Rafting the Middle Fork of the Salmon or the Main Salmon River is one of the best activities you can do as a family these days. Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting has more than 13,000 river miles to choose from. At MFRE we focus on the best Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting destinations by floating on the Salmon River. We offer both the Middle Fork of the Salmon River and also the Main Salmon River as well.
Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River are 6 days, and we float 100 miles. Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting on the Middle Fork has over a half dozen hot springs, incredible Blue Ribbon cutthroat trout fishing, visits of lots of homesteads, and float through a canyo that is deeper than the Grand Canyon. Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting on the Middle Fork Salmon River has more than 400 rapids in it’s 100 mile distance. Most are un-named as they are class I and class II rapids, but there are still over 60 rapids that are class III or above. Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting does not get any better than on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. It is fun for the whole family to enjoy a vacation or holiday together rafting the great rapids of Idaho, some of the best in the country. No doubt about it, Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting is fun for everyone who gives it a try.
So come on out in 2012 and join MFRE for some of the best Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting ever.
We also offer Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting on the Main Salmon in Idaho. We offer 4 day trips in 56 miles. We start the trip in Salmon, Idaho and then on Day 4 we fly you out at 10am from Mackay Bar Ranch. The Main salmon does not have excellent Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting. It is know as the “River of History” both natural history and also human history. We visit three “working Homesteads” while on the river. These include Yellow Pine Bar, where we meet Greg and Sue. Greg makes knives out of the old cable from the cable Crossing at Campbell’s Ferry. He makes the handles for the knives out of Mountain Mohagany from the Salmon River Canyon.
We also visit Doug and Phyllis Tims at Campbell’s Ferry. They are amazing people. Doug is the founder of Maravia INC., which are the types of boat we run on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon. Both Doug and Phyllis give us an amazing interpretation of Francis Winemiler and also Jim Moore, who lived across the river and ran Campbell’s Ferry. They are in the process of finishing a book on the history of the Main Salmon River.
The last place we visit is 5 Mile Bar, which is where Buckskin Bill used to live and make his own guns. Barbara and Heinz now live there and run a permaculture garden and live off the grid completely. We can watch a video on Buckskin Bill and connect with Barbara and Heinz, who are great people that immigrated from Germany in the early 80’s and found the Main Salmon River Canyon and never left.
Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting is best with Middle Fork River Expeditions. Please come out next summer and join us for an adventure of a lifetime. We hope to see you soon for a fun family vacation and the best Middle Fork Salmon River Rafting, connecting with each other in the largest wilderness area in the US.

Vaya con rios, Ellsworth

Can you believe it’s already November! It’s not too early to start planning for 2012 summer vacation plans. Nothing is better for a family or friends than a Idaho whitewater rafting trip. the main reason is that you get to experience the largest wilderness area in the US from a raft. This is the main reason to go. It is not for the actual whitewater rafting, but to un-plug from technology and re-connect with one’s one deeper nature. You can be yourself out here and not have to worry about what other people think. What a relief!

Idaho Whitewater rafting trips are also amazing vacations as you do not have to worry about one thing while on vacation other than on how much dutch oven prime rib to eat. Or maybe about whiich river craft to go in for the day. Could it be the Paddle raft, or the oar boat, of the fishing drift boat or the inflatable kayaks. we even have SUP (stand Up Paddle) boards available for using from camp or on the main salmon you can paddle the entire river if you are fit and up for it.

Idaho River rafting is best with Middle Fork River Expeditions for many reasons but the main reason is the guides. These leaders offer un-paralleled “experience” vacations, lending their expertise in the kitchen as well as the swiftwater of the river.

If you read this blog today, Middle Fork River Expeditions will give you a free trip on the Main Salmon River for 1 person, if you call me in the next 4 hours. First caller wins!

Yours for Wilderness, Ellsworth

have you ever wanted to tackle the river on your own terms?

Every want to get super physical while paddling?

Ever want to float freely through the largest wilderness area in the US?

now’s you chance!

Come join us this summer of 2012 on the Middle Fork or Main Salmon Rivers in central Idaho, in the heart of wolf territory and hot springs galore.

You can choose between either a single man inflatable kayak or a two man inflatable kayak. We mostly offer single kayaks as they are harder to tip and easier to steer with one person. Plus it does not lead to as many fights in the two man ducky as it can lead to divorce or a rough few days in the wilderness.

Anyway, if you keep them straight they do pretty good. We use Vanguard Inflatable Boats located on the web I am sure. They are super sturdy and stable and have great performance too.

Another name for the IK’s (inflatable kayaks) is Duckies, as they look just like they are follwing the mother duck which is usually the paddle raft, that also acts as lead safety boat to any ducky flips.

We hope to see you in Stanley, getting ready to ducky to your heart’s content.

