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Best Idaho Trips

3K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  Whetstone 
#1 ·
Alright everyone, so I'm sort of a noob to rafting and my friends and I are looking to get more involved in it and go on a multi-day trip in Idaho next year. I've done some on the Payette before, and this year we did a lot on the Green in Utah. We also just got back from a Westwater trip where we all realized we had a growing addiction to running rivers. What are your favorite trips in Idaho that we could run with some limited experience?
 
#4 ·
The Salmon I think is one of our top choices if we could get a permit. How's the whitewater? Like you said I think we could handle lower but how would the middle fork/main be with limited experience? Our other option I guess is Hell's Canyon maybe for something that long?
 
#6 ·
You mentioned the Green, Payatte, and Westwater. Were you rafting or kayaking? If you were rafting, were you rowing, or a passenger? This info will help with recommendations. If you rowed Westwater and some of the Payette, then you should be fine on the Main Salmon. It's class III - III+ depending on water level/time of year. The MS was my step-up river trip when I was starting out. The Middle Fork is another level step-up. More remote, more difficult rapids at various levels, more technical rowing overall. Both are 6-8 day trips depending on water level & your schedule. Both are fantastic trips. The Main Salmon is a better family trip with kids. You can definitely get into trouble on both, but much more so on the Middle Fork. Both require permits that are obtained by lottery in the winter/spring.

Another fun family trip that's closer would be Deso. Also requires a permit. Class II-III and 5-7 day trip. Can get really "buggy" from mid-May into June with mosquito hatches, but that's usually when the water level is at it's best.

Good luck and welcome to the river addiction. Prepare to empty your wallet, but have the time of your life!
 
#7 ·
We were rafting on all those rivers. I guided paddle boats on all but Westy, which is where I rowed (probably not the best decision for a noob but it was ok.) I'm heading back up to the Payette next weekend for some more rowing experience so we'll see where I get with that. I guess I'll just have my buddies and I put in for the lottery and see what we can get. If it's middle fork I guess that just gives me an excuse to get some more experience before we run it :) Thanks for the advice everyone!
 
#8 ·
Hit the Main Payette (Banks to Beehive) and the Cabarton run, then maybe some of the Southfork? If you have time, you could head up to Riggins and run the Main Salmon from Carey Creek or Vinegar Creek down to Riggins. No permit needed for that section. It's got the road along it, and daily commercial traffic, but now that school is in, you might have less people on the river. There's great beaches to camp on along that stretch. We added an extra day to our Main Salmon trip a few years ago by taking out at Spring Bar, and it was a really nice last day. That will give you a taste of the Main Salmon. If you put-in at the Vinegar ramp, you get to run Vinegar rapid, which can be a pisser at any level. For the Middle Fork, you need to work on quicker technical water moves.....like you probably had on WW at lower flows?
Have fun on the Payette.
 
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