Welcome to a guide detailing our new favorite trip: the summer family fun trip on Idaho’s Salmon River!
Picture you and your family 5, 10, 15 years from now, sitting around the dinner table at a holiday gathering, surrounded by the people you love most: what memories are you reminiscing on together? What stories are you retelling year after year, so many times that your kids jokingly roll their eyes when they’re brought up yet again?
If we had to wager a guess, the good old days that you can’t seem to stop talking about probably include the trips you’ve taken as a family—the times when you were all together in one spot, participating in activities as a group, visiting new restaurants, and seeing new places.
Some of our fondest memories as a family are the times we spend out on the river, relaxing and taking in the summer sunshine, and that’s exactly the type of experience we want to pass on to you.
Keep reading to learn about how we’ll help you and your family create unforgettable memories together on Idaho’s Salmon River, and why this trip is a must-do during your next summer vacation.
What is a Summer Family Fun Trip?
Wondering what a “summer family fun trip” even is? Don’t overthink it—it’s exactly what it sounds like: a private trip designed to give your family and friends the ultimate summer adventure on the Salmon River.
Think of the classic family boating trip you see in the movies, where the parents pack up a cooler for the day, grab their kids, and head out on the water for a day that they’ll talk about for years to come. Maybe it’s a one-time thing, or maybe it turns into the family’s favorite annual trip that they get to look forward to every year, and brings them back together once their kids move out.
That’s exactly what this trip is, except you won’t have to plan a thing: you’re putting the itinerary and the experiences in the hands of trusted local experts who know the Salmon River like the backs of their hands. Whereas our Salmon River Scenic Tours are some of our most popular offerings and include more stops at historic sites throughout the scenic Frank Church Wilderness, this trip is geared more toward family and friends having a great time at the beach, enjoying each other’s company and leaving behind the stress of their daily lives. Sounds like a pretty dang good time, doesn’t it?
Here are just a few of the activities that could be on the itinerary for your private summer trip along the Salmon:
- Swimming
- Bass/trout fishing
- Paddleboarding
- Beaching
- Sightseeing
- Wildlife viewing
So whether your ideal day out on the water looks like taking a leisurely boat ride to a beautiful beach where you can set up chairs, sip on refreshing drinks, and watch your kids play in the water, or getting out the fishing gear as you learn about the historical sites you’re passing by, these trips truly have something to offer to every type of family.
Why We Love Summer Family Fun Trips in Idaho
These trips are more than just business for us—we dreamed them up for deeply personal reasons. We are a family-owned business and some of the best times we have together as a family are out on the river, doing just what these trips entail. Whenever we have time off or a free evening rolls around, we love jumping in the boat and finding a beach for dinner, or packing up the paddleboards and finding a slow section of the river for our kids to play on.
Sure, we love planning a good multi-day trip out of state where we get to explore new places and see new landscapes together, but there’s something so special about keeping things simple. The spontaneous vibes created by grabbing your swimsuits and life vests, picking up a few drinks and food on the way, and hopping into a boat for the day is exactly the type of easy yet unforgettable day we hope to provide through this summer family fun trip. The experiences we give our kids become the memories they will carry with them for a lifetime—and it’s our pleasure to be able to help you share those experiences together.
4 Reasons to Take a Summer Family Fun Trip on the Salmon River
1. You’ll create memories to last a lifetime
If you’re a parent, then you know how important it is to build memories with your kids during their younger years. These are the times when you’re all able to be together for so much quality time, enjoying each other’s company and creating moments that will eventually turn into your favorite stories to tell at family gatherings. These are the experiences that will become core memories that your family shares for eternity, captured in blurry iPhone photos and moments that freeze in time, able to be relived only in your memory.
One of the great parts about this trip is that it’s not limited to only you and your family members—you’re more than welcome (and encouraged) to invite friends along for the ride, too. What a gift it is to be able to give not only your family, but your friends, such an incredible trip to enjoy quality time together and celebrate the love, support, and community you all share.
