Middle Fork of the Salmon

100 miles, 27 fpm, summer and fall run

Idaho's Middle Fork of the Salmon is the quintessential river trip. You'll travel 75 or 100 miles (depending on water flow) through the heart of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. You'll encounter hot springs, Big Horn Sheep, breathtaking scenery, world class trout fishing, and a river that doesn't let up with nonstop Class II and III rapids.

Boundary Creek on the Middle Fork of the SalmonThe Middle Fork starts at Boundary Creek in a dense forest of Lodgepole Pines. You'll notice the whitewater action right away with continuous Class II and III rapids for the first 15 miles. This first section is littered with great camp sites and natural hot springs.

Around mile 20, you'll run Pistol Creek Rapid, a classic S-turn with cliffs on both sides. Then it's another five miles to the Indian Creek Airstrip and Guard Station. Many rafting trips start here by flying everything in. This saves potential problems that can occur on the upper 25 miles during higher water and lower water.

The Middle Fork of the Salmon travels through various types of vegetation and geology for it's entire length. After Indian Creek, the majestic Ponderosa Pine starts to appear more and more often. The pink granite of the Casto Pluton is one of the many amazing geologic features of the canyon.

The Impassable CanyonThe last 25 miles are known as the Impassable Canyon. Here the river walls become more vertical and it would be nearly impossible to walk alongside the river. The trail that follows the Middle Fork from Boundary Creek now leaves the canyon and travels up the Middle Fork's largest tributary, Big Creek. The rapids become more frequent, the scenery more stunning, and the campsites more dramatic.

The trip ends by "turning the corner" onto the Main Salmon. Here you'll run the Class IV Cramer Creek Falls which is a big water rapid with huge waves and the potential to flip boats. The most commonly used take-out is the Cache Bar boat ramp.

Middle Fork Resources