
81 miles through the Frank Church
Main Salmon River, ID
The River of No Return runs 81 miles through the largest wilderness in the Lower 48. White sand beaches, hot springs, homesteads and big Class III waves, with zero bars and a billion stars.
RIVER TRIPS & ACTIVITIES
An Idaho must-do, six days through the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, full of history.
Row your own boat down the Main Salmon. We have the permit, and we handle the cooking and camp logistics.
More miles of the Salmon than any other trip, from the River of No Return to the Lower Salmon, fully guided.
Row your own boat from Corn Creek to Heller Bar, with our guides leading the lines, cooking every meal and a restock in Riggins.
Main Salmon River, ID
The Main Salmon is the River of No Return, 81 miles from Corn Creek through the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, the largest wilderness area in the Lower 48. No roads, no cell service, and some of the best beach camps in the West.
The river
Class III rapids like Killum, Alder Creek and Devils Teeth, with the occasional Class IV depending on flow, separated by long, easy floats. Expect white sand beaches, hot springs, homesteader cabins at Lance Bar, and bighorn sheep, deer and black bears along the banks.
Trips on the Main Salmon
Orange Torpedo Trips runs the 6-Day River of No Return, fully guided with a charter flight from McCall to Salmon, and the 6-Day Row Your Own for groups that want to run their own boats with our guides along. The 13-Day Full Salmon trips launch here too and carry on through the Riggins stretch and the Lower Salmon.
When to go
Trips run late June through September. Late June and early July bring the biggest waves. August brings warmer water and mellower rapids.
Getting there
Guided Main Salmon trips start at our Riggins shop, 1512 North Main Street. We shuttle you to McCall for the 1-hour flight to Salmon, Idaho, then on to the Corn Creek boat ramp, where your guides are rigged and waiting. Pack to the duffel for the small-plane flight. Every Idaho trip runs on Mountain Time.