2. It’s the perfect summer getaway
Being that this trip takes place in July and August in Idaho, it’s truly the perfect summertime getaway no matter what sorts of outdoor activities you enjoy. The Salmon River is perfect for swimming this time of year, the water having receded to give way to gorgeous, pristine sandy beaches and quiet, calm waters. The river is perfect for swimming this time of year for all levels, both adults and children. Summers along the Salmon also have reliably hot weather, so the water will nearly always be a refreshing reprieve from the warm temperatures.
In addition to the weather that is ideal for summertime activities, the Salmon River is also incredibly picturesque—in fact, it was designated a Wild & Scenic River by the US Forest Service back in 1981. The 125-mile stretch from Long Tom Bar to the North Fork of the river are included in the designation, federally protected and preserved to be one of the most naturally beautiful areas of Idaho. We operate in the section of the Wild & Scenic River from Long Tom Bar to Corn Creek, all of which passes through the stunning Frank Church Wilderness where you’ll enjoy views of rugged mountains, vast canyons, and wild rapids (depending on what areas of the river you’d like to explore on your trip).
Not only is the Salmon River and its surrounding wilderness absolutely spectacular, it also forces a bit of an unplugged experience due to the lack of cell service. This is a huge benefit of being out in the wilderness; the fact that you don’t have the ability to use your phone for anything other than taking photos and videos encourages a really present, quality day with the people you love. It’s a trip you’ll never want to end—and one you can always come back to when you want to remember the best times together.
3. It’s custom-tailored to your group
We like to say that this trip embraces the phrase “our boat, your boat.” This trip is completely customizable to your group and your group alone, being that it’s also a private trip—you won’t be sharing the boat with other people. It can be structured to include any of the activities we mentioned above such as fishing, beaching, and swimming. And if you like to learn about how the Salmon River has been developed into what it is today, plus the historical figures that played a key role, any stops that our scenic tours make can be made on this trip including visits to Polly Blemis Ranch and Buckskin Bill’s Museum.
To learn more about the rich history of the Salmon River and everything it has to offer for scenic tours, take a look at our guide to the Best Historic Stops Along Idaho’s “River of No Return.”
4. There’s something for all ages
The best element of this trip may be that it can be enjoyed by all ages. We’ve had people as young as 6 weeks and as old as 93 on our trips! Kids love swimming, playing on the beaches, and riding the boat while the adults love all of that plus the scenic nature of the river, and learning about the history it holds. While the kiddos are running around in the water, you and your friends can be relaxing on the beach with a drink in hand, catching up and enjoying connection without needing to be on your phones, at your computer, or running errands. It’s truly an incredible way to reconnect with the people you love, and the serene atmosphere of the Salmon River fosters a beautiful environment for creating unforgettable moments together.
How to Plan a Summer Family Fun Trip on the Salmon River
So, what do you think? Are you ready to give your family and friends the gift of a unique day trip on the Salmon River? Start by booking your trip with us, and then planning your trip to Riggins! This is where you’ll want to stay during your trip, the town of Riggins nestled in a canyon at the meeting point of the Salmon and Little Salmon. With a huge variety of activities to offer such as kayaking, fishing, camping, hunting, and rafting, you’ll want to spend as much time in the area as possible—your summer family fun trip with us will only be one part of an incredible summer trip to Idaho.
We recommend dedicating some time to see the Seven Devil mountains, booking a white water rafting trip through a great company like Wild River Adventures, going drift boat fishing, and going camping along the Main Salmon River Road. A couple of our favorite accommodations in the Riggins area are our very own glamping Airbnb called the Salmon River Dome, as well as the RV Landing at Carlson Ranch, which is located at mile 10 on the river road.
Find out more about the best things to do in Riggins here, and schedule your summer family fun trip with us now to get your Salmon River adventure on the books!
Want to know what else the Salmon River and Idaho in general have to offer? Take a look at our guides below.
