Salt

Apache Falls is a large nearly unrunnable waterfall ledge above the put in for the Salt Canyon run. Running the ledge is illegal.

Island Rapid is a wave train with holes. Unless the river is above 1200 cfs it is best to avoid this rapid by using the normal access point at First Campground which is just downstream of this rapid.

Most boaters use this access point for the put in located on river right just downstream of the Highway 60 Bridge. There are separate launch areas for public use and outfitter use. This is a good place to camp the night before your trip. A small class II rapid, Kiss & Tell, is immediately downstream.

Short drop over a cobble bar just downstream of the put in.

Short drop over a gravel bar where careful route selection is important at low water to avoid getting stuck.

An island divides the flow. The deepest channel is on river right.

A wave train with a big hole on river left.

A big boulder in the center of the channel. The main line is around the right.

A shallow shoal on river left that is best run down a chute to the far right bank.

This is a designated primitive campground managed by the White Mountain Apache Tribe. It is popular with outfitters during the rafting season for those doing day trips.

A big wave train with some great play waves .

This river access point sometimes washes out when Cibecue Creek floods.

Rapid formed by the outwash from Cibecue Rapid.

The river splits around islands with most of the flow going around to river right.

Some boulders to avoid particularly at lower flows.

A rock strewn wave train with occasional play holes.

Unimproved access near the end of the day trip section.

Unimproved river access and the last option at the end of the day trip section.

A cobble bar pushes most of the flow to the right. The Salt Banks are at the bottom of the rapid on river right where water coming in is very saline forming impressive salt deposits.

Ledges rapid is formed when the river flows over several low angle quartzite ledges. This rapid has some of the best play waves and holes on almost any river.

Stay clear of the hydraulic on river left where the river flows over a rock ledge.

A number of rocks and features to navigate your way through the 'garden.'

A cobble bar rapid that is just above Rat Trap.

A long rapid with big exploding waves and large holes. Rat Trap marks the start of a micro canyon of polished granite. The next 5 miles are reminiscent of California whitewater.

Polished boulers, boiling eddies, irreglar waves and holes are common for the next few miles.

Canyon Creek flows into the Salt on river right. This creek can be boated at higher flows. It is a good option for a lunch stop and hike up the drainage.

Just past the confluence of Canyon Creek, Granite Rapid is probably the largest rapid in the microgorge and marks the final drop before Gleason Flat.

Gleason Rapid is a minor rapid just upstream of South Gleason River Access. This intermediate access point can be reached by a four-wheel drive access road that enters the canyon off Forest Road 303B. From this point downstream, wilderness permits from the Forest Service are required.

The Salt enters another granite microgorge and is pinched down as it flows over a ledge with a powerful hole. Scout on river left.

Black Rock is the final rapid in a small micro gorge. The Salt is choked with sharp boulders and drops over some ledges and the preferred line is not readily apparent as the river disappears around the corner to the right. The line changes at different flows, particularly because there are rocks in the water after the ledge that can be partially covered. With enough flow, rafts will typically run river right near a 6' pourover. Kayaks and packrafts have different lines depending on the flow, either dropping off a ledge or following the tongue and punching through the hole river left. Watch out for the boiling froth and then the current pushing hard left up against an undercut rock immediately after the rapid. Rafts scout from far upstream river right, kayaks scout river left.

The Salt is split by a huge boulder. Most rafts must run right but hard boats can run slots down the left.

Easy rapid with some boulders and cobbles.

A wave train with a huge hole in the center at higher flows. This rapid marks the transition between White Mountain Apache Tribal Lands on river right to the Tonto National Forest.

Pinball has everything from large waves and holes to boiling eddies. Don't swim here or you could wash into Maze, a dangerous rapid.

Maze is a complex rapid that starts with a pair of big holes on river left and then snakes around a corner toward the right to feed a narrow canyon with boiling eddies. This is not a fun rapid to swim or flip a raft.

Quartzite Falls was once the bane of Salt raft trips, a challenging class V rapid. At almost all flows it involved a half day portage and difficult rope work. Those days are gone becuase the falls, as they existed, were destroyed with dyanamite that was used to blow the lower lip off the falls. The rapid is now an easier class IV rapid with a small but shallow hole at the base on river right that can still flip a loaded raft. This once infamous rapid is still one of the 'big drops' on the Salt. The traditional scout is reached by stopping well upstream of the rapid and hiking up to the ridge on river left. It's hard to get a good perspective on the drop from this view. Depending on flows, those with good boat control and eddy catching skills can also potentially land just above the drop on river right. A run down the left is possible but a standard line is center right. If you do this line you need to pivot your boat to square up to the lateral that comes in from the right. This lateral can easily flip a loaded raft and you have a short recovery pool before you reach Corkscrew which is another class IV drop just downstream.

Corkscrew is still one of the biggest rapids on the Salt. This complicated wave train has huge hole and exploding waves. A swim here can be long and rafts can flip here at higher water. Often boaters forget about Corkscrew in the excitiment of Quartzite Falls. Portage from river left.

An easy line down the right once you pass the hole near the top on the right.

Cliffhanger is an easy shoal with a huge rock in the main flow. The eddy on river left near the big boulder is very difficult to escape in a raft.

A nice side hike with clean clear water on river right.

This is a straightfoward gravel bar rapid as the river bends around to the right. It serves as an alternate access point and the launching spot for tubers during the summer.

A minor riffle and the end of the whitewater.

Coon Creek is a fun side hike with opportunities for exploration. If you have a few hours you can hike up and over the ridge and then down Dry Creek and Chalk Creek.

Take out on river left just donwstream of the bridge. A nice ramp provides access to the river.

This 3 foot dam creates a lethal hole. Take out at the bridge before this artificial drop.