Why Choose River Time Guide Service For Your Salmon River Rafting Trip?

your dream vacation

River Time Guide Service offers the most complete Salmon river rafting trips available.

please consider all that we provide:

It is Your Trip Not Ours.
We have been running the Main Salmon river for years and believe that the best trip is the trip you desire. We provide a foundation of safety and seamless logistic, and have a wealth of knowledge about the the Salmon river. From there we create the trip you want, adjusting our style to your wants and needs rather than asking you to fit into our agenda. Among many things can include providing for specific meal request, stopping for extended side canyon hikes, camping near good fishing holes and so on.

Smaller Group Size
Typically, our Salmon River rafting trips are limited to 12 guests and four guides. We have the ability to take more at select times during the season, but we generally prefer to keep group sizes reasonable in order to maximize your wilderness experience.

At Least Two Boats and Two Guides Per Trip
On all of Salmon River rafting trips we always have at least two licensed guides on the water. We believe that the safest possible trip starts with appropriate staffing and that just one guide on the water is not as effective as two or more. Therefore, we always have at least two boats and two guides on each trip.

Full Safety Orientation and Gear
Before each Salmon River rafting trip we provide a thorough safety and instructional presentation. For example, as part of our full safety gear ensemble each client that paddles in the inflatable kayaks are provided with helmets. We also provide wetsuits and paddle jackets free of charge when needed.

A Variety of Trip Options
With River Time Guide Service you can choose between different trip lengths and styles. We also offer on our trips opportunities to paddle in rafts and inflatable kayaks and to just enjoy the ride in an oar boat.

Personable Guest to Guide Ratio
We run Salmon River rafting trips with one guide for every three to four guests, a ratio that we feel enhances each guest's experience in terms of safety, comfort, and good company!

River Difficulty
The Salmon is a class III-III+ river. Each day on the river we run playful and moderately challenging rapids that are ideal for first time rafters, experienced river runners, families with children of all ages, and others. Certain days are more rapid-filled than others, and there are many long and peaceful calms with scenery that has been described as the most beautiful on earth.

River Difficulty Scale: Class I is flat water and Class VI is unrunnably difficult. Class II has current with small waves and some obstacles. Class III rapids are fun and thrilling, ideal for first-time and experienced rafters. Class IV whitewater is great for experienced rafters and reasonable for fit first-timers who have had some warm-up in class III. Class V is very difficult and for experienced river rafters.

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Our Main Salmon river rafting trips begin in Salmon, Idaho, and end in McCall, Idaho. The trips are 4, 5 or 6 days in length and approximately 81 miles long. We put in at Corn Creek and take out at Vinegar Creek on 6 day trips. On 4 & 5 day trips clients are flown off the river from Mackay Bar. Transportation from Boise to Salmon and McCall back to Boise via air charter, or shuttle of your car to McCall is included in the price. All river and camping gear and gourmet meals (from lunch on the first day through lunch on the last day) are also included.

Please plan to arrive in Salmon before 1:00 pm on the day before your trip.

Meeting Place: Salmon Airport in Salmon, Idaho. Meeting Time: 1:00 pm the day before your trip start date.
Trip Departure: 9:00 am the first day of your trip.
Trip Conclusion: We arrive in McCall by early evening the last day of your trip. From McCall you can either fly back to Boise or back to Salmon. For those of you flying off river you will be returned back to your starting destination around 5:00 pm on the last day of your trip.

Trip Departure:
Our shuttle vehicle will be ready for you and your gear at the Salmon airport at 1:00 pm. The shuttle rig will depart at 1:30 pm taking guest to the Salmon River Lodge at Corn Creek. En route we will stop at a convenience store for last minute personal supplies, fishing licenses, and to use the bathroom. The drive from Salmon to the lodge takes approximately 2.5 scenery-filled hours, over both asphalt and dirt roads. Once we arrive at Corn Creek a jet boat will take guest across river to the lodge. Where guest will be checked into rooms that evening. Dinner will be served that evening along with breakfast the following morning prior to launching on the river.

Pre-Trip Meeting
We will meet you at 7:00 pm at the seating area located inside the lodge. The evening before your river trip start date. You will meet your trip leader who will give you a thorough presentation of the fun that lies ahead. He or she will also distribute sleeping bags and waterproof "dry" bags in which you should put all of your personal gear and your sleeping bag. You will also get a "day" dry bag in which to put items that you will want as we float down the river. Tents, camp chairs, and sleeping pads will already be packed on the rafts and will be available to you on the river after the first day of rafting.

