The first outfitters to offer rafting trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon got there start in the early 1950's. After World War II there were surplus rubber rafts for sale at reasonable prices and these were the vessel of choice for the first companies. Around 1974 many rivers in the United States became popular enough that resource management agencies were concerned about negative impacts to the rivers and camping areas. Thus, on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, the United States Forest Service created a management plan and began to issue permits to outfitters. These are limited in number and today any professional rafting company must have not only the USFS permit, but also a license from the State of Idaho. The Middle Fork has a particularly rich legacy of guides and outfitters and every company offers a slightly different trip.
If you're considering a trip with an outfitter, here are some questions you might ask:
1) How many years has your company been in business?
2) How many years has your company been running trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River?
3) How many years experience, on average, do your guides have?
4) Do you offer any specialized training for your guides in terms of the cultural and natural history of the river?
5) What sort of environmental ethic does your company have? Do you adhere to Leave No Trace practices?
6) Do you have a cargo raft that travels ahead of the group to set up camp?
7) Where does the trip start and end and is there commercial air service to that point?
8) Do you provide all beverages on the trip? What sorts of meals should I expect?
Rafting Trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River
Middle Fork Salmon Rafting - Idaho's legendary Middle Fork of the Salmon River is an iconic whitewater rafting trip. Bounce along through more than 100 rapids over the 105-mile stretch of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.
Middle Fork Salmon Raft Companies:
ROW Adventures
ROW Adventures has been operating trips on the Salmon River since 1982. We created this website to be a useful resource for people considering a trip on the Salmon, whether with an outfitter or on their own. The focus on cultural and natural history is a reflection on one of the key values we have, which is to create life-enriching travel experiences. There are any number of rafting companies that can get you safely down a river. There are few who have guides that are trained and knowledgeable about the stories of the rivers and canyons. Guides who can explain the geology, identify and talk about the birds or other wildlife you'll see, help you find constellations at night and connect you with the resource in a way that is meaningful and personally relevant.
ROW Adventures was started in 1979 offering trips in eastern Oregon. A couple of years later they expanded into Idaho and in 1989 began operations on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. Now, with over 20 years experience on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, they run between 10 and 12 trips each season. Trips are generally six days in length.
We built this particular website because there simply was not much information on the web about the Middle Fork of the Salmon and particularly about the cultural and natural history of the river. We believe that any river trip is much richer when you travel with guides who have a solid knowledge about this and are able to share it in a way that is meaningful and personally relevant to people. Thus we make a point of providing the training and skills needed to make this an important part of every trip. Our guides are thankful that there are several great books about the Middle Fork and it truly has one of the richest treasure trove of history and stories of any river in the world. Not only the diverse natural history, but also stories of Native Peoples, the Shoshone, early miners and the homestead era.
We believe in sustainable, authentic and responsible travel ethics and these are a key distinguishing factor that has led ROW Adventures to be named by National Geographic Adventure Magazine as one of the "Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth." ROW Adventures' guides are trained as Certified Interpretive Guides by the National Association of Interpretation. No other rafting company in the world requires this kind of training for their guides. This training is key to being able to effectively share their knowledge of the cultural and natural history of Idaho's rivers. This specialized knowledge, coupled with an emphasis on providing a high level of guest service and excellent all-around guiding skills, make ROW Adventures' guides some of the best in the world of adventure travel.
More: