Middle Fork of the Salmon planning
Middle Fork of the Salmon trip packet
Print this. The checklist, the hazards, the emergency plan and the rules of the corridor in one place.
Packing checklist
River safety
- Type III/V PFD
- Whitewater helmet
- Spare paddle
- Throw bag
- Boat repair kit
Required by the forest
- Metal fire pan (min. 12"×12")
- Portable toilet (groover)
- Kitchen tarp / floor
- Gray-water strainer
Personal
- Dry suit or splash top (spring)
- Sun protection
- Bear-resistant food storage
Known hazards
- Class III–IV+ whitewater; some rapids reach Class V at high water
- Cold-water immersion and hypothermia, even in summer
- Log jams and sweepers that shift every runoff
- Wildfire and smoke in mid-to-late summer
- Total remoteness — no road access along the corridor
- Rattlesnakes at riverside camps
Water notes
Flows are measured at USGS gauge 13309220 (Middle Fork Salmon River near Point of Rocks). The comfortable range for most craft is roughly 2,800–8,000 CFS; above that is expert territory, and below ~1,200 CFS the upper miles turn to rock gardens.
Emergency plan
There is no cell coverage anywhere in the corridor. The Indian Creek Ranger Station (river mile ~25) is the only staffed point mid-trip. Carry a satellite messenger and leave a full float plan with your take-out shuttle.
Leave No Trace
USFS corridor rules require a metal fire pan for every fire, a portable toilet system (groover) for all human waste, and a strainer for gray water. Everything packs out.