Middle Fork of the Salmon River Fly Fishing & Rafting Blog

The Middle Fork of the Salmon River deservedly sits near the top of every paddlers bucket list. Kayaking the Middle Fork Salmon is an unforgettable journey through 2.3 million acres of The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The 100 mile trip from Boundary...

Wildlife Encounters While Rafting the Middle Fork Salmon. The wildlife on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River is abundant, mainly due to the fact that the river flows through the 2.8 million acres of contiguous nature in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness...

Choosing favorite rapids on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River is a tricky and subjective endeavor for several reasons.    Number of Rapids One being the sheer number of rapids to choose from along the 100 mile stretch of world-class whitewater. River runners...

We often get asked this question and have spent considerable time wondering when really is the best time to raft the Salmon River. While this is a difficult question to answer because our love for the Middle Fork extends throughout the year, we decided to break the question down by season, so that you can choose the best trip for YOU!

The Best Whitewater Rafting in Idaho Known by many as “The Whitewater State”, Idaho boasts some of the highest quality river trips anywhere in the world. It’s mountainous geography, unique geology, massive wilderness areas, and small number of dams give Idaho the...

Obviously, coming up with a list of outdoor books was difficult for me - I got carried away thinking of all the books that I find relevant to the great outdoors. I am an incredibly avid reader and I think one of the best settings for enjoying a good book is outdoors,...

Things to do in Stanley Idaho When you come on a spring or early summer Middle Fork Salmon River rafting trip with Solitude River Trips, we begin our journey in the mountain town of Stanley, Idaho. Even though you'll be in Idaho for a world-class Middle Fork Salmon...

Visit Salmon, Idaho and Find Adventure Salmon, Idaho is the home of Solitude River Trips, and is the base for our Middle Fork Salmon River rafting and fly fishing operations. We have grown to love this bustling small town and all of its quirks, and are excited to...

What do river guides do in the winter? As a career river guide, I am well accustomed to questions regarding any and all seasons that aren’t summer, when we river guides have to find something else to do and make a living. What do we actually do when we aren’t on the...

As I was pondering the benefits of nature travel, I was reminded of what a positive impact the outdoors has had on my life. Travel can bring very different joys and benefits for different people. Some love adrenaline, some crave relaxation; some value high-end escapes...

We're on River Time, And We Are Living SlowI recently heard the term “living slow” and was immediately reminded of another phrase we hear all the time on the river, “we’re on river time”. I decided to investigate further into this idea of living slow and found that...

What Are the Essential Pieces of Gear for Women on an Outdoor Adventure? Planning a vacation as a lady comes with its own set of challenges and also special aspects to look forward to! I know how daunting it can be to try and come up with every little thing you might...

Several of the most famous fly fishing waters in the country flow through Idaho. The eastern border with Montana and Wyoming is geographically defined by the Continental Divide where the cold clean headwaters of the major Northwest rivers flow off the Rocky Mountains. This region provides anglers a lifetime of trout fisheries to explore.

Our Middle Fork Salmon River fly fishing trips offer some of the best trout fishing in Idaho. Learn about the fish you’ll catch on our trips!

Learn how the water flows on the Salmon River basin can have a great impact on your vacation in the Frank Church Wilderness with Solitude River Trips.

Our Salmon River rafting trips in Idaho offer 6 full days of activities on & off the water. Along with incredible canyon scenery, our trips offer full-service glamping accommodations and gourmet food. Here’s a rundown of a typical day of your trip.

The crown jewel of Idaho’s wilderness rivers is the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. It’s essentially a guarantee that you won’t run out of remote and glorious public wilderness to explore in our stunning state.

The Middle Fork of the Salmon River is famous for dry fly fishing. Learn the best flies to use for every season on the river.

One of the most unique and special things about the Middle Fork is that we get a full profile of Idaho’s geography and ecosystems on our multi-day trips. Temperatures can vary well over 10F degrees between the upper and lower sections of the river! Check out historical norms and ways to accurately predict the weather on your trip.

Idaho has the most federally designated wilderness area in the lower 48 states, and over 70% of the state is public land. There are seemingly endless opportunities for adventurous outdoor recreation!

Unique and fully supported trail running opportunity. Adventure through the wilderness of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River trails with gourmet food, comfortable accommodations, and convenient logistics provided.

We kicked off our 2015 season with a wonderful trip full of birthdays, anniversaries, kids, hiking, and lots of swimming (even in June!!)     We all celebrate in different ways: Barry celebrates his 49th birthday with 49 pushups (and gets some others to join...

This ancient ponderosa stands at the confluence of #camascreek. It is one of my favorite trees. When it was a sapling the sheepeater natives sat in its shade and sharpened their arrowheads for hunting salmon and other fauna; in the 1860s white...

Off the River: Salmon Valley Honey   As the owner of Solitude River Trips, springtime is often a hectic blur of preparation, anticipation, cleaning, re-cleaning, and fiddling with gear that I can hardly wait to get wet. But one of my favorite pre season chores is...

Arguably the most important part of any sandwich is the bread!  Craig McCallum, a former guide on the Middle Fork, has now turned to the profession of baking.   He owns the Odd Fellows Bakery on Main St. in historic Salmon, Idaho.  Craig is up every...

Middle Fork Trip Planning   To plan a river trip, you need to do a lot of research and have access to many different resources. The Middle Fork of the Salmon River is one of the most beautiful, diverse, challenging, and famous river destinations in the world. ...

September Salmon River Fly Fishing       Another September full of incredible Middle Fork Salmon River fly fishing has come and gone like a fleeting glimpse at an otter playing in the cold river current. Sandwiched between the hedonistic heat of August...

Our Middle Fork Salmon River Guides Here at Solitude, we have the greatest guides. We hear it all - from the phenomenal food, to the unforgettable sunsets - but the most consistent praise we get, without fail, is for fly fishing and whitewater rafting guides.  Nobody...

The Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness essentially consists of three immense drainages: The Main Salmon River, The Middle Fork of the Salmon (largest tributary of the Salmon River), and Big Creek (largest tributary of the Middle Fork). Each of these dominating watersheds has countless tributaries and feeder creeks.

Spring has flown by as the days lengthen, the rivers swell, and the mountains turn green, and wildflowers and river guides are starting to appear.  Oenothera, shooting star, and lupine are popping up almost as fast as the tevas, keens, and chacos.  Soon Solitude’s...