Main Salmon River Rafting on the River of No Return

Highlights

  • Exciting Class III rapids and a wide selection of boat types

  • Gorgeous scenery & abundant wildlife

  • Natural hot spring and sandy beaches

  • Native American rock art

  • Riverside catered camping

  • Sunset Magazine’s “Best Guided Outdoor Trip” of 2015

Summary

Idaho’s idyllic Main Salmon River is the quintessential Western river trip featuring fun rapids, gorgeous campsites, and great fishing. There’s a reason Sunset magazine named it the “Best Guided Outdoor Trip.”


Tour info

Duration
6 days
Group Size
Pricing (From)
2699: (18-64 years)
$2,699.00
Commentary
Meeting Point
Dropoff location

Why take this tour?

Idaho’s idyllic Main Salmon River is the quintessential Western river trip featuring fun rapids, gorgeous campsites, and great fishing. There’s a reason Sunset magazine named it the “Best Guided Outdoor Trip.”

Featuring miles upon miles of protected wilderness where little has changed since first appearing on the U.S. map, the Wild & Scenic Main Salmon River in Idaho offers a rich river experience including free-flowing Class III Idaho whitewater that’s great for any age and experience level. This Idaho rafting adventure includes big sandy beaches perfect for camping and playing, beautiful mountain scenery, abundant wildlife, and a natural hot spring. 

On the Main Salmon River, we run the full gamut of OARS river vessels so you can experience them all! Riding in an oar boat one day and a wooden dory the next, then challenging the whitewater hands-on in a paddle raft or inflatable kayak, ensures a diverse and exciting Idaho river adventure for each member of your party. Dubbed the “River of No Return” by early prospectors, the Salmon River is a river you’ll want to return to raft, again and again.

What’s included?

  • Skilled professional guide service

  • All meals and expedition equipment

  • Transfer from Salmon to the river, and from the river to McCall

  • Pre- and post-trip accommodations and meals

  • Insurance of any kind, including a travel protection plan

  • Gratuities

Things to know

Before you book

  • $400 - $800 deposit per person required

  • Minimum age - 12 yrs

  • Read cancellation policy

Before you go

  • Moderate physical capabilities needed

  • Watch the whitewater orientation video

  • Must complete trip forms before launch

Cancellation Policy

    Reservations and Payments An $800/person deposit is required at the time of booking with final payment due 90 days before departure. Accounts on which final payment has not been received 80 days before the departure date will be canceled. Payments can be made by check, money order, eCheck, wire transfer, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover. Prices are in US Dollars, and all payments must be made in US Dollars. Payment of the deposit establishes your acceptance of our complete Terms and Conditions. Individual departures and trip capacity are strictly limited by the managing agency. Your payment is fully refundable for 7 days, less a 3% processing fee, after making a reservation when you reserve a trip 7 days or more prior to the final payment due date. Cancellations and Refunds Canceling your trip after your deposit is processed will incur cancellation fees because OARS has absorbed costs on your behalf and will turn others away who would like to book the spaces we’re holding for you. If you must cancel your reservation after the rescission period described above, your cancellation fee will be determined according to the schedule below. We regret that we cannot make exceptions to the cancellation policy for any reason, including foul weather, poor air quality, wildfire activity, acts of terrorism, civil unrest, or personal emergencies. For these reasons, we strongly urge you to consider purchasing a travel protection plan. Date of Cancellation Cancellation Fee 180 or more days before your trip $100/person 179 – 120 days before your trip $200/person 119 – 90 days before your trip $400/person. The remainder of your payment can be transferred to another trip within the same year (or to a credit account for the following year). No refund. 89 days or less before your trip Full fare Please note that different deposit/cancellation policies may apply for charter groups. Refer to the group organizer’s confirmation email for details. Canceled Trips OARS reserves the right to cancel any trip due to insufficient registration or other factors that make the trip impractical to operate. In such instances, we will inform you at least 45 days prior to departure. Do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until you have verified with OARS that your trip is confirmed. If a trip must be canceled or postponed due to force majeure (factors outside the control of OARS), OARS will provide full credit for payments made toward future travel, or a refund less the initial deposit amount and any non-refundable payments made on your behalf to 3rd-party suppliers. OARS will make good faith efforts to recover deposits made on your behalf to 3rd-party suppliers, however, we cannot guarantee recovery of any or all of the advance payments made. OARS is not responsible for expenses incurred by participants in preparation for a canceled trip. Transfers If you need to move your reservation to a different trip during the same season or to a credit account for the following year, there is a $50/person fee up until 120 days before departure for a one-time transfer of your payment. Transfer requests made 119 days or less before departure will be treated like a cancellation according to the schedule above.

About operator:

OARS was founded in 1969 by river pioneer George Wendt. By 1974 the company found its permanent home in Angels Camp, California, where George and his wife Pam turned a fledgling rafting company into what is now one of the most respected outfitting companies in the world.


George was president of OARS for 47 years until his passing in July of 2016. He was a visionary entrepreneur and one of the adventure travel industry’s trailblazers. But more importantly, he left a legacy of river conservation and stewardship based on the inspiring idea that spreading the love of wild rivers is the surest path to their protection, now and for the enjoyment of future generations.


Today, Tyler and Clavey Wendt, George and Pam’s sons, are leading the company. They’re dedicated to furthering the company’s commitment to the preservation of wild places and creating meaningful outdoor experiences for our guests—values that have been at the core of OARS for five decades.