Deep canyons and solitude on the Lower Salmon
Rafting the Lower Salmon with Children
by Harley McAllister
The Lower section of the Salmon river is that portion that begins in Whitebird, ID and flows 72 miles downstream through the confluence with the Snake River and Oregon, all the way to just across the Washington border and the confluence with the Grande Ronde river just upstream of Clarkston, WA.
Through the years we keep coming back to this river, and it is for a number of good reasons. It has warm water and weather, which makes getting wet on the river lots of fun. Typical water temperatures are in the 70's, and air temperatures in the 90's. And the getting wet is not limited to the rapids, but also includes excellent opportunities for swimming, for water fights, and for sand castles on the beach at camp. As noted in our 5 Things Every Parent Should Know When Rafting with Kids, these are key criteria for a successful raft trip with children.
Through the years we keep coming back to this river, and it is for a number of good reasons. It has warm water and weather, which makes getting wet on the river lots of fun. Typical water temperatures are in the 70's, and air temperatures in the 90's. And the getting wet is not limited to the rapids, but also includes excellent opportunities for swimming, for water fights, and for sand castles on the beach at camp. As noted in our 5 Things Every Parent Should Know When Rafting with Kids, these are key criteria for a successful raft trip with children.
Another important consideration are the rapids, and there are quite a few good Class III rapids that have lots of big fun waves, yet only one Class IV that will cause an experienced boater to sit up and take notice - SnowHole*. But even this rapid has a straightforward run that avoids the major obstacles.
The camping along the river is excellent, with huge white sand beaches to call your temporary home. There are also fun side hikes where you can see pictographs from the Native Americans who called this place home, waterfalls, or even old mine shafts and equipment.
In addition, this river runs through a section of canyons and ranches so remote that it feels like wilderness, even though it isn't. The vistas are usually awe inspiring and give you a new sense of perspective. And it is an excellent place to view Bighorn sheep, which is a pretty rare treat.
This section of the river is well downstream of the source so there is always ample flow for rafting through the entire summer and early fall, and the water has had plenty of time to warm up. So you can count on this river late in the summer when many of the other streams have become too low to enjoy. Add to that the simple logistics of self issue permits and an inexpensive vehicle shuttle for a 4 day raft trip, and you can see why we keep coming back year after year.
Now it's your turn.
Now it's your turn.
Lower Salmon Rafting Logistics
If you are interested in floating the Lower Salmon, here are some considerations to help you get started.
The first thing you need to do is be brutally honest in your assessment of your rafting abilities. Placing your family in a raft on a Class IV river for 4-5 days through a wilderness setting is not a thing to be taken lightly. If you have the experience to pull this trip off on your own - great. You can even rent the gear you need from a local University's outdoor program - U of I in Moscow, Eastern Washington in Cheney (near Spokane), or North Idaho College in Coeur D'Alene. But if you are even a bit unsure, hire a guide. Even if you aspire to be able to do these types of trips on your own, hiring a guide for your first multi-day trip is a wise investment. You can watch how the guides pack the gear, rig the boats, navigate the rapids, and get a great education on what it takes to do these types of trips. A quick Google search on "Lower Salmon Rafting" will get you well started toward finding one of the many capable rafting outfitters.
For those who have the knowledge to DIY a trip like this, one of its best features is that unlike other nearby rivers, the Lower Salmon does not require a special permit to raft. You simply show up and self register at the put-in, then get started.
The total length of the river is 62-72 miles depending on where you put in, making for reasonable 4-5 day itineraries. Starting at Hammer Creek, very close to Whitebird, will give you an extra day to enjoy the Green Canyon and all its delights. Alternately you can shorten the trip by putting in at Pine Creek just below this canyon, and accessed via a twisty road descending from Cottonwood, ID.
To save yourself 5-6 hours at the end of your trip, you will most likely want to hire a shuttle service to get your car from the put-in to the take-out at Heller Bar, which is upstream of Lewiston. All Rivers Shuttle Service has reasonable prices and has always brought our vehicles safely to where we expected them.
If you have more questions feel free to contact us, and we'll try to help you out any way we can.
* Footnotes: This river should only be run when <20,000 cfs due to a rapid that becomes too dangerous above these flows - The Slide. If you plan your trip for after the first week in July or in August you should be fine, but you should always check the USGS Whitebird gauge to make sure the level is safe.
The first thing you need to do is be brutally honest in your assessment of your rafting abilities. Placing your family in a raft on a Class IV river for 4-5 days through a wilderness setting is not a thing to be taken lightly. If you have the experience to pull this trip off on your own - great. You can even rent the gear you need from a local University's outdoor program - U of I in Moscow, Eastern Washington in Cheney (near Spokane), or North Idaho College in Coeur D'Alene. But if you are even a bit unsure, hire a guide. Even if you aspire to be able to do these types of trips on your own, hiring a guide for your first multi-day trip is a wise investment. You can watch how the guides pack the gear, rig the boats, navigate the rapids, and get a great education on what it takes to do these types of trips. A quick Google search on "Lower Salmon Rafting" will get you well started toward finding one of the many capable rafting outfitters.
For those who have the knowledge to DIY a trip like this, one of its best features is that unlike other nearby rivers, the Lower Salmon does not require a special permit to raft. You simply show up and self register at the put-in, then get started.
The total length of the river is 62-72 miles depending on where you put in, making for reasonable 4-5 day itineraries. Starting at Hammer Creek, very close to Whitebird, will give you an extra day to enjoy the Green Canyon and all its delights. Alternately you can shorten the trip by putting in at Pine Creek just below this canyon, and accessed via a twisty road descending from Cottonwood, ID.
To save yourself 5-6 hours at the end of your trip, you will most likely want to hire a shuttle service to get your car from the put-in to the take-out at Heller Bar, which is upstream of Lewiston. All Rivers Shuttle Service has reasonable prices and has always brought our vehicles safely to where we expected them.
If you have more questions feel free to contact us, and we'll try to help you out any way we can.
* Footnotes: This river should only be run when <20,000 cfs due to a rapid that becomes too dangerous above these flows - The Slide. If you plan your trip for after the first week in July or in August you should be fine, but you should always check the USGS Whitebird gauge to make sure the level is safe.
