Rafting the Main Salmon River

The Salmon River has no cities, roads, or phones only mountains, forest and streams. The River of No Return is one of Idaho's premier stretch whitewater.

A River Journey….discover the freedom of traveling by river. Enter the Salmon River Canyon where you move at the river's pace and leave the rest of the world behind. With its free-flowing and friendly whitewater, the Main Salmon is the perfect vacation. Check out our specialty trips for this year. Lewis & Clark Trail Adventures is the only Salmon River outfitter based in Missoula, MT. Missoula is easy to get to, flying or driving. Basing your vacation in Missoula puts you in the adventure zone. Other destinations like the Lolo Trail, Lochsa River, Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness are within a short drive from Missoula.

The Canyon….the Salmon River carves out the second deepest canyon in North America. During spring run-off this free flowing river deposits vast white sand beaches which make camp just as fun as the river! Enjoy a soak in Barth Natural Hot Springs, trip highlight.

After a fun-filled day on the river, hike the ridgelines for a view of the canyon, fish the plentiful tributaries or relax under the shade of a giant ponderosa pine with a book and a cold beverage.

Choose your craft on the River…. Relax and watch for wildlife on an oar boat, paddle with a team on one of our self-bailing rafts, or jump in an inflatable kayak for a more adventurous ride.

Main Salmon Whitewater Workshop LCTA Crew

The Crew…..Our Salmon River guides have years of experience on whitewater rivers all over the North America, love the outdoors and to share their knowledge of the history, geology and wildlife of Salmon River country. We pride ourselves in our attention to detail in all aspects of your journey….. River and camp safety, teaching you river running and outdoor skills and our amazing camp cuisine. As you travel day to day with our crew you will feel more like part of the LCTA family and less like a guest. Most of all, we like to have fun and we'll do our best to make sure you do to!

Launch dates remain the same from year to year. Trips can be shortened to a 3-5 day trip by flying out at Mackay Bar Wilderness Lodge or Jet Boat. Wilderness Lodge stays can be arranged any night on the river. Call us for rates.

Typical Itinerary

Pre-trip: Arrive Missoula no later than afternoon. Pre-trip meeting at our office 912 E.Broadway 6pm.

Day 1 (Launch Date): Depart from our office at 7:00am. Drive to Corn Creek Put-in via the scenic Bitterroot Valley & over Lost Trail Pass. Lunch served along the way. Arrive Corn Creek around 12:30 load boats and have river briefing. Start floating around 1:30.

From there we will be covering about 90 miles of river. The first day and last day are usually shorter mileage. The rest is split fairly evenly between the days in the middle. The more days on the river, the more time for river and camp activities.A typical day on the river: Coffee at 7am, Breakfast at 8am, Depart camp around 10am, Lunch on the river with possible stops for rapids and/or historical & geological sites. Arrive camp around 3-4pm, Appetizers at 5-6pm with dinner around 7-8pm. Camp activities may include hiking, fishing, swimming, volleyball, horse-shoes, relaxing in the shade with cold drink.

Last Day: Arrive at Take-out around 11am and have lunch while loading van. Drive back to Missoula via Riggins, Grangeville & Lochsa River. Arrive in Missoula around 6pm.

What we provide
Guided whitewater rafting and hiking from camp
All necessary river equipment-Coast Guard approved life jackets, helmets for kayakers, paddles and Dry bag for personal items (24"x 40" when sealed)
Camping equipment-2 person dome tents, deluxe self-inflating sleeping pads, camp chair and coffee mug
Transportation To and From Missoula, MT…..maps
All trips depart from LCTA Headquarters at 912 E. Broadway in Missoula, MT
All meals starting with day-1 lunch and ending with day-3 lunch. Gourmet camp cuisine. Sample Menu
See recommended gear list, reading & lodging for pre-trip preparations

Our prices are usually lower than the industry average because we opt to drive the shuttle based out of Missoula, MT. To save some time an air shuttles can be charted for approx. $200-$250 per person.

* Prices do not include US Forest Service Fee Demo $5.00 per day per person