Selway, ID

The Gorge

The Gorge
Photo by Kevin Colburn taken 6/10/06 @ 8 ft at lowell

River Description

PERMITS: Required between May 15th and July 31st. 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 406-821-3269). Launches are designated to 1 per day and a maximum party size of 16 (62 total launches are available for private groups and 16 are reserved for commercial outfitters).

SEASON: Most dependable flows typically occur during late June. Snow often prevents access through May, peak snow melt in early June may make the river dangerously high, and flows are often too low by mid-July. Those looking to access the river before the control season may be able to do so by hiring transport by snowmobile. Flying in to Shearer airstrip, 15 miles downstream from the put-in, is also a possibility.

DESCRIPTION:
The Selway River is a designated Wild and Scenic River flowing through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area. It is considered by many to be one of North America's premiere wilderness whitewater trips and groups typically spend 3-5 days on this 47 mile run.

The classic drops include Ham, Double Drop, Ladel, and Little Niagra.