The West’s premier wilderness rafting adventure—great for families!

Our Middle Fork of the Salmon whitewater rafting trip takes you down North America's premier wilderness river, where you'll raft 100 rapids in 100 miles! And the fun doesn't stop at the river's edge. Hike up side canyons, catch glimpses of wildlife from bighorn sheep to black bears, relax in natural hot springs, fly-fish to your heart's content, and encounter the past, from old homesteads to Sheepeater Indian pictographs. You'll also have the exhilarating option of trying out  the rapids in an inflatable kayak. Comfortable camping includes awesome food, hot showers, and fine wines. But the best part of this whitewater rafting trip is Mountain Travel Sobek's world-class guides, whose extensive experience and indefatigable enthusiasm means you're in the best hands ever.

NOTE: June departures feature higher water; July and August departures are best for using the inflatable kayaks and best for fishing.

Mountain Travel Sobek is an equal opportunity employer and operates on the Salmon River under a permit with the Salmon-Challis National Forest.

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Activities

Rafting on Class II/IV rapids (Class II/III in August) on oar boats, paddle boats, inflatable kayak option. Easy to moderate day hikes; Minimum age is 6 (12 during high water— June departures).

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Rated by National Geographic as one of the top 3 whitewater rafting trips in the WORLD!!
• Relax on an oar boat, get wet with a team of paddlers, “fly solo” on one of our inflatable kayaks, or try all three
• More than a whitewater rafting trip—hike, fish, relax in hot springs, and visit Native American rock art sites, all in one of the largest wilderness areas in the U.S.
• Easy living—comfortable camping, awesome food, hot showers, and fine wines
• One of the greatest whitewater rivers in North America—more than 100 rapids in 100 miles—big fun!
• Try our new SUP (Stand Up Paddle Board) available on all departures from Jul 9 on

Duration: 6 days Start Location: Stanley End Location: Salmon

BRIEF Itinerary

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  Day 1 : Meet in Stanley, Idaho

  In the morning, we'll take a 90-minute bus ride from Stanley into the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. At Boundary Creek, you’ll meet our river guides for a safety briefing. After choosing an oar boat or paddle boat, you’ll encounter the first of the Middle Fork’s hundreds of Class III and Class IV rapids. In the late afternoon, arrive at one of the Middle Fork’s beautiful and pristine campgrounds for gourmet dinner and overnight.

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  Day 2 : On the river—Pistol Creek

  Class III rapid Pistol Creek provides an exciting start to the day. We'll stop at the Indian Creek Guard Station to learn about the area’s native inhabitants, the Shoshone tribe Sheepeaters. Then, it’s back into the boats to traverse the Pongo rapid and coast to camp. If water conditions permit, we'll bring out the inflatable kayaks today. At camp, relax with appetizers and wine, enjoy the company of other guests, take a hike, or browse our book library.

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  Day 3 : On the river—Sunflower/Loon Creek Hot Springs

  In the morning, sail through Marble Falls and Ski Jump rapids. The water calms down making this a good day to fly-fish for cutthroat trout (catch and release only), or to take a refreshing swim. We may also stop at the hot springs at Sunflower or Loon Creek, where you can soak and keep an eye out for mountain goats and bighorn sheep. After lunch, a short hike to see Sheepeater pictographs, then more rapids before settling into camp for the night.

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  Day 4 : On the river—Tappan Falls

  Some of the Middle Fork’s most thrilling rapids await on the 18 miles of river you’ll run today: Tappan I, Tappan Falls, New Tappan, and Aparajo. We're likely to observe bighorn sheep grazing along the shore or sight of bald eagles, osprey, herons, river otters, and black bears. In the afternoon, we’ll pass by Kaufman’s Cave, where a Scottish prospector named Clarence Kaufman lived for about four years.

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  Day 5 : On the river—Impassable Canyon

  Today you’ll coast into the Impassable Canyon, and the most spectacular scenery you’ve seen yet. We’ll also experience some serious whitewater: you’ll run rapids like Driftwood, Haystack, Bernard Creek, Earthquake, Jack Creek, and Goalpost. In the afternoon, you might make the steep hike up to Veil Falls, or visit the homestead of Earl Parrot, a hermit who moved to the banks of the Middle Fork in the early 1900s and stayed for about 40 years. Once at camp, you’ll be rewarded with a special last-night dinner and final campfire with your rafting companions.

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  Day 6 : Depart for home

  A final half-day of rafting with the biggest rapids of the trip: Foreplay, Rubber, Rubber II, and Hancock. After a thrilling morning, you’ll reach the confluence of the Middle Fork and the main Salmon River, where you’ll leave your boats behind and board a bus for the 90 minute ride to Salmon. We'll stop for lunch along the way and arrive by mid-afternoon. NOTE: We recommend staying overnight in Salmon due to late afternoon arrival.

Properties shown are representative of the accommodations we use on this trip, may not be inclusive of all accommodations we use, and are subject to change.

