Looking for the ultimate wilderness experience?
These spring Main Salmon River Rafting Trips in Idaho
Provide the best chance to see abundant wildlife, and greatest sense of solitude. During the course of the trip we’ll see elk, deer, and bighorn sheep, down low in the canyon at this time of year to reach the first green grass of spring. We’ll probably see bears. Mountain lions, wolves, moose, and mountain goats are in the area, though we may not see them. You’ll be amazed at the breath-taking beauty of the canyon as it comes to life after a long winter. The bright yellow Arrow-leaf Balsam Root, bluish-purple Lupine, and blazing-orange Indian paintbrush are at full-bloom. The apple trees around abandoned prospector’s cabins we’ll visit are heavy with beautiful white and pink blossoms. Most importantly, we are not likely to see another float party.
We’ll spend our days on the Salmon River and hiking
as far as our legs will carry us through Idaho’s remote wilderness. We’ll explore places along the Three-Blaze Trail, made famous during the 1900-1902 Thunder Mountain Gold Rush. We’ll watch Bighorn rams butting heads on the way to Rattlesnake Point. We’ll see bears, still sleepy after their winters’ hibernation, sprawling in the afternoon sun. We’ll photograph unforgettable views from high mountain peaks, and poke around old homesteads where the heady scent of apple blossoms fills the air. And we’ll run some of the best whitewater in the country on the Main Salmon River.
These Main Salmon River Rafting / Hiking Trips are pre-season, so we are not bound by a strict launch schedule. We can launch at your convenience, and can take small, private groups if you wish. These trips are ideal for a couple wishing to get away, either for an unforgettable honeymoon, or a spring break vacation.
Our usual trip length can be extended. You may want to schedule a night at a riverside lodge. If we have hiked quite a bit, and you are ready for a day off, we will focus on getting into camp a little early, where you can unwind with a cold drink and a good book, or by simply enjoying the impressive beauty of the Salmon River Canyon.
A typical day on a spring river trip involves:
A hot breakfast, accompanied by fruit, cereals, juice, and beverages. We’ll pack lunches to be eaten along the trail, and head out for a hike. When we return, we’ll head downriver through world-class whitewater and quiet pools. When we arrive at our next campsite, we’ll get our tents and the kitchen set up, and prepare a hot, delicious dinner and enjoy being the only ones on the river.
“Yesterday we hiked up Warren Creek a couple miles to the Romine Ranch. The weather was partly cloudy, but not rainy. We saw a small wolf track that was about a day old. We witnessed elk grazing across the creek. The old ranch was really cool- like stepping back in time.”—from Stephanie’s journal.
Because we are a local company, we have the unique opportunity to offer our guests a highly personalized spring hiking and whitewater rafting trip on the Main Salmon River. We enjoy putting together interesting river trips for our guests, and creating that special “Once in a Lifetime” adventure.