Yours for rivers, Ellsworth

We are not sure if you knew that there are over 400 rapids in the 100 mile stretch of the middle fork, with more than 100 of them being named rapids. This makes for some super fun whitewater rafting every day while you enjoy the largest wilderness area in the USA outside of Alaska. The Middle Fork of the Salmon River is amazing in that it floats at a ~1% grade downhill the entire route, so there are no real flat water sections to the river. Other rivers, like the Main Salmon or the Grand Canyon, are pool and drop rivers, which means they are flatwater and then hit a shooting flow of rapids caused by a tributary debris flow and then there is a pool at the bottom of the rapid. The Middle Fork of the Salmon drops 30ft/mile overall whereas the Grand Canyon drops 8 ft./mile. This makes for some incredible whitewater on the Middle Fork. So come and join us this summer of 2012. June is for the whitewater Junkie and July-Sept is great for everyone.

Happy November, Ellsworth

At Middle Fork River Expeditions, we hope you all had a wonderful Happy Halloween!

We hope it also brought back memories of our dress up night on the Middle Fork or Main Salmon when Reymundo or Phyllis payed us a visit to say hello and had the bag full of outfits to try on.

We hope to see you this summer.

Again, Happy Halloween and harvest season

Testimonial from Joel Bourne (Author of National Geographic article)
James and company, I just wanted to thank you once again for a spectacular trip down the Middle Fork, and especially for the attention you gave to my son, Sam. You’ve got an excellent crew of guides, and we enjoyed our time in the boats with each of them. I also appreciate your focus on curing “nature deficit disorder” in today’s kids by safely introducing them to wild places, wild rivers and the rich cultural history of the region. You are planting the seeds for the river rats–and protectors–of tomorrow. It was by far the best guided trip I’ve been on, and I’ve been on a few.

All the best,
Joel K. Bourne, Jr.
Contributing Writer
National Geographic

Idaho River Rafting is amazing as Idaho has more than 16,000 miles of navigable rivers to run. Some of the favorite Idaho river rafting trips are the Middle Fork of the Salmon and the Main Salmon in the Frank Church Wilderness of No Return. The Selway River would join these two as the best of the rivers in Idaho. Idaho river rafting is on par with anywhere in the world in terms of whitewater and scenic beauty.

Rapids on the Middle Fork of the Salmon in June is high and lots of fun whitewater. Idaho river rafting on the Middle Fork is also great in July-September every year.

We specialize in having the most river craft options than any other company, including whitewater dories, drift boats and Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Surf Boards.

So come join the fun, Idaho river rafting this summer with Middle Fork River Expeditions.

See you in Stanley!

Ellsworth

Joel Bourne, the writer for the Nov, 2011 issue for National Geographic Magazine, traveled with his son Sam on an MFRE trip in summer 2010 for use on the article.

Boundless Rivers, by Joel K. Bourne, Jr., photographed by Michael Melford (Page 134) For most of the 20th century, the federal government seemed determined to dam virtually all the major rivers in the country, harnessing their power for electricity, irrigation, navigation, water supply and flood control, with little regard to the lasting effects on the rivers themselves. But in 1968 President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, sparing eight rivers and narrow buffer zones around them from dams and development. The Act was passed largely thanks to the work of twin brothers, John and Frank Craighead, and now covers 200 rivers in 39 states and Puerto Rico. Author Joel Bourne, Jr., writes of how crucial the Craigheads’ work was: “Because [they] and others loved moving, living, untarnished waters, we now have some left to cherish.”

The fishery on the Middle Fork Salmon River in Idaho was amazing this summer. One MFRE client caught 103 fish before quitting to have supper. He then caught 35 the next morning on the same fly and took the rest of the day off. The point is that the Middle Fork Salmon River in Idaho experienced fantastic fishing this summer and it felt like these are the good old days on the Middle Fork. The fish population is thriving. Now if only we can get more salmon up in the Middle Fork drainage we would be very happy for that. Imagine fishing for Salmon throughout the summer.

we have 16 foot McKenzie Drift boats on the Middle Fork Salmon down to around 2 ft. on the river level gage. After that, we bring an oar boat with a fishing frame with large casting braces. That usually happens in early August sometime. So the drift boats are used primarily in late June to late July.

So come on out and join us this next summer of 2012 on the Middle Fork Salmon River.

See you in Stanley,

Ellsworth

Below is an e-mail we received from a guest on the July 15-20, 2011 departure. She has been with MFRE 4 times and has travelled with other outfitters to other parts of the west many times as well.

” Dear James,

Thanks for an incredible trip. Thanks again for making delicious, gluten-free meal options. All the meals were sensational…that salmon was to die for!

All your guides are exceptional. Josie your dog (or is it Josey as in The Outlaw-Josey Wales?) was a great little spirit to have along with us. As you know, this trip with you was my fourth run down the Middle Fork with MFRE. They have all been great. I can see that you and your guides do go the extra distance. You’re the only person I’ve met who can offer so many activities without it seeming like you’re a social director. That takes a lot of finesse. Your knowledge about geology, the river, nature, psychology, cooking, entertainment and people are all great assets but it’s your genuineness and good-hearted ways that pull it all together. I loved it all but just remember, you could do half as much and still be right on the mark. That said, thanks for making this my best MFRE trip to date.

Be well. Be happy. See you next summer.

Sincerely,

Audrey A. ”
Middle Fork Salmon River Participant
July 15-20, 2011