Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting Trips

Rafting the Middle Fork of the Salmon River is one of the premier wilderness trips in the United States. Experience 100 miles of Wild and Scenic, free-flowing river as it flows through the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The Middle Fork’s canyon is breathtaking, mountainous, and deeper than the Grand Canyon. Natural hot springs bubble up throughout the canyon, there’s good trout fishing, and too many rapids to count. Salmon River Middle Fork rafting trips lead you through unspoiled, remote, and roadless areas—this is the place to get away from it all.

Our partner on this trip is Middle Fork River Expeditions (MFRE). MFRE is a licensed and bonded outfitter that has run safe and well-managed river trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho for more than three decades. Trips are six days of exciting river rafting, wilderness camping, fishing, and adventure travel. MFRE designs their equipment specifically for wilderness whitewater rafting. Choose from oar boats, paddle boats, fly fishing drift boats, inflatable kayaks, or stand-up paddleboards.

MFRE river guides are seasoned professionals, licensed by the state of Idaho and certified in first aid and swift-water rescue. And they’re expert river runners, magnificent cooks, great storytellers, and knowledgeable outdoor aficionados. Join us for a unique Idaho adventure this summer!

 

2023 Specialty Music Trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon:

Jul 31 – Aug 5, 2023  John Smith Music Trip $3,099 ($2,899 kids 16 and under)

Aug 8 – Aug 13, 2023  Moors and McCumber Music Trip $3,099 ($2,899 kids 16 and under)

Aug 24 – Aug 29, 2023 Darrell Scott Music Trip $3,199 ($2,999 kids 16 and under)

Discounted youth rates apply to children 16 and under for Idaho rafting trips.

Holiday acknowledges the Middle Fork of the Salmon floats through the ancestral lands of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce), Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, and the Agaidika (Lemhi-Shoshone) Tribes. We honor and respect these communities and their cultural and spiritual connection to these lands. Want to learn more information about our land acknowledgements? Read more here. 
Book This Trip

Trip Overview

  • Type:

    Rafting

  • Location:

    Middle Fork of the Salmon River - Idaho

  • Length:

    6 Days

  • Dates:

    June - September, 2023

  • Meet at:

    Stanley, Idaho @ 8:00 am

  • Difficulty:

    Intermediate

  • Min. Age:

    6 (12 in June)

  • Deposit:

    500

Highlights

  • Largest wilderness area in the Lower 48
  • Soak in riverside hot springs
  • Clear mountain river
  • Over 100 rapids in 100 miles
  • Visit Veil Falls
  • Blue ribbon trout fishing
  • Rich mining and homesteading history
Getting Here Before You Go Packing List FAQs

Rates & Dates

6 Day

  • Adult:
  • $2,859
  • Youth:
    18 and under
  • $2,659
  • Senior:
    65 and older
  • $2,859
  • Group:
    10 or more
  • $2,859
Book This Trip
Check Availability
2023
  • July
  • 23
  • August
  • 16
  • September
  • 25

6 Day Music Trips

  • Adult:
  • $3,099
  • Youth:
    18 and under
  • $2,899
  • Senior:
    65 and older
  • $3,099
  • Group:
    10 or more
  • $3,099
Book This Trip
Check Availability
2023
  • July
  • 31
  • August
  • 8, 24

Please note: Group discounts for the Middle Fork trip apply for 24 or more. Group discounts do not apply to music trips.

Itinerary

The Middle Fork of the Salmon River flows northeast through central Idaho. Launch at the Boundary Creek put in, 37 miles northwest from the town of Stanley, Idaho, and enter a world of mountains, forests, wildlife, and water that few people get to experience. From Boundary Creek to the confluence with the Main Salmon River, the Middle Fork flows for 100 miles through three different ecological regions. Trips take out at Cache Bar take out, not far from the confluence, transportation to Salmon, Idaho is provided, with the option to either shuttle your vehicle from Stanley to Salmon (~$150), or catch a flight from Salmon to Boise, Idaho.

Idaho Whitewater Rafting Trips

Sample Itinerary

Meet at the Middle Fork River Expeditions warehouse in in Stanley, Idaho, the night before the trip for a pre-trip orientation (7:30 p.m., Mountain Time). We will do introductions, answer questions, and hand out waterproof bags and show you how to pack them.

Days 1–3:

Meet back at the warehouse by 8:00 a.m., take care of any last minute details, and hop in the bus for the hour-and-a-half drive to the river. We begin at Boundary Creek, 6000 feet above sea level, and float into an enchanted, fragrant fir and spruce forest. Sparkling clear waters carry us through boulder-choked rapids such as Daggar Falls, Pinball, and Pistol Creek. We’ll pause to soak in natural hot springs and hike through pioneer homesteads. Spend the evening eating like royalty, relaxing by the campfire, playing beach bocce, or just listening to the river.

Days 4–5:

As we go down in elevation, the river widens. Believe it or not, this section of the canyon is deeper than Grand Canyon! Spruce forest gives way to wide views of pine-clad mountainsides, and the 6,000-foot sheer walls of Impassable Canyon rise above us. Stare down at the unbelievably clear water in between the rapids and look for native cutthroat and rainbow trout. Waterfall Creek and Veil Falls are the hiking highlights of this section.

Day 6:

Finish strong with some of the biggest and best rapids of the trip! We’ll transport you and your gear back to Salmon, Idaho, arriving by 2:00pm to catch a late afternoon flight out of Salmon, or to be reunited with your car at the Stagecoach Inn. Bag lunches are provided for ride to Salmon.  (Overnight in Salmon is not included in trip cost; booking a room on the riverside of the Stagecoach Inn is highly recommended).

Middle Fork Idaho Scenery

Any rafting trip into the wilderness requires some level of flexibility. Weather, river conditions, campsites, and the interests of our guests will all factor in to each day’s schedule. This itinerary is only a sample of what your trip may entail.

Please note: When the river is low we may use small airplanes to fly in to a lower launch point at Indian Creek. The flight is spectacular, taking you over and through the rugged peaks of the Salmon-Challis National Forest. Guests say that the flight is one of the highlights of the trip. This adds $130 per person to the cost of the trip (we can take your credit card information or checks at the orientation). Beginning at Indian Creek makes it a 75-mile river trip, which also allows more time for hiking and exploring the canyon (and avoids having to get out of the rafts to push off of rocks in the upper section!).

Reviews

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Holiday River Expeditions
Average rating:  
 3 reviews
 by Brian

"I loved all the options that you provided on the trip. Oar boats, paddle rafts, drift boats, inflatable kayaks and even an inflatable surf board made each day a new adventure depending on what option I chose. You guys rock!"

 by Lynn S.

"We had an adventure of a lifetime mostly because of your amazing guides. They were always there to help with a happy smile on their face. Not only were they all accomplished outdoorsmen, they cooked the best food I have ever had in my life. Maybe it was the views and the fresh air from camp that made it taste so good!"

 by Jennifer K.

"This river trip was the best vacation our family has taken together. It allowed us to connect as a family in a way that we could never had done had we done any other trip. It was so refreshing to not have all the distractions of modern life that make it harder and harder these days to connect as a family. We are excited to join you again this summer!"

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