Discover, Plan & Go!

The Salmon River is the longest river in the contiguous United States that is completely without dams. The upper reaches of the river flow through the largest wilderness area in the lower 48 states. ROW offers trips on three different sections. One of these that we float is the Salmon near Riggins.

We offer this trip in late June and early July when the water levels are usually too high for us to run trips on the Salmon River Canyons. This trip is an excellent value and a great introduction to whitewater rafting where both beginners and veteran rafters will find plenty of excitement.

In the year 2007, this special three-day trip is offered June 27, July 1 and July 5 and is a great get-away just before the 4 th of July holiday.

We float roughly 33 miles, starting about 25 miles above the town of Riggins, known locally as the “Whitewater Capital of the Universe.” The first two days of our trip the river is followed by a dirt road used primarily by floaters accessing the river. Highlights of these days include a hike to a mountain hot spring, plenty of rambunctious whitewater and stunning mountain scenery.

Once we pass the town of Riggins on our third and final day, the river follows Highway 95. The rapids keep you busy enough not to notice the road too much. Lake Creek, Ruby, Time Zone, Lightning Creek and Trap Creek are just a few of the exciting rapids you’ll run that range from class II to IV. They're lots of fun, and perfect for paddle rafts and inflatable kayaks (affectionately called 'Daring Duckies.') These rapids are known as "pool and drop" because after each rapid there's a quiet pool.

Between the rapids you may float alongside the raft in the warm waters, take a few pictures or just soak in the scenery. In addition to paddle rafts and Daring Duckies, we always have oar-powered rafts along to provide a place for people when they don't want to be as active as the paddle raft or Daring Duckie require.

On trips with more than 13 guests we send our large cargo boat ahead to set up camp. Otherwise, each of the oar rafts carries some of the camping gear and food and we travel on the river together as one group. In early July weather should be hot and sunny (80-90 degrees during the day) with water temperatures in the low to mid 60’s. We camp on beautiful and expansive white sand beaches that are perfect for Frisbee, volleyball and sunbathing. Evening temperatures are mild (60-70 degrees) and there are no mosquitoes. The exact flows and water temperatures depend entirely on what sort of winter snowpack we have in the mountains.

As we travel on the river, our guides will tell you about the history of the Salmon River - the native peoples that lived along its banks, the white men that settled here and the first settlers to brave the rapids. As well, there are a number of old mining sites worked by the Chinese from about 1850 to 1890. You'll learn about their culture, as well as marvel at their rock houses that remain today as the best-preserved example of Chinese rock dwellings anywhere in the world outside of China. Through hikes, stories and interpretation we hope you'll gain an appreciation of these historic treasures. These trips meet in the town of Riggins located on the banks of the Salmon River in west central Idaho.