Raft the Legendary River of No Return: Idaho's Main Salmon River

The Trip

Create unforgettable memories and immerse yourself in the raw beauty of Idaho's pristine remote backcountry while honoring its cultural and conservation values. The Main Salmon River in Idaho combines adventure with serenity. Whether you're seeking adrenaline-pumping rapids, blissful moments in wild wilderness, or a deeper connection to Indigenous history, the Main Salmon River has it all.

The legendary "River of No Return" draws boaters from all over the world with its remarkable combination of solitude, wildlife, whitewater, and scenery. We will travel 81 miles of the Main Salmon, from the Corn Creek put-in (near the town of Salmon) to our take-out at Carey Creek (near Riggins). Among the many Class III rapids we will encounter along the way are Devil's Teeth, Salmon Falls, Big Mallard (know as one of the West’s 10 big drops), Elkhorn, and Chittam.

"It has been remarked that history is the bed carved by the river of life. That being true, few western canyons can claim a river-bed so deeply incised as that of the Salmon…" - Carrey & Conley, 1978

Salmon River country is a land of superlatives. The river's canyon is one of the deepest in North America; it is 6,000 feet from the river to the tallest bordering peaks. Originating as a rivulet in the southern Sawtooth Valley, the Salmon River quickly becomes big water and one of the major rivers of the intermountain West. Draining 14,000 square miles, this wild river is fed by snow from the Sawtooth, Clearwater, Bitterroot, and Salmon River mountains.

With no upstream dams to block the movement of sediment, the Main Salmon renews its superb beaches each year and provides us with delightful campsites. As we enjoy our journey downstream, the scenery will change from rugged pine-forested mountains to black granite gorges, and then to the arid open slopes of the high desert. The river allows us scenic and exhilarating access into the heart of wild Idaho.

While we explore the river, we'll discover its rich history, beginning with the prehistoric ancestors of the Nez Perce and Northern Shoshoni who lived there nearly 8,500 years ago and continuing through the years to include trappers, prospectors, ranchers, dam-builders, wilderness advocates, whitewater boaters, and many others.

Our put-in date and trip length will allow us a warmer, more relaxed time on the river. This trip has been designed to allow plenty of time to revel in the myriad delights of the river corridor: more than 40 rapids, natural hot springs, cascading side streams, Native American pictographs, old mining claims, historic pioneer cabins, and abundant wildlife. Bighorn sheep, black bear, mountain goats, salmon, steelhead, bald and golden eagles, wolves (they've returned!)—the list of magnificent creatures inhabiting this land is lengthy.

All Sierra Club domestic trips, in the past/present, have been/are conducted on originally Native American lands. We will be traveling through ancestral lands of the Shoshone-Bannock tribes, which occupied vast regions of land encompassing present-day Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and into Canada. They generally subsisted as hunters and gatherers, traveling during the spring and summer seasons, collecting foods for use during the winter months. They hunted wild game, fished the region's abundant and bountiful streams and rivers (primarily for salmon), and collected native plants and roots such as the camas bulb. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are already experiencing the impacts of climate change on their natural resources, landscapes, and people. By engaging in efforts to identify adaptation strategies and actions to minimize the negative effects of climate change, the Tribes have demonstrated their continued commitment to protecting their vital natural resources. Sierra Club Outings has made a commitment to acknowledge past racism in our domestic trip brochures and continues to embrace the traditional Native values of honoring and protecting our Mother Earth.

Our raft trip begins in Salmon, Idaho, a 6-hour drive from Boise and ends in McCall, Idaho, about a 2.5-hour drive from Boise. As a participant, you are responsible for arranging your travel but your Sierra Club Trip Leader can provide ideas and guidance.

Day 1: We meet in Salmon, Idaho in the afternoon and have an orientation meeting. The next morning, we head to the launch site at Corn Creek for a safety talk, learn about raft protocols, and make sure all our gear is loaded into boats. Then we're off to our first rapid.

Days 2-6: The oar rafts are rowed by experienced river guides and carry all of our overnight gear, as well as provide great seating for folks wanting a less strenuous way to enjoy the passing scenery. Paddle rafts are smaller boats for 6 people to paddle through rapids and downriver. An experienced river guide provides verbal instruction and helps guide the raft. Our third boat option is an inflatable kayak where you get to “read” the water current and navigate through rapids on your own. Trip members can rotate among the boat options, as desired.

A typical day begins with a hearty breakfast before packing our gear and loading the rafts. We average 10-14 miles a day (5-6 hours), stopping to scout rapids, explore interesting spots, and enjoy a riverside lunch. We make camp in the late afternoon, giving us time to hike, relax, or swim while our guides prepare a delicious dinner.

Day 7: On our last day together, we run the final exciting rapids, then arrive at our take-out point at Carey Creek. After removing all our gear from the rafts and eating lunch, vans provide our ride back to McCall, ID. The ride to McCall is about 2 hours, and we anticipate arriving around 5 p.m. As circumstance may cause a late arrival, please avoid making travel plans for that evening. We celebrate our time on the river with a no-host farewell dinner.

