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ROW's Whitewater Trail

ROW’s Whitewater Trail - 5 Rivers in 5 Days - 75 miles of class II-IV+ Rapids. This trip will rock your whitewater world! You’ll paddle the best one-day river trips in Idaho and western Montana and then bed down at a comfortable hotel or resort each night. This trip can be done with your own transportation or with ROW-provided transport. If you want to leave the driving to us you’ll need to bring a group of ten or more, or choose from one of our scheduled departures. This whitewater rafting adventure starts from Boise, Idaho and the nearby, rip-roaring Payette River. Set in a dramatic canyon, 13 miles of plummeting class III-IV rapids, crystal clear water and spectacular forest scenery are sure to please. A one-hour drive through canyons and mountains takes us north to the lakeside resort town of McCall to spend the night and meet the locals. The next day we grab our paddles for a day of big water fun on the Salmon River near Riggins. The self-proclaimed “Whitewater Capital of the Universe,” Riggins is a hoot. Lake Creek, Ruby, Time Zone, Lightning Creek and Trap Creek are just a few of the exciting Class II-IV rapids you’ll run in the course of the day. You might choose to paddle an inflatable kayak too. From Riggins we head to ROW’s own River Dance Lodge, a rustic luxury log cabin resort on the banks of the Clearwater River. This is our base for two nights and a day on the thunderous Lochsa – Idaho’s most intense whitewater thriller. You’ll raft 20 miles of heart-throbbing liquid fun! From the raft-swallowing holes of the Lochsa we head north to Montana’s Alberton Gorge of the Clark Fork. This is a fun, warm-water class III pool and drop river through a roadless canyon with enchanting purple cliffs. We overnight in a riverside lodge and the next day head over the mountains to the St. Joe. The liquid emerald waters of the St. Joe sport paddle-bashing waves within a canyon of moss and cedar. At the end of the day we drive west to Coeur d’Alene for our final overnight. The next day continue home via the Spokane airport, or by car. We offer this trip from mid-May until mid- to late July on the rivers as indicated above. After that time the Lochsa and St. Joe start to get quite low. However, we can still offer the trip by modifying Day 4 on the Lochsa to be a trip on the Middle Fork of the Clearwater in inflatable or sit-on-top kayaks, and instead of the St. Joe, spending an additional day on the Clark Fork in inflatable kayaks. Groups of ten or more can modify the itinerary to raft other rivers and/or add and subtract days. Includes: All river trips as noted including all rafting gear, lunches on river trips, accommodations as noted. The “ROW Drives” option also includes all transportation from Boise to Spokane and the services of a ROW tour leader. Does Not Include: Dinners, breakfasts, personal items, gratuities. less

Trip at-a-glance

Price:	From $1,095* per person
Lodging:	b_b, hotel, resort
When:	May-July
Number of days:	7
Group size:	60

This trip is offered by: RIVER DANCE LODGE

Call them at 800-451-6034 about this trip and mention you saw it at TravelDragon, or contact them.

Trip details

Day 1) Fly to Boise, Idaho, capitol city of the Wild River State. Overnight at the Airport Holiday Inn or similar.

Day 2) Payette River Whitewater: Rise and shine and drive about two hours to our put-in on the South Fork Payette near Lowman, Idaho. You’ll paddle and plummet thirteen miles on this exciting class III-IV run with fast-flowing action. The crystal clear water flows through a towering canyon of spectacular scenery. Your raft will crash through Gateway, Oxbow, Lone Pine, Blackadar, Little Falls and Surprise. Trip length is about 15 miles. When we arrive at “Big Falls” the rafts are pulled from the river and portaged around this impressive drop. After the trip we drive north about an hour to McCall, Idaho on Payette Lake and overnight at Hotel McCall or similar.

Day 3) Salmon River near Riggins: We drive about an hour to Riggins and paddle the Main Salmon “River of No Return.” This is a “pool and drop” run with nice recovery time between the rapids. Ruby, Lake Creek, Time Zone, Lightning Creek and Trap Creek are a few of the many rapids that are filled with raft-tossing waves and punchy holes. Majestic mountains of ponderosa pine loom over us. Golden eagles may soar overhead. At the end of our 12-15 mile day, we dry off and then drive about two hours to ROW’s own River Dance Lodge on the banks of the Clearwater River. Hand-crafted log cabins with private hot tubs are tonight’s accommodations. Enjoy dinner at our Syringa Café with a full wine list and microbrews on tap.

Day 4) The Thunderous Lochsa: The most difficult whitewater on your “Whitewater Road Trip” the Lochsa drops over 30’ per mile and is filled with nearly non-stop action. We float about 20 miles and you’ll paddle lots of class IV – IV+ rapids such as Castle Creek, Ten Pin, Mile Long, Otter Slide, Grim Reaper, Bloody Mary and Lochsa Falls, to name a few. At the end of the day it’s a short 20 minute ride back to the River Dance Lodge for another fun and relaxed evening. Soak in the hot tub on the front deck of your cabin, enjoy a fine meal at the Sryinga Café and relax while surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery.

Day 5) Clark Fork River, Montana: We rise early and drive about two hours to the put-in for the Alberton Gorge of the Clark Fork. Flowing through a roadless canyon, the Clark Fork is the largest river in Montana when it leaves the state and flows into Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho. This is a big-volume pool and drop run of 12-15 miles. Fairly warm water, stunning purple cliffs and the chance to see osprey, beaver and other wildlife make this a great day. At the end of the day, drive a short distance to a riverside lodge.

Day 6) St. Joe River, Idaho: The emerald St. Joe is a favorite among ROW guides. Boisterous class III-IV rapids on this 12-15 mile trip with fast-flowing, technical water that make it full of action. Cedar trees and moss line the banks as you gaze in the gin-clear water at trout below. After lunch on the river and more rapids we change into dry clothes and drive about two hours to local hotel in Coeur d’Alene or Spokane for the night.

Day 7) Board your flight home at the Spokane airport. (Whatever airline you flew to Boise will most likely also depart from Spokane and the price should be the same as a roundtrip to Boise.)

This is an accommodation.

See this trip on the RIVER DANCE LODGE site

*TRAVEL INFORMATION DISCLAIMER: Travel product and pricing information are the travel provider’s base estimates, published here as a convenience to TravelDragon users without verification by TravelDragon. Your actual price will vary depending upon length of trip, travel dates, number of traveling guests, transportation (e.g. airfare, rail passes, etc.), and optional service features such as room categories or individualized food requirements. This base price estimate may or may not include all necessary fees, taxes, government-imposed surcharges. Be sure to confirm availability, total price and trip details with the travel provider using the contact information provided here.

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ROW's Whitewater Trail

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ROW's Whitewater Trail

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