Hammer Creek to Heller Bar (Lower Salmon)

View on map Download GPX River logbook Report a problem

Idaho – US

Class: III- to IV
Length: 50 Mile(s)
Put-in elevation: 1,433 Feet
Take-out elevation: 1,348 Feet
Typical season: January to December

Current Flow

8,970 CFS

Gauge height: 15.01 FT

Reading from Jul 10, 2026 9:45 PM

▼ -10.00/hr (12h) ▼ -5.00/hr (24h)

Running

Hit some laps

Primary gauge: SALMON RIVER AT WHITE BIRD ID Gauge detail & alternatives Live gauge ↗ NOAA river forecast ↗

Recommended levels

Minimum	3,000
Average	10,000
Maximum	20,000

Recommended use

Kayaking
Rafting
Canoeing
SUP
Packrafting
Fishing

Struck-through craft are not recommended for this run.

Flow history — last 6 days

Photos

No photos added for this run yet.

Open in full map →

Description

The Lower Salmon Canyon is a great multi-day trip. The very beginning of this section can be run as a day run (just outside of Riggins). Most will choose to take 5 or 6 days and take out at Heller Bar on the Snake river. This can be run in three days by either packing along a motor to run "snake lake" after the confluence to heller, or arrange a jet back from the confluence to Pittsburg and take out there. Recommended flow is under 20K (usually after June).

Rapids, Access and Camps were added using the BLM resources publicly available. See site here.

For information on Rapids, Camps and Access below the confluence of the Salmon and Snake check out the Snake Heller Bar descriptions here.

Rapids

#	Rapid	Class	Recommended flow	Description	Scout
1	Rollercoaster Rapids	II	3,000–20,000	A long string of big, fun waves	Read and run
2	Big Foot Island Rapids	II	3,000–20,000	Requires some maneuvering; can be run on either side. This is the only island on the Salmon River with an official U.S. Geological Survey name.	Read and run
3	Green Canyon Rapids	II	3,000–20,000	Tricky in lower water, with numerous rocks and holes. Green Canyon -Starts immediately after Shorts Bar. A Class II rapids, which piles into the wall on the right, signals the entry into this 2.5-mile long canyon.	Read and run
4	Wright-Way Drop Rapid	III	3,000–20,000	This sharp drop, with big waves, takes you into the left wall at the bottom. Long, Class II rapids await you about 100 yards below. Look for two small camp spots after the rapids.	Read and run
5	Demons Drop Rapid	II+ to III	3,000–20,000	Large, curling waves appear here at some flows. Avoid the center area turbulence - it indicates a hole.	Read and run
6	Pine Bar Rapids	II+ to III	3,000–20,000	This steep rock garden, littered with holes, is most difficult in low water	Read and run
7	The Maze Rapids	III-	3,000–20,000	Shallow, hidden rocks and ledges from here to the Rice Creek Bridge require maneuvering and make motorized passage impossible at low water.	Read and run
8	Long Class II Rapids	II	3,000–20,000	Requires maneuvering at low flows.	Read and run
9	Unnamed Rapid	II	3,000–20,000	Requires some maneuvering	Read and run
10	Packers Creek Rapids	II	3,000–20,000		Read and run
11	Cougar Canyon Rapids	II	3,000–20,000	A long, fun wave train signals the beginning of Cougar Canyon, a steep narrow 5-mile long canyon with few camp spots	Read and run
12	Cliff Rapids	II	3,000–20,000
13	Pipeline Rapids	II	3,000–20,000		Read and run
14	Lorna’s Lulu Rapid	II	3,000–20,000	The river wants to take you into the wall on the right.	Read and run