Please note, the trip price does not include gratuities for the river guides. Gratuities are entirely voluntary and solely at your discretion, but they are customary. The guides work hard day and night to make this trip as memorable and fulfilling for you as possible. If you agree they worked hard and contributed significantly to the success and enjoyment of your outing, you may want to express your appreciation with a tip. A guideline of 9-18% of the trip price per guest is appropriate. Your Sierra Club trip leader does not share any portion of the gratuity; leaders are unpaid volunteers and cannot accept them.

Getting There

One of the joys of the Main Salmon River is its remote wilderness location, but such isolation has its logistical challenges. Our trip begins in Salmon and ends in McCall, Idaho. Boise is the major airport closest to Salmon. If you are flying into Boise, you can either rent a car, drive to Salmon (six hours) and have your car shuttled from Salmon to McCall during the trip, or you can arrange for air taxi service from Boise to Salmon before your trip and from McCall back to Boise after your trip.If you are driving directly to Salmon, you can either have your vehicle shuttled to McCall or you can arrange an air taxi flight back to Salmon after your trip. Conversely, if it is easier for you to drive to McCall, you can do this in reverse. The Sierra Club Trip Leader will help you figure out travel logistics and coordinate the sharing of rental cars and shuttle costs whenever possible.

AIR TAXI FLIGHTS: You will need to arrange a flight from Boise to Salmon for the day before your trip and from McCall to Boise after your trip. Due to potential delays we recommend that you DO NOT plan on flying out of Boise the evening the trip ends, but rather that you spend the night in McCall and fly to Boise in time for your flight the following morning (after 10:00 a.m. departure from Boise is best). McCall is a small, scenic, vacation community on the shores of Payette Lake and the weather is usually more flyer-friendly earlier in the day. 

CAR SHUTTLE: You will need to drive to Salmon and arrange an independent car shuttle to bring your car to McCall. Specific information about the cost of the shuttle, providers of shuttle services, and how to shuttle rental cars will be provided by the leader when you’re approved for the trip.

HYBRID: Some Main Salmon guests prefer to drive to McCall (two hours north of Boise), leave their car at the airport and fly to Salmon the day before their trip begins. Information about flights from Salmon to McCall and vice versa will be provided by the leader when you’re approved for the trip. If driving to Salmon is easier, this can also be done in reverse, (drive to Salmon before the trip, fly back after the trip).

If you have any questions, please contact your trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

We follow Leave No Trace guidelines for river corridors to minimize our impact on this fragile environment, including using chemical toilets for solid human waste. There will be no plumbed or pit toilets available on the river. Sun protection is also very important. A complete checklist of what to bring will be provided by your leader upon acceptance.

All meals on the river trip, from lunch on day 1 through lunch on day 7, are included in the trip price. Our guides will do all of the cooking, and we eat very well, thanks to the amazing carrying capacity of our rafts and plenty of cooler space. Delicious, well-balanced meals are served every day, and most dietary requirements can be accommodated.

Beverages will be provided including drinking water, lemonade, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. You may wish to bring your own sodas or other favorite beverages in plastic bottles, cans, or wine boxes. No glass is allowed on the river trip and no alcohol is allowed during the day or while on the river. This is for your safety, and the safety and enjoyment of others.

Information on lodging options in Salmon and McCall will be provided by your trip leader after acceptance onto the trip. Lodging costs are not included in the trip price.

Trip Difficulty

The minimum age for this trip is 8 (or 18 if traveling solo). This trip is suitable for new river runners and experienced rafters alike. River difficulty is rated on an international scale of I (easy) to VI (unrunnable). Most rapids on the Main Salmon are rated at an intermediate level of lll – lll+, but can change based on water levels. The Salmon provides an ideal introduction to the joys of long wilderness river trip. It is a big water river with plenty of fun rapids to keep all of our paddlers happy. 

This trip is considered an "active" vacation, as you pack/unpack your gear, help unload the rafts, set up your tent, participate in side hikes, and possibly paddle. These activities, taken together in a wilderness environment, can be physically demanding. Our side-canyon explorations range from easy walks to more difficult hikes that require some scrambling ability. Although all hikes are optional, good physical condition is important in any wilderness outing. We strongly recommend that you engage in a program of regular exercise prior to the trip.

Our day-to-day itinerary on the river is flexible and will depend on river levels, weather conditions, and the inclination of trip members. The total trip length will remain the same.

Equipment and Clothing

The weather in the mountains of Idaho can be unpredictable. You will need to be prepared for a variety of weather conditions, from heat waves to hail storms. The weather in the canyon is usually mild and temperate but rain can be encountered at any time. Durable rain gear is essential -- no ponchos. Summer temperatures can range from the 40s and 50s at night to 90 degrees during the day. The water temperature hovers around 60 degrees at this time of year. We will send you a detailed equipment list upon your acceptance to the trip. 

