The Main Salmon
The Main Salmon through the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness has been called one of Idaho's classic river trips. It shares the same incredible scenery as the Middle Fork of the Salmon and boasts some of the best camping on the length of the Salmon River. Combine this with class II-IV whitewater, abundant wildlife, one of Idaho's best hot springs, a canyon rich in history; and you get an unforgettable river vacation. The Main Salmon is truly the perfect blend of all these elements, and even in years when other rivers are too low to run, the Main always has plenty of water to float our boats.
We begin our Main Salmon trips at Corn Creek near Salmon, Idaho. We require all participants to arrive the evening before the trip for a brief orientation and to receive river equipment. We typically meet at the Stagecoach Inn motel located on the bank of the Salmon River in Salmon. We offer two different packages for our Main Salmon trips. Our basic package begins with ground shuttles from the Stagecoach Inn to the launch site at Corn Creek the morning of the trip. At the end of the trip we offer ground shuttles back to our office in Riggins or to the McCall Airport. Check out our McCall/Riggins Area Information Page to find out how to book your own transportation or car shuttles at the beginning and end of the trip. Our Air and Lodging package includes air charters from the Boise or McCall Airport to Salmon, lodging the first night in Salmon, as well as air charters from McCall to Boise at the end of your river trip. Both of our packages include: ground shuttles to and from the river launch and take-out; rich and hearty meals beginning with lunch on the first day and ending with lunch on the last day; beverages including bottled water, lemonade, Gatorade, soda, juice and some beer and wine in camp; all basic camping and rafting equipment including roomy 3 person tents for every 2 people, freshly laundered sleeping bags, pillows and sheets, super cushy sleeping pads, wetsuits and splash-gear for early summer trips, and self bailing rafts and inflatable kayaks. We also carry a library with books and interesting articles about the Main Salmon which you can peruse in camp. If you want to unplug and experience the ultimate in relaxation, a river trip is the perfect way to do absolutely nothing. If you are looking for a more active adventure, you can choose to paddle in one of our paddle boats or an inflatable kayak. At the end of the day if you still have energy, you can play beach volleyball, horseshoes, freestyle beach bocce ball, fish, or go for a hike while our guides set up camp and make dinner.
Our meals consist of a wide variety of flavors and dishes including grilled steak, BBQ chicken, and lime cilantro halibut to sizzling fajitas and our famous Dutch-oven lasagna. Each dinner is served with fresh salads and veggies, as well as warm breads and Dutch-oven desserts. We are more than happy to customize our menu to suit your appetite and specialize in vegetarian alternatives.
Our Main Salmon trip is well suited to any age and all abilities. We can comfortably accommodate up to 24 guests with our average trip size around 12. We are always willing to charter an open launch date for a group with a minimum of 10 passengers. Click on our Salmon River Multi-day raft trip page to see pricing. Also, click on the link for info on our Featured Main Salmon River trip of 2008. We will pamper you with lodge stays at 2 of the finest backcountry lodges in Idaho combined with 3 nights on the beach for a great price. We have also included air charters from Boise or McCall to begin and end your trip, this is the finest combination trip possible on the Main.