This pre-trip meeting is a great time to ask any questions or have addressed any last-minute concerns you may have. However, it is important to communicate with the River Time Guide Service office well before your trip any special needs or wishes you have for the trip. After the meeting we ask that you put your personal gear in your dry bags so they are ready in the morning.

Note: The below itinerary describes a camp trip. For lodge trips, instead of camping we pull ashore near the lodge, walk the short distance to it, and then enjoy creature comforts in the middle of nowhere until we shove off the following morning.

Day One:
Breakfast will be served at 7:00 am at the lodge. Once you have completed breakfast you will be asked to set your dry bags in front of your room by 8:30 am. Where they will be picked up and taken to be loaded onto the gear boats. At this time we also ask that you proceed down to the launch site. Everyone will then participate in a thorough instructional and safety presentation, and head off down the Salmon river! On the river the first day we encounter several exciting rapids, such as Killum and Gunbarrel. These rapids feature smaller roller coaster waves that are fun and help get everyone used to the rapids, and ready for more whitewater action. We stop for lunch in the early afternoon, and reach camp late in the afternoon after more great rafting. This evening the tents and sleeping pads are distributed and the guides help you with the set up of your personal camping gear. They will also set up and explain the "bathroom" system. Happy hour snacks and beverages lead the way into a night of great food, camp fires, camaraderie, star watching, and more.

Subsequent Days
(The number of days varies according to your trip length):
Each day on the Salmon River rafting trip follows a similar routine although no two days are alike. Breakfast, a multi-course affair with hot cowboy coffee, is served as the sun creeps into the canyon. After breaking camp and loading the rafts we run bigger and bigger rapids and float enchanting calms. Depending on the day we may visit Native American pictographs, sit in a natural hot springs pool, visit Buckskin Bill's compound, and run rapids such as Elkhorn, Bailey Falls, Chittam, Salmon Falls, and on and on. The Salmon river and canyon is blessed with myriad things for rafters to see and do, and we take in as much as humanly possible! Lunch is set up each early afternoon, designed to fuel your system in gourmet deli style. In the late afternoon we set up camp in a beautiful and secluded wild place, on either a spectacular white sand beach or a tranquil forest glade. The early evening hours provide time to fish, hike, read a book, enjoy happy hour snacks and beverages, or take a nap. Dinner, in all of its glory, is presented each evening with style and flair. You will eat to your stomach's content meals that have been labeled as the finest outdoor cuisine imaginable. Each night a campfire will warm your toes and the sound of the river will lull you to sleep.

Final Day:
After another tasty Salmon river breakfast we break camp, rig the rafts, and head through some great rapids and inspiring calms. Lunch is served just a short distance above the take-out point on our 6 day trips. Our shuttle vehicle meets us at the take-out in the early afternoon. Here we say good-bye to the river and head to the town of McCall, Idaho, which is approximately 1.5 hours from the the take-out. Once in McCall you are taken to your hotel or the airport, depending on your post trip schedule. Those of you who choose a 4 or 5 day trip will be served lunch just above Mackay Bar on the last day of your trip. You will then take a charter flight from Mackay Bar that day around 3:30pm back to Boise, McCall or Salmon, Idaho

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By Air:
Boise, Idaho, has the nearest commercial airport with services by major airlines. If you are traveling from the east coast, it is more than likely that you will need to stay in Boise the night prior to taking a charter flight to Salmon, Idaho, In order to be in Salmon Idaho by 1:00 pm. the day prior to your trip. Plan to leave out of Boise early evening on the last day after your trip. We will arrange for a charter plane to take you from Boise to the town of Salmon. And after your trip will arrange your charter flight back to Boise, McCall or Salmon Idaho. These fares are included in the price. www.mccallaviation.com

By Car:
From the South: From Twin Falls, Idaho, follow Route 75 north through Sun Valley/Ketchum and Stanley to Highway 93. Follow 93 north to Salmon.
From the West: Take Highway 21 to route 75. Follow 75 north to Highway 93, and 93 north into Salmon.
From the North and East: Take Highway 93 south from Missoula into Salmon.
Shuttle Service

Where To Stay
We recommend the following hotels for before and after your trip:

In Boise, Idaho:
The Best-Western Vista (800) 727-5006 Ask for the IOGA rate

In Salmon, Idaho:
Stagecoach Inn (208) 756-4251 - Meeting Place Map Salmon Idaho

In McCall, Idaho:
Super 8 (208) 634-4637 or
American Inn (866) 543-6922

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No Experience Required
First timers, families, friends, experienced rafters, and independent and mature travelers are welcome and thrive on our Salmon river rafting trips. No previous experience is necessary. In fact, this trip has again and again proven to be just right for those on their first wilderness rafting adventure. Our minimum age is 6, except for high water trips, in which case the minimum age is 12. The maximum age is up to you! Your guides will gladly help with any aspect of our trip that is new for you, whether that means setting up a new tent or learning to paddle.

