Middle Fork Permit: Route and Dates
Middle Fork permits are drawn by lottery in Idaho Wild Rivers. The route covers 104 miles.
Float 104 miles through the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, past hot springs, pictographs and the third deepest rock-walled canyon in North America.
This guide covers the Middle Fork Salmon River permit.
$6 lottery application or reservation fee + $4 per person per day
Permit Cost
5-8 days
Duration
104 miles
Distance
expert
Difficulty
About Middle Fork
The Middle Fork of the Salmon runs 104 miles through the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho. It was one of the original eight rivers Congress designated Wild and Scenic on October 2, 1968, and over 10,000 people float it each year. Private launches in the control season, May 28 through September 3, are allocated by a randomized lottery - not a weighted one, so a first-timer and a twentieth-timer draw the same. Applications are accepted from December 1 at 8:00 AM Mountain Time through 11:59 PM Mountain Time on January 31, results post February 14, and winners have until March 15 to confirm. Anything unclaimed goes back on Recreation.gov on March 16 at 8:00 AM Mountain Time, which is the cancellation window worth watching. Outside the control season, launches are ordinary reservations that open annually on October 1 for the following year.
The Middle Fork was one of the original eight rivers Congress designated Wild and Scenic on October 2, 1968, and it has stayed that way. Over 10,000 people float it each year, every one of them on a permit, in a corridor with no roads and only a handful of airstrips, ranches and Forest Service stations to show that anyone was ever here.
The Middle Fork route
- Distance
- 104 miles
- Route type
- point-to-point
- High point
- 5,600 ft
- Low point
- 3,000 ft
- Trip length
- 5-8 days
- Difficulty
- expert
Entry points: Boundary Creek Launch, Indian Creek Launch
Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Nearest town: Stanley
Points along the route
- Boundary Creek LaunchMile 0
- Indian Creek LaunchMile 25
- Sunflower Hot SpringsMile 32
- Loon Creek Hot SpringsMile 48
- Hospital BarMile 54
- Tappan FallsMile 57
- Impassable CanyonMile 80
- Haystack RapidsMile 80
- Cache BarMile 100
- Confluence with the Main SalmonMile 104
The Experience
The water runs clear enough to count rocks on the bottom. You run a dozen rapids before lunch, and by evening the boats are tied off and somebody has found the hot spring. Dinner cooks on a fire pan on the beach. The canyon walls climb until they close off most of the sky, and the night that follows is as dark as night gets in the Lower 48.
The river starts 20 miles northwest of Stanley, where Bear Valley and Marsh Creeks meet, and runs 104 miles to the Main Salmon. Almost every private trip puts in at Boundary Creek, at the top, after 26 miles of rough single-lane dirt road that snow keeps closed until late May or early June.
The run is non-motorized and technical: a long series of Class III and IV rapids with few flat stretches to rest in. The canyon deepens as you go, alpine forest at the top giving way to high mountain desert and then to sheer rock walls. Hot springs, prehistoric paintings and abandoned settler cabins sit within a short walk of the water at various points, and the fishing is catch-and-release only.
When the water drops too low, or the Boundary Creek road is impassable, trips fly in to Indian Creek instead and start partway down. Camps are assigned rather than chosen: for launches May 24 through September 30 a camp request form arrives by email 14 days out, and the rest of the year camps are first-come, first-served among designated sites.
What to Expect
104 river miles, typically 5-8 days depending on group size and flow
A long series of Class III and IV rapids on a non-motorized run with many technical lines
Natural hot springs, prehistoric paintings and abandoned settler cabins within reach of the water
Catch-and-release fly fishing only
Camps are assigned on your permit, not chosen at the beach - and you may have to share
A canyon that deepens into the third deepest rock-walled gorge in North America
Get Middle Fork Alerts
Be first to know when cancellations happen.