Fishing on the Main Salmon is fairly good. If you are interested in fishing, you must purchase an Idaho fishing license (available in Salmon) and a sturdy case for your fishing rod. Cutthroat are protected and must be released. Use only barbless hooks. Waders and nets are not needed.

References

"A traveler without knowledge is a bird without wings." - Sa'di, Gulistan (1258)

Books:

• Carrey, Johnny and Cort Conley, River of No Return. A comprehensive historical guide to the Salmon River and its drainages.
• Woody, Elizabeth, Salmon Nation: People and Fish at the Edge. An essential book for understanding the history, culture, and economy of the Pacific Northwest.
• Arno, Stephen and Steven Allison-Bunnell, Flames in Our Forest: Disaster or Renewal? Explains the ecological and economic consequences of historic fire suppression and describes options for sustaining healthy forests.
• Zaslowsky, Dyan, These American Lands: Parks, Wilderness, and the Public Lands. Narrative history of the federally owned public lands and the agencies that manage them.
• Keiter, Robert B., Reclaiming the Native Home of Hope: Community, Ecology, and the American West. Essays addressing a variety of issues facing Westerners today, including sustainability, endangered species, wilderness, and economics.
• Wilkinson, Charles F., Crossing the Next Meridian: Land, Water, and the Future of the West. History of the development of the West, focusing on water issues, mining, grazing, logging, and federal land management.
• Carrey, Johnny, The Middle Fork and the Sheepeater War. Backeddy Books, 1977.
• Beal, Merrill, “I Will Fight No More Forever:” Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce War. University of Washington Press, 1963. Provides a great history of the Nez Perce.
• Reisner, Marc, Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water. Penguin, 1987.
• Wallach, Jeff, What the River Says. Blue Heron Publishing, 1996. This book consolidates portions of the difficult-to-find history sources by “borrowing” heavily from them and adding an interesting personal story.

Websites:

• Frank Church maps and an inexpensive, waterproof river guide: www.publiclands.org
• U.S. Forest Service information about the Frank Church Wilderness: www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/
• Idaho Conservation League focuses on protecting wildlands: www.wildidaho.org
• Idaho Rivers United works to protect Idaho's wild rivers: www.idahorivers.org
• Wild and scenic river information: www.rivers.org
• River Management Society supports river managers: www.river-management.org
• American Rivers works to protect America’s rivers: www.americanrivers.org
• American Whitewater works to protect America’s whitewater resources: www.americanwhitewater.org

Central Idaho is in the heart of the largest, diverse complex of temperate-zone wildlands remaining in North America. Take the time to explore the dense forests, shimmering lakes, and snow-capped mountains of this region before or after your river trip. Just south of Salmon is the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks are only a few hours drive away. The Idaho Travel Council (www.visitid.org) can help get you started on your travel plans. 

Conservation

"In the West, of course, where water is concerned, logic and reason have never figured prominently in the scheme of things." - Marc Reisner, Cadillac Desert

Along with an exhilarating six days on the Salmon River, we will take time to consider some of the conservation issues concerning the Pacific Northwest and Idaho. Wild, free-flowing rivers are a rare and vanishing breed. Our trip takes us down one of America's designated Wild and Scenic Rivers. While the Main Salmon enjoys protection, most other rivers in the West have been transformed into elaborate plumbing systems thanks to massive government investment. Dams provide society with many benefits—cheap electricity, flood control, decreased threat of drought, etc. However, the impacts on natural cycles of flooding, sediment transport, channel shape, vegetation, and aquatic communities can be devastating. A convincing case can be made for removing or modifying many existing dams and diversions. Will the twenty-first century be the dawn of a new era of restoration and true "reclamation" for our precious rivers?

"There is just one hope of repulsing the tyrannical ambition of civilization to conquer every niche on the whole earth. That hope is the organization of spirited people who will fight for the freedom of the wilderness." - Bob Marshall

Our river trip takes us through one of the largest designated wilderness areas in the country. The National Wilderness Preservation System now includes over 110 million acres of public land, just over four percent of the nation's total land base. More than half of these areas are in Alaska. These protected areas are the culmination of hard-fought battles by the Sierra Club and allied conservationists. Activists across the country are now pushing new wilderness proposals in virtually every state in the West, and in a handful of eastern states. The fate of these lands lies with Congress.

Many of these areas—including roadless areas around and within the fringes of the River of No Return Wilderness—are under imminent threat of destruction from roading, logging, mining, grazing, off-road vehicles, and other abuses. In Idaho, we still have the opportunity to protect big, ecologically complete wilderness representing all or most of its native ecosystems. Unfortunately, the days of Idaho Senators like Frank Church seem to be a thing of the past. The protection of wilderness and wild rivers is inextricably linked to any number of troubling issues in the Pacific Northwest: salmon recovery, the persistence of viable populations of carnivores, fire management, endangered species, and the sustainability of healthy human communities. We will savor the place of a wilderness victory—the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness—as we work together to forge solutions for more conservation success stories. 

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.