Participant Fitness And Activity Levels
River Time Guide Service trips are created with fun, curious, and nature-loving adventurers in mind. Our Salmon river rafting trip is ideal for those with a zest for the outdoors, moderate adventures, and self-determined activity levels. While you should be fit and in good health for this trip, you need not be a honed athlete. First timers, families, friends, experienced rafters, and independent and mature travelers are welcome and thrive on our Salmon River Journeys.

Weather
The Salmon River Journey begins at an elevation of approximately 3,000 feet. May and early June can be cool with temperatures in the 50's to 80's during the day and colder at night. Temperatures in July, August and early September are typically in the 80's and 90's during the day with warm evenings in the 60's. Of course, mountain storms can occur any time and weather in any river canyon can be unpredictable. Therefore, it is important to closely follow the gear packing list that we provide in the trip confirmation packet.

Equipment
River Time Guide Service provides lifejackets, waterproof bags, camp chairs, eating utensils and a cup and plate. For all Salmon trips we also provide sleeping bags, pads, tents, and, when necessary, wetsuits. In addition, on Salmon trips we provide inflatable kayaks and/or solo-cats for the adventurous paddlers. A complete list of what you should bring will be sent to you after we receive your reservation and deposit.

Camps
We camp along the river in pristine wilderness, usually on expansive sandy beaches or isolated forest glades. In the case of rain, tarps are set up over communal eating and sitting areas. We also carry EZ-Up shade tents that we quickly set up for comfort at lunch on hot summer days. We proudly practice minimum-impact camping and carry out all trash.

Bathrooms and Showers
River Time Guide Service is proud to provide private bathroom and shower cabanas (we call them "huts") on all of our Salmon trips. These huts are set up in convenient and private locations. The shower hut features hot water that pours from a thermal bag that is securely nestled above your head. Soap holders and towel racks compliment this incredibly sophisticated camp shower system. For the toilet hut we carry a portable metal box chemical toilet (similar to motorhome toilets) that is set up each evening in a private and scenic spot away from the heart of the camping area. A system that will be explained by your guides allows for all campers to know when the shower and toilet is in use. Our guests are consistently impressed with and appreciative of the deluxe River Time Guide Service hygiene systems.

Fishing
Fishing on the Salmon river is generally good. We will gladly carry on the gear rafts any personal fishing gear you want to bring. Depending on the season, anglers may land whitefish, rainbow trout, and steelhead (which must be released during the summer months). Although salmon are spotted on the river during the summer, they are considered endangered. Therefore, it is against the law to fish for Sockeye or Chinook salmon. Idaho requires you to have a fishing license if you intend to fish during your visit. Your guide can help you obtain a license at the rendezvous.

Meals and Beverages
We serve gourmet meals prepared with fresh ingredients. We also provide a variety of beverages with each meal. Each afternoon we set up happy hour snacks and beverages. We are also happy to prepare certain foods that you may want or need (including birthday or anniversary cakes). Please let us know if you have special dietary concerns, and we will plan and cook accordingly.

Gratuities
It is common to tip wilderness guides on adventure trips. It is not expected, but always appreciated. If you are happy with your trip please let us and your guide(s) know. Thanks!

Itinerary Changes
While we do everything possible to follow the itineraries in this packet we may be forced to adjust trips due to reasons beyond our control. Therefore, these itineraries are subject to change.

References
Many of our past trip members have offered to speak with folks who are considering our trips. We know we could blow our own horn until we are blue in the face about the great time we feel you would have on our trips. So, we invite you to contact us for a list of clients who have participated on River Time Guide Service trips and we'll let them do the talking!

River Time Guide Service Guides
The pride of our outfit, our guides bring a wealth of talent and experience to each trip we run. River Time Guide Service guides (and they are our guides, not subcontracted outfitters) have years and years of experience leading trips in the U.S. and abroad. Each is licensed in first-aid and CPR. Furthermore, they create an environment that fosters camaraderie and positive experiences. Simply put, they care about what it is that YOU want from YOUR TRIP and do everything possible to make that happen! We are confident that you will find your guides to be one of the highlights of the adventure.

Suggested Salmon River Reading

1. John Carey and Cort Conley, River of No Return, Backeddy Books.
2. Cort Conley, ed., Gathered Waters: An Anthology of River Poems, Backeddy Books.
3. Bernard DeVoto, editor, Journals of Lewis and Clark, Houghton Mifflin.
4. Mark Herbert Brown, The Flight of the Nez Perce, G.P. Putnam & Sons.