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Main Salmon River Permit

Wilderness Permit

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Overview

Float permit for the Wild Main Salmon River, 79 miles through the Frank Church--River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho. Corn Creek to Long Tom Bar. Class III-IV whitewater depending on flows, historically known as the "River of No Return." Single launch point at Corn Creek (division 376), managed by Salmon-Challis National Forest. ~10,000 floaters per year. Max 8 float parties launch per day during control season. Canyon exceeds one mile deep for 180 miles -- deeper than the Grand Canyon.

Bottom Line

The lottery is the bottleneck. Applications open Dec 1 -- Jan 31 annually, results on Feb 14, confirmation deadline Mar 15. Unconfirmed lottery slots and cancellations during the confirmation period release on Mar 16 at 8:00 AM MT. After Mar 16, cancellations randomly release within 24 hours -- this is where alerts matter most. Shoulder season (before Jun 20, after Sep 7) opens Oct 1 as rolling FCFS with no launch cap, so early/late season dates are far easier to get. The 21-day cancellation penalty window means most control-season cancellations land 3--4 weeks before launch. One lottery application per person per year -- duplicates result in a 3-year ban. One permit per person during control season.

Lottery and Reservations

Control season (Jun 20 -- Sep 7): lottery-based allocation.

  • Applications open: December 1
  • Applications close: January 31
  • Results announced: February 14
  • Confirmation deadline: March 15 (unconfirmed reservations revoked)
  • Unconfirmed slots released: March 16 at 8:00 AM MT
  • Post-Mar 16 cancellations: randomly released within 24 hours
  • Max 8 launches/day (commercial + non-commercial combined)
  • One application per person; one permit per person during control season

Shoulder season (Sep 8 -- Jun 19): FCFS, opens October 1 annually. No daily launch limit. Max group size 30, max trip length 10 days.

Group Size and Trip Length

During the control season, group size determines max trip length:

  • 1--10 people: up to 8 days (7 nights)
  • 11--20 people: up to 7 days (6 nights)
  • 21--30 people: up to 6 days (5 nights)

Outside control season: max 30 people, max 10 days.

Fees

  • $6 non-refundable reservation/lottery application fee
  • $4/person/day special recreation fee (all floaters)
  • Permit holder must be 18+ by launch date
  • Interagency Senior/Access passes and Salmon Rivers Season Pass may reduce recreation fees

Campsites

Reservable camp system for launches Jun 15 -- Sep 7. Camp request form emailed to permit holder 14 days before launch; must be submitted 7 days before launch. Max 5 reservable camps per permit. Reserved camps are final once the permit is issued. Camps are first-come first-served outside the reservable window and after 7:00 PM MT if a reserved camp is vacant.

Large camps reserved for groups of 21+ on 7--8 day trips. Groups must stay at reserved camps on listed dates, occupy by 7:00 PM MT, vacate by noon. No layovers at reservable camps.

Permit Issuance

Your recreation.gov reservation is not the permit. The River Office emails the actual permit 5--6 days before launch. You must finalize all details in recreation.gov at least 7 days before launch. Print and sign the permit -- hard copy required on the trip. If you pick up a cancellation fewer than 14 days out, contact the River Office immediately at sm.fs.salmonriver@usda.gov or 208-481-2625.

Cancellation Policy

  • Control season: cancel at least 21 days before launch (by 11:59 PM MT) to avoid penalty
  • Shoulder season: cancel at least 3 days before launch
  • Exception: if water exceeds 5.0 ft at Corn Creek, or if you reserved within 21 days of launch, 3-day cancellation applies
  • Late cancellation or no-show: 3-year ban from holding a permit on this river
  • $6 reservation fee is never refunded

Required Equipment

All groups must carry: portable toilet, metal firepan (min 144 sq in, 3-in sides), ash container, shovel, bucket, mesh strainer, sand stakes, and Idaho Aquatic Invasive Species sticker per boat. Boats must be clean, drained, and dry at launch -- Forest Service inspection required before launching.

Availability