The Lower Salmon River rafting trip begins about 50 miles upstream from the mouth of the Salmon. Though not designated as wilderness, it is back country. There are only a few miles of primitive road along this 70-mile section of river. Terrain consists of rugged grassy slopes rising 3000 feet above the river with scattered strands of timber and basalt rimrock, alternating with miles-long granite canyons. Part of this trip is on the Snake River in the lower end of Hells Canyon in western Idaho. White water rafting on the Lower Salmon is similar to the Main Salmon, though rapids are less frequent. Water temperature is warmer for swimming, with beautiful sand beaches. Trout and small mouth bass fishing is good in late summer and early fall, sometimes rivaling other "classic" fly fishing streams White water rafting on the Lower Salmon can begin early in the spring because of the low elevation. During peak of high water and lasting for several weeks in average snow years, river level can be too high for safety. At that time, Slide Rapids is one of the most difficult sections of white water rafting in Idaho. Mid-summer can be very hot. Late summer, when white water rafting in Idaho is winding down, is the best time to be on the Lower Salmon. By Labor Day temperatures are pleasant, and few people are still on the rivers. September trips are Friday thru Monday, so a trip can be a long weekend rather than a major vacation. Because the trip is only four days and shuttle distance is less, the total cost of the trip is less. For people from the northwest whose travel time to the area is moderate, this is an excellent short trip, and a good introduction to Idaho white water rafting trips. It is one of the most under-rated and over-looked of Idaho white water rafting trips.

The Main Salmon River, or the River of No Return, offers excellent Idaho whitewater rafting. You'll enjoy placid pools, magnificent mountain scenery and beautiful sand beaches. Most of the river gorge is timbered, reaching 5000 feet or more to the ridges above. Elevation is moderate, beginning at 3000 feet, so summer temperatures are warm. We float 80 miles in six days. Prospectors began to penetrate this area in the 1860's and 70's, and rugged characters they were. Supplies were infrequent, by wooden sweepboats or pack mules. Winters were long in the canyon, snow and ice-bound. Rafters may stop to examine their decaying cabins and sample fruit from the trees they planted and wonder at a way of life gone forever. Spring trips are on the Main Salmon because of a greater number and variety of big game. Even in summer, you will see bighorn sheep and sometimes deer or bear. With a gradient of 12 feet per mile, rapids are moderate compared to other Idaho whitewater rafting trips, less technical than the Middle Fork, and more frequent than on the Lower Salmon. Even in low water, the Main Salmon provides some of the best whitewater rafting in Idaho. Rafting trips usually include a stop at a hot spring. Guests may do some fishing, but this is not primarily a fishing trip. Water temperature is warmer than the Middle Fork, with more sand beaches, so swimming is a more popular activity than on the Middle Fork. With more beaches, warmer water, and more moderate rapids than the Middle Fork, the Main Salmon is an excellent trip for families with grade school age kids. It is also more suitable for inflatable kayaks. The nicest camps are on the Main Salmon, mostly sandbars. Trips can also be offerd on the Main Salmon with no camping, staying in lodges each night. Because of secure road access and adequate volume of flow, the Main provides the most dependable whitewater rafing in Idaho.

One of the premium Idaho river rafting experiences is rafting Middle Fork Salmon River through the heart of Idaho's back country in the River of No Return Wilderness Area. Salmon River rafting is exciting: you will float 100 miles in six days, dropping 3000 feet in elevation. The gradient of nearly 30 feet per mile offers very good technical white-water. The river grows as it drops, and the canyon changes from lodgepole pine forest to ponderosa pine, to mixed timber and open grassy slopes and finally, in Impassable Canyon, dramatic sheer granite cliffs rising to peaks six to seven thousand feet above the river. This is one of the deepest canyons in Idaho. Rafting is the only access to this part of the Middle Fork Sometimes you will camp at a hot spring and pass several others. You will see deer in the upper sections of the river and bighorn sheep in the lower. The trip begins at nearly 6000 feet elevation, so temperatures are cooler than the Main or Lower Salmon River. Rafting, wildlife and scenery are generally comparable to the Main Salmon, though the scenery does change with the change of elevation. There are more hot springs along the Middle Fork than the Main Salmon River. Rafting is the primary access; no power boats are allowed on the Middle Fork The Middle Fork of the Salmon is often considered the best of Idaho river rafting trips. Group size on the Middle Fork is usually larger than on the Main Salmon River. Rafting groups average about 16 passengers, and can be as large as 24. On pre-season or post-season trips, however, group size is smaller, and Aggipah can arrange charter trips then. For those who prefer to break up five nights of camping, it can arrange to spend a night or two in a truly enjoyable riverside lodge with sheets and showers. There is very good catch-and-release trout fishing available while rafting Middle Fork Salmon, especially later in the season after the water drops. Special fishing trips using McKenzie drift boats or two-person rubber boats can be arranged.

For those with limited time, there are one-day or half-day scenic trips near Salmon. On these trips, you will float through ranch lands with frequent views of the rocky peaks of the Continental Divide. Lewis and Clark, Jim Bridger and Kit Carson traveled along this portion of the Salmon. Whitewater is insignificant on this stretch. Lunch is furnished on full-day trips. These trips are scheduled around wilderness trips.

The most exciting fishing is for steelhead. These 5-15lb. fish have a life history similar to salmon coming into the river from the Pacific. From September through March, water conditions permitting, you can fish for steelhead by the day near Salmon, floating in drift boats through ranch lands with only limited road access You will fish hot-shots from the boat, and stop to cast from the bank for variety. The river is smaller in this area, so fish location can be predicted with more precision than farther downstream. This benefits the fly fisherman in particular Since a drift boat carries only two fishermen, a guide can provide more individual attention than on a boat with larger capacity. This is a very scenic area, with frequent views of the Continental Divide. You may see otter, deer, geese, or bald eagles as you float.