Permit Requirements
Private permit required; control-season launches (May 28 - September 3) come from the December-January lottery
Control-season group size and trip length are linked: 1-10 people up to 8 days, 11-20 people up to 7 days, 21-24 people up to 6 days
Outside the control season the maximum group size is 24 and the maximum trip length is 8 days
A maximum of 12 watercraft per permit for August 8 through September 15 launches, to limit impacts on spawning Chinook salmon
Your group must stay in the assigned camps listed on the permit
Required equipment: portable toilet, fire pan, fire blanket, ash container, shovel, bucket, mesh strainer, and Aquatic Invasive Species stickers
No soap in any stream, river, lake or hot spring - biodegradable soap included
Do not cut standing trees, live or dead; burn only driftwood or dead downfall
The permit holder must be present and accompany the group the entire trip; reservations are not transferable and there are no alternate trip leaders
Cancel at least 21 days before a control-season launch or the late cancellation penalty blocks you from a permit and from the lottery on this river for three years
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •Portable toilet meeting Forest Service specs
- •Fire pan, fire blanket and ash container
- •Shovel, bucket and mesh strainer
- •Aquatic Invasive Species stickers, with boats clean, drained and dry at the launch
- •Rafts or kayaks rated for sustained Class III-IV whitewater
- •Satellite communication device - there is no cell service in the corridor
- •Wet or dry suits for early and late season
Recommended Gear
- •Salmon Rivers Season Pass if you float the Middle Fork or Main more than once a year
- •Throw bags and a pin kit for the technical sections
- •Catch-and-release fly gear
- •Spare oars and a full boat repair kit - there is no way out for a broken boat
Hazards & Safety
High water early in the season pushes the rapids up in grade and shortens your margin
Low water in late season exposes rock and makes the lines more technical, not less
No road access and no cell service for the length of the run
Cold water year-round from snowmelt
Bears in the drainage - the required food and waste handling is not optional
The Boundary Creek road is rough, single-lane and busy, and snow keeps it closed until late May or early June
Best Time to Visit
The lottery control season runs May 28 through September 3, and that window is the trip most people want. Early-season launches get high, cold, pushy water; late-season launches get low water and technical rapids in exchange for warm days and quiet camps. Pre- and post-season launches are ordinary reservations that open October 1 for the following year, which is a real back door if you can handle cold weather.
Pro Tips
Set an alarm for March 16 at 8:00 AM Mountain Time - that is when every declined and unconfirmed lottery date goes back on Recreation.gov
Later cancellations are released randomly within 24 hours, so the release is not something you can time by hand
Pre- and post-season launches skip the lottery entirely and open October 1 for the following year
Trim your group to 10 people or fewer and you unlock the full 8-day trip length
Buy the Salmon Rivers Season Pass if you plan to float the Middle Fork or the Main more than once in a year
Budget a full day for the Boundary Creek road - 26 miles of rough single-lane dirt, and it does not open until the snow clears in late May or early June
100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience
This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Middle Fork permit?
+
Middle Fork permits are distributed through a lottery system. Apply during the lottery window, and if you're not selected, check for cancellations as they become available.
When is the best time to visit Middle Fork?
+
The lottery control season runs May 28 through September 3, and that window is the trip most people want. Early-season launches get high, cold, pushy water; late-season launches get low water and technical rapids in exchange for warm days and quiet camps. Pre- and post-season launches are ordinary reservations that open October 1 for the following year, which is a real back door if you can handle cold weather.
How long is the Middle Fork route?
+
The route is 104 miles, as a point-to-point. Plan on 5-8 days.
How difficult is the Middle Fork route?
+
Boaters with real multi-day self-support experience who can read and run continuous Class III-IV without scouting every drop.
Where does the Middle Fork route start?
+
The permit covers 2 entry points: Boundary Creek Launch, Indian Creek Launch.
What if I don't win the Middle Fork lottery?
+
Cancellations happen regularly. Use PermitSnag to monitor availability and get alerts when spots open up. You can also check for walk-up permits or consider similar alternatives in the area.
Don't Miss Your Middle Fork Permit
Cancellations happen every day. PermitSnag monitors Middle Fork availability 24/7 and alerts you the moment a spot opens up.
Get Permit AlertsTrip planning
Articles that plan a trip around this permit.
