Middle Fork of the Salmon River

Our Middle Fork of the Salmon rafting trip is a spectacular outdoor vacation! The Middle Fork is famous as America’s best river rafting trip. From the put-in at Boundary Creek (elevation 5,700 ft.) to the take-out at Cache Bar, 100 miles downstream, the Middle Fork descends 2,700 feet. We float through dense forests, along sage and mountain mahogany covered hillsides, and finally between the sheer granite cliffs of Impassable Canyon.

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Rafting the River

There are plenty of rapids. Velvet Falls, Powerhouse, Pistol Creek, Tappan Falls, Tappan III, Haystack, Bernard Creek, Waterfall Creek, Porcupine, Redside, Rubber, Hancock, and many more make the Middle Fork a first-class whitewater run. At the put-in, the river is small, steep, rocky, and tricky. Tributaries gradually quadruple the Middle Fork’s volume. As the stream transforms into a major river, quiet pools and calm stretches alternate with the rapids. The last day, the Middle Fork’s full force is focused into the whitewater of Impassable Canyon. Middle Fork is a Class III-IV whitewater river, with several Class IV rapids.

Fly Fishing

Fishing on the Middle Fork of the Salmon is excellent. The Middle Fork is a “Blue Ribbon” Westslope Cutthroat trout fishery, and a spectacular dry fly fishing stream.

Every one of our Middle Fork trips is outfitted for fly fishing included in the price of the trip! Many of our summer guests plan to include fly fishing as some part of their Middle Fork trip. Fishermen often prefer to bring their own gear, but we have everything you need available on the trip. Check with the Hughes office for details.

More experienced fishermen can arrange fishing rafts with 2 fishermen and a guide per raft. Check for rates and details.

Wilderness Expedition Raft Trip

The area offers an incredible variety of wildlife, including Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goat, mule deer, elk, cougar, black bear, otter, coyote, osprey, eagle, forest grouse, chukar partridge, and kingfisher.

We stop to enjoy hot springs and to investigate Sheepeater Indian (Mountain Shoshoni) pictographs, hunting blinds, and teepee rings. Camps are beautiful. You can plan a morning or evening hike directly from camp. Other highlights include visits to the White Goat Mine, “Set Trigger” Purcell’s grave, Rattlesnake Cave, Waterfall Creek, Cathedral Cave, and the cabins and ladders of “the hermit of Impassable Canyon” – Earl Parrott.

The Middle Fork was protected by Congress in 1968 as one of the original National Wild Rivers. We float inside the Salmon-Challis National Forest and the huge Frank Church- “River of No Return” Wilderness (the largest wilderness in the continental U.S. – 2.36 million acres).e per raft. Check for rates and details.

Guest Experiences on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River

“We took your Middle Fork trip in late June. It was wonderful. The crew is among the nicest young men we ever met. There were several children aged 10-14 years with our friends. Those kids got to go kayaking through some exciting water with the guides and adults nearby in the rafts to help…. Those kids and their parents will have some great tales to tell when they get home. The guides also helped the grannies clamor up the rocky river banks, and are great cooks. The sleeping pads and bags were quite comfortable.”

E. Chehey, Boise, ID (2016)