Little Salmon
2. Hazard Creek to Salmon River at Riggins
| Difficulty | III-IV(V) |
| Length | 20 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Little Salmon River at Riggins Id |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 2290 cfsrunnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 8, 2022 |
River Description
This is a great roadside run in the spring with fairly continuous whitewater featuring fun wave trains and some good-sized holes that most will want to avoid. Despite the length, this run can easily be boated in a short day during higher spring flows. Private property lines the bank along most of the run and a number of homes line the banks but the whitewater is great and the logistics are simple.
Amphitheater is a class V rapid that comes within the first two miles of the run and can be scouted at Highway 95 mile 178.4. It can also be easily scouted or portaged at river level on river right.
By the time you get to the highway rest area the action tapers off a bit and is more class III+ but the occasional hole will keep you on your toes. It's fun floating out on to the Salmon River in Riggins. Don't forget to watch for the boat ramp and access on river left that serves as the standard take-out.
Logistics: A good put-in for this section is at Highway 95 mile 176.5 where Hazard Creek joins the Little Salmon and increases the flow. Cross the bridge to river right and use the access at the confluence. A midway access point is available at the rest area at Highway 95 mile 188.9; the whitewater below this point is slightly easier. The take-out is on the Salmon River at the park on river left in Riggins (towards the north end of town) at Highway 95 mile 195.7. Although much of the shoreline along this run is private property there are a few points where you can access the river if you want to shorten the run.
River Features
Hazard Creek Confluence Put In
Access the river on river right just upstream of the Hazard Creek confluence and below the Highway 95 Bridge at mile 176.5 where Hazard Creek joins the Little Salmon and increases the flow. You can also head upstream on Hazard Creek and paddle that.
Amphitheater
Amphitheater is a class V rapid and the most significant rapid on the run. It can be scouted at Highway 95 mile 178.4. It can also be easily scouted or portaged at river level on river right.
Rest Area - alternate access point
Access on river right at the rest area on Highway 95 at mile 188.9. The whitewater is a bit easier from this point down to the Salmon River.
Riggins City Park Take Out
If boating the entire river, the Riggins City Park on the Main Salmon is the best access. The park is on river left at Highway 95 mile 195.7 and recognized by the historic wooden scow, used for one-way trips down the river, that marks the entrance to the park. A ramp provides access to the river.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportAccess point photos on the drive along Highway 95.
All clean and good to go at 2200 cfs. Several big holes to avoid particularly in the first half of the run, but experienced class IV boaters should be able to boat scout it. Take a look at Amphitheater. The river was very continuous at this level. Despite the length of this 20+ mile run, we were able to boat from Hazard Creek to the Main in under 4 hours--it moves fast. When you get to the Main, stay alert for the take-out which comes up quick on river left.
approx 2100 cfs
approx 2100 cfs
At 4,500 cfs Amphitheatre is pretty much washed out. The rest of the run is amazingly fun continuous big water. Check it out early spring.
This drop partially washed out in December '96, so it's not the killer hole of death that it is described as in the older guidebooks. It's a lot like Iron Ring on the Upper Gauley. Watch out for the pourover downstream and the tree. The nastiest rapid is downstream a short distance where two big offset holes and a pourover guard a line a little wider than a canoe. I'm not sure about the distance, but when a 20 mile run takes 2 hours, all distances seem shorter than they really are. This all mellows out considerably below 3000cfs.