15	Bunghole Rapids	II to III	3,000–20,000	The waves here get bigger and bigger as the water flow increases.	Read and run
16	Lower Bunghole Rapids	II to III-	3,000–20,000	Conversely, these waves get bigger and steeper at low flows.	Read and run
17	Harm’s Hole Rapids	II	3,000–20,000	A short drop with a big hole on the right.	Read and run
18	Bodacious Bounce Rapid	III to III+	3,000–20,000	The big, fun waves here get very tricky in low water. Scouting is recommended at flows below 4,000 cfs.	Scout below 4K
19	The Gobbler Rapid	II	3,000–20,000	These short but turbulent rapids are worth noting.	Read and run
20	Unnamed Rapid	II	3,000–20,000	The big, vertical rock face below on the right means that Snow Hole is only about 100 yards away	Read and run
21	Snow Hole Rapids	III to IV	3,000–20,000	This steep drop with huge boulders and holes is relatively straightforward if you’re in the correct spot. It can be very dangerous if you’re not.	Scout from the left.
22	Unnamed Rapid	II	3,000–20,000
23	Unnamed Rapid	II	3,000–20,000
24	Deep Creek Rapid	II	3,000–20,000		Read and run
25	Maloney Creek Rapids	II	3,000–20,000		Read and run
26	China Rapids	III to III+	3,000–20,000	This long, blind s-curve rapid is named for Chinese miners who reportedly drowned here while attempting to go through it. Requires maneuvering	scout from the left. Note the Chinese rock structures.
27	Billy Creek Rapids	II	3,000–20,000	The creek and rapids are named for a Nez Perce Indian named Salmon River Billy who once lived here. Chief Joseph and his followers forded the Lower Salmon River below the mouth of this creek while fleeing the U.S. Army after the White Bird Battle. Although the water was high, no lives were lost	Read and run
28	Unnamed Rapid	II	3,000–20,000		Read and run
29	Cottonwood Creek Rapid	II	3,000–20,000		Read and run
30	Eagle Creek Rapids	III	3,000–20,000	There are some holes and rocks to avoid here.	Read and run
31	Chine Creek Rapids	II	3,000–20,000	A long string of enjoyable waves. Run is to the right of the island.	Read and run
32	Skeleton Creek Rapids	II	3,000–20,000	Big waves at the bottom call for some maneuvering.	Read and run
33	Wapshilla Rapids	II	3,000–20,000	This rapid, which features a sharp, turbulent right turn at the bottom, requires some maneuvering.	Read and run
34	Flynn Creek Rapids	II+	3,000–20,000	This long, s-turn rapid requires maneuvering in lower water	Read and run
35	Blue Canyon Rapids	III- to IV	3,000–20,000
36	Slide Rapid	II to V	3,000–20,000	Note the massive rockslide on the left, shortly after the powerline crosses the river. This marks Slide Rapids, which ranges from barely a riffle at flows under 10,000 cfs to Class V-VI at flows of 20,000 cfs and higher. In very high water, these are the most dangerous rapids on the Lower Salmon River and unrunnable. These rapids cannot be lined or portaged without great difficulty.	Scouting is mandatory and quite hard.
37	H-hole Rapids	II	3,000–20,000	This rock garden is followed in quick succession by staircase rapids, three more Class II drops.	Read and run
38	Sluicebox Rapids	II+	3,000–20,000	A long, steep rapid with big waves in lower water.	Read and run
39	Checkerboard Rapids	II+	3,000–20,000	A long wave train with some rocks at the bottom.	Read and run
40	Eye of the Needle Rapids	III- to III	3,000–20,000	This short, very turbulent drop is harder than it looks.
41	Half and Half	III to IV-	—–—	River takes a slight left hand turn/bend Best run is river right/watch for lateral wave bottom right.

