Velvet Falls

Velvet Falls

Gauge Information

River Description

PERMITS: Required at all times and the number of launches are regulated year-round. The heavy-use season is between June 1st and Sept 1st and these launch dates are assigned by the annual lottery. Apply for the annual lottery between December 1st and January 31st each year. Any unassigned, cancelled, or unconfirmed launches can be claimed on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the spring and control season by calling the river office (8 am - 4:30 pm MST, Monday through Friday at 208-879-4101). Launch dates for pre or post-season trips can be requested by calling the river office beginning Oct 1st. These dates are available on a first-come first-serve basis. An alternative to the permit lottery is a commercial trip. A few of the outfitters cater to kayakers and this is a great option if you want to have someone else take care of the details (permit, food, rafts, shuttle, etc.) and just enjoy the river. Check the links to the right for some outfitters who offer this service.

SEASON: As one of the few multi-day trips in the lower 48 with unregulated flows, it's always a challenge to plan your trip and decide what launch dates to request six months in advance. The road to the put-in is generally clear by early June. If it's not, kayakers can paddle in on Marsh Creek and rafts can fly in to a point further downstream. Weather for pre-season trips can be cold but you'll likely have your pick of hot springs as fewer people boat the river. During high snow pack years flows can be dangerously high in the early part of June--many trips have met with disaster in high water years. The greatest demand for permits is always towards the end of June. In low snow years you should still have plenty of water and in high snow years you'll be past the peak. Decent boating opportunities normally persist into July and by August the river is typically pretty low.

LOGISTICS: Trips start out at the Boundary Creek put-in (at the base of Dagger Falls). From Highway 21, take FR 579 about 10 miles, and then bear right on FR 568 which goes another 13 miles to the launch ramp. It's best to arrive the evening before your launch if you want to strategize for the best campsites. For kayak self support trips early in the season you may have to put in on Marsh Creek. In high snow pack years the road to Boundary Creek may not be accessible until early June. Rafts use the Indian Creek airstrip as an alternate access point particularly later in the season when flows are too low for the upper section. The shuttle is 210 miles and takes a full day. Groups often hire someone locally to run the shuttle for them. The take-out is the Cache Bar boat ramp on the mainstem of the Salmon River.

DESCRIPTION: Idaho's Middle Fork of the Salmon is considered by many to be one of the country's premier multi-day whitewater trips. With unregulated flows, remarkable wilderness scenery, numerous hot springs, a native fishery, and great whitewater it's no wonder that anyone who secures a permit in the annual lottery has no trouble finding people who want to go. Most plan for a week-long trip on this federally designated Wild and Scenic River with full raft support, but kayakers have paddled it as a long--and intense--day trip during peak snow melt in the highest water years.

From Dagger Falls the river starts right off with some great continuous whitewater action (at 40' per mile). At moderate flows this section provides some of the best rapids of the trip, but at higher flows it can be a little too much action for inexperienced paddlers. Several groups, especially those with less experienced raft crews, have gotten into serious trouble right away when attempting this section at high water. At low flows this section can be a real pain with rafts. While kayaks can make their way through the shallow boulder gardens, those with rafts should consider flying in to the Indian Creek access downstream when flows begin to drop down to 1200 cfs. Even kayaks may want to use this alternate access at flows below 700 cfs. Velvet Falls, Powerhouse, and Pistol Creek are good rapids that come early in the trip. Once you pass Indian Creek the river eases up (23' per mile from here to the take-out), but you still have good whitewater. The Tappan Rapids and Haystack are highlights of this section. Most of the best whitewater, and some incredible surfing at higher flows, comes near the end in the Impassable Canyon--so named for the fact that there is no land route. The rapids Redside, Weber, and Rubber are all found in this stretch.

The run ends with a four-mile paddle on the main Salmon.