Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness, Idaho route planning
Middle Fork Salmon Route Map: Boundary Creek to Cache Bar
The permitted Middle Fork run, mapped from the Boundary Creek launch to the Cache Bar boat ramp with agency coordinates.
This is a lottery-permit river. Only two points on the run have coordinates published by the managing agencies — the launch and the take-out — so this map stays deliberately thin rather than pinning rapids from outfitter logs. Dagger Falls sits immediately below the put-in, and the run ends at the Main Salmon confluence just above Cache Bar. Carry the Forest Service river map for rapid-by-rapid detail.
Access points and landmarks
A 104-mile wilderness river trip, typically run in 5 to 7 days. Every coordinate below links to the published source it came from. Recheck access, closures, and water levels with the managing agency before you launch.
| Point | Role | Coordinates | Notes and source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boundary Creek launch | put in | 44.53139, -115.29306 | Forest Service launch site and campground above Dagger Falls; all permitted trips check in here. Recreation.gov facility record ↗ |
| Cache Bar Boat Ramp | take out | 45.31896, -114.63681 | Salmon-Challis National Forest ramp on the Main Salmon, the standard Middle Fork take-out. USDA Forest Service ↗ |
Shuttle planning runs between Boundary Creek launch and Cache Bar Boat Ramp.
What we deliberately left off
- Dagger Falls, the Main Salmon confluence, and the named rapids between them — the Forest Service names these features but publishes no point coordinates, so they are left off the map.
Official sources
- Middle Fork Salmon River (Salmon-Challis NF) ↗
- Four Rivers Lottery permit ↗
- Boundary Creek Campground ↗
Distances and mileage figures come from the managing agency. Conditions change; this page is a planning aid, not a navigation chart.