Access

Type	Name	Elevation	Camping	Water	Boat ramp	Vehicle access	Description
Put-In	Hammer Creek Access	1,433 Feet	Yes	Yes	Yes	All Vehicles	From Highway 95 just south of White Bird, ID, turn west onto Doumecq Rd/River Rd. Follow that across the Salmon River and head north to the putin a couple of miles.
Take-Out	Pine Bar Boat Launch	1,348 Feet	Yes	Yes	Yes	All Vehicles	This site, used as a take-out for one day trips from Hammer Creek and used as a put-in for longer journeys, features toilets, camp spots, and parking. Note: Potable water in campground - access from beach above rapids.
Put-In	American Bar	1,311 Feet	Yes	No	Yes	4WD Only	Large sandy beach access ramp (4x4 strongly suggested) Jet boats use this ramp as a launching location. Beach area can also be used as a camp (keep ramp (strip of beach) area clear for people launching from this area if you camp here.)

Camps

Camp	Fee	Beach	Description
Lyon's Bar Camp #1	No	Yes	On river left.
Lyon's Bar Camp #2	No	Yes	On river left.
Lyon's Bar Camp #3	No	Yes	On river left
Opposite Woodruff Camp	No	Yes	On river left.
Woodruff Camp	No	Yes	River right
Schwartz Bar Camp #1	No	Yes	River left
Schwartz Bar Camp #2	No	Yes	River left.
Pine Bar Camp	No	No	Car and raft accessible camping here.
Lone Pine Bar Camp	No	No	Large camp spots are available at both the upper and lower end of the bar
Lower Lone Pine Bar Camp	No	No	On river left
Wickiup Creek Camp	No	No	Three large camp spots in the next mile are some of the last before entering Cougar Canyon
Packers Creek (Killer Goat Beach) Camp	No	No	The remains of several Chinese stone cabins and a reservoir make this a popular site.
Round Springs Creek Camps	No	No	This area offers several small camp spots ideal for those who want to avoid the crowds at White House Bar!
White House Bar Camps	No	Yes	The two large camp spots here are the last before Show Hole Canyon. Much evidence of historic mining remains, including a large reservoir. The white-washed cabin for which the bar is named has given in to the ravages of time.
Oxbow Camp #1	No	Yes	On river right
Deep Creek Camps	No	Yes	A couple of camps on river left.
Maloney Creek Camps	No	Yes	There are two large, and one small, camp spots at the mouth of the creek at the top of the oxbow. You are now at the most northern point of the Salmon River
End of Snow Hole Canyon Camp	No	Yes	The canyon opens up here and camp spots are abundant for the next 10 miles. On river left
End of Snow Hole Canyon Camp #2	No	Yes	River left
End of Snow Hole Canyon Camp #3	No	Yes	On river left
End of Snow Hole Canyon Camp #4	No	Yes	On river right
End of Snow Hole Canyon Camp #5	No	Yes	On river right
Billy Creek Camp	No	Yes	On river right
Dry Creek Camp	No	Yes	River left
Lower Dry Creek Camp	No	Yes	on river right
Deer Creek Camp	No	Yes	River right, Big beach area, rarely used due to the cabins on the bluff above - there has been floating jet boat doc at this beach for the past few years.
Eagle Creek Camp	No	Yes	River right. The rough, primitive road which enters the canyon from Eagle Creek parallels the river for 5 miles. There are lots of big camp spots in this area, but many are frequently occupied by car campers.
Camp	No	Yes	River left
China Creek Camp	No	Yes	River right
Skeleton Creek Camp	No	Yes	A grove of locust trees on the left provides one of the few shady camp spots on the Lower Salmon River.
Camp	No	Yes	River left
Wapshilla Camp	No	Yes	River left
Blue Canyon Camp	No	Yes	river right
Checkerboard Camp	No	Yes	river left
Pullman Mine Camp	No	Yes	River left. Copper mine was active in the 1920s. Mining equipment still visible at the mine entrance was probably brought up the Snake River by steamship. low/lower water camp
Lower Maloney Creek	No	No	Gravel/sand bar on river right. - upper Maloney is the better camp, but if it is taken, this camp can be used as a second option. There are actually three camps at Maloney - The main Maloney camp is the best, but there are actually two camp sights located on the lower bar. The middle Maloney camp is above the riffle/rapid (more of a gravel bar) the lower camp can be accessed from the eddy below the riffle - some sand and gravel, willows are taking over the beach area. (wind can be an issue in these camps).
Low water sand bar - river right	No	Yes	During some low water years (4,000 cfs or less) a large sand bar appears in this area. It is a really nice camp, but can't be counted on, as some years it is there and some years it is not. If it is there, the flow has to be less than 4k. It is a great large group camp during low water summer runs, if it happens to be there.
Checkerboard	No	Yes	nice camp on river left - several sandy benchs for tents, cots, etc. Can be hard to hit if you are running Checkerboard rapid in the wave train (you sort of need to pull out of main current and float rapid to the left of the current or you will get flushed past the camp).
Eye of the Needle	No	No	Camp is on river right just after/behind the basalt wall that forms the bottom lateral wave in "eye of the needle" rapid The camp is a fairly slanted gravel/sand breach - it is one of the last options before hitting the jet boat freeway that is known as the snake river. It would make a nice camp in a pinch.
unnamed camp	No	Yes	camp (better in low water) on river right just after the rapid.
Large beach camp	No	Yes	Large Beach camp here (river left). There are also several smaller beach camps in the area. (willows hide several nice camp areas at the upper end of the bar).
large beach camp	No	No	river left - large beach camp - picnic table
Wild Goose camp	No	Yes	Beach area river left just above wild goose rapid
last chance camp	No	No	There are three camps in this area - about 1 mile above the take-out. The first one is one river left. the second one is at the point on river left and the last one is across the river on river right. Listed in order of best selection. this first camp is the best of the three, the next best would be on river left at the point. I think last last chance camp would be across the river on the right. I am honestly not sure I would ever want to stay there, but I have seen jet boaters make use of it.

Permit

No permit is required, or permit info hasn't been added yet.

Fishing

No fish species have been associated with this run yet.

Points of Interest

Short Bar Pictograph Pictograph

Cooper Bar Historical Place

Rock Creek (also known as Graves Creek) Historical Place

Rice Creek Bridge Landmark

American Bar Historical Place

Second Creek Geological Formation

Cabins Historical Place

Wapshilla Creek Ranch Historical Place

Birch Creek Geological Formation

External Links & Resources

Community Run Notes

No community notes added yet.