| Central
Idaho |
| Salmon (Middle Fork) |
|
The
crown jewel of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system, the
Middle Fork is one of the world’s premier multiday wilderness
river experiences.
|
| Salmon
(Main) |
|
Legendary
River of No Return multiday trip has more than forty memorable
rapids on its route
through forested granite gorges with abandoned homesteads.
|
| Salmon
(Lower) |
|
While
not as wild or remote as the Middle Fork or the Main, the multiday
lower Salmon river multiday adventure contains exciting whitewater
and beautiful canyon scenery.
|
| Salmon
(Upper Main) |
|
One
of the states most popular rafting trips,
the upper Main provides summer visitors with exciting, yet
not difficult whitewaters less than a ninety-minute drive north of
Sun Valley.
|
|
Idaho/Oregon/Washington |
| Snake
(Hells Canyon) |
|
Hell’s
Canyon, the last major whitewater stretch of the lengthy Snake
River, features a popular multiday trip through North America’s
deepest canyon along the Idaho, Oregon and Washington borders.
|
|
North
Central Idaho |
| Lochsa |
|
Turbulent
waters in scenic gorges create one of state’s best multiday
recreational whitewater challenges.
Scenic float trips on the lower Lochsa are available during low
water summer months.
|
| Selway |
|
One
of the premier multiday river experiences in northern Rockies, but
difficult to book because of very limited number of launch dates.
|
|
Southern
Idaho
|
| Payette
(South Fork) |
|
Lower
canyon before its confluence with the North Fork, is one of the
state’s most popular whitewater runs.
|
| Payette
(Main) |
|
Created
by the confluence of the North and South Forks, the Main is a very
popular introduction to whitewater rafting for families, groups and
inexperienced paddlers.
|
| Snake
(Murtaugh) |
|
During
early spring, the Murtaugh section has some of the state’s largest
and most demanding whitewaters.
|
| Snake
(Hagerman) |
|
Easy
rapids that shouldn’t frighten anyone near Twin Falls are ideal
for first-time rafters and families.
|
| Snake
(Birds of Prey) |
|
Natural
Area protects the nesting area of more 700 pairs of raptors. Scenic
float trip provides plenty of time to use binoculars and cameras.
|
|
Western
Montana |
| Flathead
(Middle Fork) |
|
Exciting
half-day and one day raft trips in scenic canyon adjacent to Glacier
National Park.
|
| Clark
Fork |
|
One
of state’s best intermediate-level raft trips during late-summer
when other river water levels are low.
|
| Southwest
Montana |
| Yellowstone |
|
Popular
easy-moderate level vacation rafting trip just north of Yellowstone
National Park’s Mammoth Hot Springs entrance.
|
| Gallatin |
|
Half-day,
one-day rafting and scenic float trips near Yellowstone National
Park and state’s Big Sky Resort.
|
| Madison |
|
Bear
Trap Canyon, about an hour’s drive from Yellowstone National
Park’s West Entrance has spectacular wilderness beauty and
excellent whitewaters.
|
| Stillwater |
|
During
late-spring and early summer rafters may enjoy half-day exciting
whitewater trips below the Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains.
|
|
Wyoming |
| Shoshone |
|
Near
the town of Cody, just an hour’s drive east of Yellowstone
National Park, visitors of nearly all ages will find a perfect
introduction to whitewater rafting.
|
| Snake
(Grand Teton) |
|
One
of the more memorable ways for visitors to enjoy the awesome beauty
and wildlife of Grand Teton National Park is a scenic float trip on
the Snake River.
|
| Snake
(Upper) |
|
Choice
of two eight-mile (16-km) trips, a scenic float trip beginning just
outside of Grand Teton National Park or a lively downriver
whitewater stretch featuring several Class III rapids, will be
enjoyed by almost anyone.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Prior to the
popularization of whitewater rafting, only the hardiest of outdoor
adventurers were able to enjoy the remote and primitive mountain
wilderness of the northern Rocky Mountain States. Today, however,
dozens of rafting outfitters provide safe access to hundreds of
miles of wilderness canyons in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
In
addition to spectacular alpine scenery, rafters of wilderness rivers
are frequently treated to views of bears, whitetail deer, elk,
moose, mule deer, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goats,
cougars, coyotes, and foxes.
The
famed main Salmon River of central Idaho, its renowned Middle Fork
tributary, the main, and the lower Salmon, offer more than 230 miles
(368 km) of exceptional wilderness rafting adventure through six
national forests, the incredible Frank Church—River of No Return
Wilderness, and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Outfitters on
the upper main Salmon near Sun Valley have also popularized half-day
and one-day raft trips. Hell's Canyon, the last major whitewater
stretch of the lengthy Snake River, features a popular multiday trip
through North America's deepest canyon.
Other
whitewater trips that beckon in northern and central Idaho are the
Lochsa River, route of the early 19th century explorers Lewis and
Clark, and the nearby Selway River, of early Indian fame. While both
feature superb multiday wilderness whitewater trips for hardy
rafters, summertime scenic float trips on the Lochsa are available.
Six rafting trips are offered on the
Snake River and its Payette tributary as it crosses southern Idaho:
- The Payette River provides
whitewater enthusiasts with Class II, III, and IV, half-day and
one-day rafting opportunities less than an hour’s drive north
of Boise.
- The Murtaugh section, east of Twin
Falls, has some of the Northwest’s largest whitewater.
- The Hagerman section, west of Twin
Falls, has easy Class I-II rapids that can be enjoyed by anyone.
- An easy scenic float trip through
the Snake’s Birds of Prey area south of Boise.
Most of Montana's recreation
whitewater is located near two popular national parks—Glacier and
Yellowstone:
- Glacier the Flathead River’s
Middle Fork and the Lower Flathead provide half-day, one-day,
and multiday rafting through the beautiful wilderness mountains
of northwest Montana.
- Near Yellowstone Park, the
Yellowstone, Gallatin, Madison, Stillwater and the Shoshone
(Wyoming) rivers provide summer visitors with excellent
beginning and intermediate whitewater trips. Family trips are
available on the more moderate sections.
- Just west of Missoula, the Clark
Fork through Alberton Gorge and the Blackfoot feature exciting
whitewater in the mid-to-late summer.
Wyoming float trips on the Snake
River in Grand Teton National Park and float and whitewater trips in
the upper Snake canyons just south of the park attract more than
150,000-200,000 rafters each year.
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