melt and the river rises. Because most of the Moyie drainage comes from the Moyie and Purcell Mountains in Canada at elevations of around 8,000-11,000 feet, the weather has to get quite warm to create any significant run-off. In a typical year, as air temperatures reach 70-80 degrees in late May and early June, this high elevation snow starts melting, and the river begins to flow adequately for rafting. Since everyone is paddling, we do have an age minimum of 16 during the highwater period and 14-15 upon approval at other times.

Accommodations: The area around Moyie Springs and Bonners Ferry is very beautiful and you may want to spend an extra day to explore. If you're camping, try the "Yaak River" Forest Service campground or the Meadow Creek Campground. Both are about 15 miles from the store. The Twin Rivers Canyon Resort is a private campground very close to our meeting point. For hotels, try the Log Inn of Bonners Ferry (208) 267-3986 or the Best Western Kootenai River Inn Casino and Spa (208) 267-8511. This trip meets in Moyie Springs, ID.


Permits & Licenses:

ROW Inc., doing business as ROW Adventures is proud to be an Equal Opportunity recreation service provider.  ROW Inc. operates under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service in the Panhandle National Forest.  All our operations and facilities are operated on a non-discriminatory basis.

Dates & Rates

Supplementary Information

  • Dates: Not available for the 2024 season
  • Rates: $135
  • Recommended Minimum Age: 16. 14-15 on approval.
  • Whitewater: Class l-III rapids
  • Meet: Moyie Springs, Idaho
  • Time: 9:00 a.m. PDT
  • Duration: Full Day
  • Lunch Included: Yes

*Please note we require a minimum of 6 guests to run a trip. If you have less than 6 in your party, you can still reserve a spot and we will work to place with another group in order to confirm your trip.

*Dates subject to change due to water levels.

IMPORTANT NOTICE - ST. JOE RIVER TRANSFER POSSIBILITY: At times the Moyie River is either too high or 
too low to float. Rather than cancel your trip, we have found most people prefer to be transferred to a similar trip. Thus, we reserve the right to 
transfer the trip to the St. Joe River if necessary. The St. Joe offers a very comparable ride and is equally scenic. Your travel time is similar as 
well. We will try to contact you sometime within 12-48 hours prior to your trip if a transfer looks likely. If you're going to be on the road during 
this period, please give us a contact number or call us at 1-866-836-9340 or 208-770-2517. Note that our meeting point for St. Joe trips is the 
town of St. Regis, Montana, on Interstate 90.
 

*Prices are plus 8% Land & Water Access fees

Click HERE for Terms and Conditions

Important Notice: ROW has an excellent safety record, but you should know that whitewater rafting is 
inherently risky. You will be required to sign a "Release and Assumption of Risk" agreement prior to the trip, 
recognizing and accepting the risks involved. If you're interested in trip cancellation, travel or accident 
insurance, contact our office. We do not allow alcoholic beverages or any drugs

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