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The Middle Fork of the Salmon River, located in the heart of the River of No Return Wilderness, is considered the ultimate alpine wilderness rafting and paddling trip in North America. It is one of three sections of the Salmon River that are commonly rafted or kayaked. Most people choose to explore the Middle Fork of the Salmon River on a whitewater rafting trip, or a kayak adventure, floating over a period of six to eight days.
This website is designed to help give you a better vision of the wonder of the Middle Fork of the Salmon whether you are an experienced rafter or kayaker or are just interested in learning more about the river.
There have been whitewater rafting companies offering trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon since the 1950’s. Today about half the people that float the river go with a rafting company and the other half are private boaters with the skill and equipment do run the river on their own. A permit from the United States Forest Service is required in order to raft, kayak or in any way float the Middle Fork of the Salmon. If you have significant river running experience then you can enter a lottery drawing for a permit and organize a private boat trip. If you have less river experience or don’t own all the equipment required for a rafting trip; or if you prefer to have a guarantee that you can go on a trip on a specific date and enjoy having logistics taken care of, you may choose to see the Middle Fork of the Salmon with a professional outfitter.