Expert leadership is the key to an exciting, unforgettable experience. Our trips feature gifted leaders for whom leading trips is a true vocation. Besides showing you wonders you’d never find on your own, they make sure everything runs smoothly and safely without a hitch. They are knowledgeable about all aspects of your trip, and take great pleasure in sharing their insights with you. More than just guides, they positively elevate your experience by being teachers, companions, and the best of friends. You’ll be in good hands with them every step of the way.

• George Butts

  George, Georgie, or Jorge as the Spanish pronounce it was born in the great hospital of Saint Ford Truck, in room number one. George’s fabulous parents found their way to secluded Challis, ID and raised their family there. He has been forever grateful to grow up around rivers and mountains and has taken advantage of all Challis had to offer including baseball, football, wrestling, soccer, hunting, fishing, skiing and, almost forgot, rafting the gorgeous Middle Fork of the Salmon River! His first adventure down the Middle Fork was on his tenth birthday with the eldest brother. He learned the ways of the water and discovered his first love, driving sweep boat. (AKA the Scow). Both brothers were following in the footsteps of their mother, who was the first women sweep boat driver on the Middle Fork! Eleven consecutive birthdays on the Middle Fork later, and other rivers conquered, George’s greatest enjoyment is still driving Sweep Boat on the Middle Fork. Recently he graduated from Boise State University and enjoys his time exploring what his home state of Idaho has to offer and playing music with friends and family.

• Sara Lundy

  Sara Lundy is a year round guide based in Stanley, Idaho. During the summer she rafts wild rivers, in the winter it’s skiing from helicopters and huts. Spring and fall are for travel and enjoying her own backyard with her husband and fellow guide, Chris. Sara has been river guiding since 2001 and has over 10,000 river miles under her belt – most of these on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. She’s studied biology, has years of emergency and medical training and is always seeking to improve her skills through continuing education and guiding courses. She says, “I want to share amazing experiences with great people. I would try to explain these experiences, like the overwhelming smell of wildflowers in the river canyon, the little thrill of seeing a shooting star unzip the night sky, and how disturbingly good coffee tastes on an early river morning. But I can’t explain it, and that’s the beauty of it. You have to experience it! And the experience changes you - you’ll never forget it. I love being a part of that!” You’ll join her on the Middle Fork this summer to see what she’s talking about.

• Chris Lundy

  Chris’ passion for outdoors and wilderness began in Montana nearly 20 years ago. Despite receiving a graduate degree in engineering, he’s dedicated his personal and professional life to mountains, rivers, and travel. Chris began river guiding in 1997 and has worked on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River with his wife Sara since 2006. They’re dedicated to providing a safe, fun, and unforgettable experience on the Middle Fork. A true year-round outdoor professional, in the winter he’s the director of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center in Ketchum, Idaho. Over the years, Chris has also worked as a backcountry ranger, backpack trip leader, ski patrol, snow science researcher, and avalanche forecaster. His other passion is embarking on international ski mountaineering adventures, which have taken him to Peru, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Chris and Sara live in Stanley, Idaho, where they ski and hike into the world-renown Sawtooth Mountains from their house in the woods.

• Shane Moser

  "My Wilderness experience began in 1999 rowing boats on multi-day whitewater and sporting trips out of Salmon, Idaho. I'm now licensed to guide ten Wild Rivers in eight designated Wilderness Areas, with most of my experience having taken place near my present home on the forks of Idaho's mighty Salmon River of No Return. Aside from working on Idaho's rivers, I really like playing in and around them too. I am native to the rolling hills of Palouse farmland in Northern Idaho. My first river trip was a commercial trip on the Main Salmon, and did not occur until age 16 - it was a late crop year and my farming family took advantage of the irregular time-window created in the first week of July that year. I was instantly enamored with and indefinitely hooked on all things wild and have spent the last decade immersed in Wilderness at every possible chance. Though I never took up kayaking, I have from time to time found myself (along with support from the Salmon River Boys) rafting big rivers on the day of the year's peak runoff, and having survived these flood-stage river trips is among my proudest achievements. ...As Dad used to say, 'Better lucky than good!'... Peak runoff trips have included the South Salmon in 2007, South Payette in 2008 - after having completed a B.S.C.E. at the University of Idaho with simultaneous minors in Outdoor Recreation Leadership and Mathematics - the Middle Fork Salmon and Main Salmon in 2009, and Selway in 2010. Other memorable rafting moments have included high water solos of the Main Salmon, Marsh Cr./Middle Fork Salmon, South Payette, South Clearwater (below Golden Canyon), a low-water solo of the Middle Owyhee along with my girlfriend and our dogs, as well as rare runs of the Potlatch River (Coleman Canyon section) and of Loon Creek. Currently, I aspire to develop personal relationships with all Wilderness everywhere, though it's my intention to get to know all of Idaho's Wilderness first - sort of an inside joke because it would take many lifetimes to get to know all of Idaho's Wilderness."

photo credits: ©Chad Case / MTS