Boundary Creek to Cache Bar

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Idaho – US

Class: III to IV+
Length: 100 Mile(s)
Take-out elevation: 3,033 Feet
Typical season: May to September

Current Flow

1,300 CFS

Gauge height: 2.35 FT

Reading from Jul 10, 2026 10:45 PM

● 0.00/hr (12h) ● 0.00/hr (24h)

Running

Hit some laps

Primary gauge: MF SALMON RIVER AT MF LODGE NR YELLOW PINE ID Gauge detail & alternatives Live gauge ↗

Recommended levels

Minimum	1,000
Average	4,500
Maximum	12,000

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.

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Description

This is a must do trip for everyone to mark off on their todo list. Bring the rafts and the kitchen sink and enjoy the Idaho wilderness

Rapids

#	Rapid	Class	Recommended flow	Description	Scout
1	First Bend Rapids	III to III+	—–—	The trip gets started off with a stretch of class III. Run down the center or towards the right if it is higher water. May be a tight squeeze in lower water.
2	Murph's Hole	IV	—–—	The river makes a sharp left turn and there is a large rock that forms a hole here. Stay wide right and try and sneek the hole on river right. At lower water this hole becomes tamer.
3	Sulphur Slide	III to III+	—–—
4	Ramshorn Rapid	III	—–—	Run just left of center watching for rocks. Avoid getting pinballed off of river left wall at higher water.
5	Hells Half Mile	III to III+	—–—	A half mile of class III that you'll need to thread back and forth to avoid holes and rocks
6	Velvet Falls	II+ to IV	—–—	Pick your line from the scout. Look for a line on the left, especially at higher water. You may want to consider leaving a person or 2 at the scout to setup a safety with some throw bags (just in case)	Spike creek enters from the left and forms an eddy. There is a scouting trail here.
7	Upper Chutes 1 and 2	II+ to III	—–—	Chute 1 - Left of Center Chute 2 - Right of large rock and pull left
8	Chutes Rapid - Snow Hole	III to III+	—–—	Right of center
9	Upper Powerhouse (Waterwheel) Rapid	III	1,000–12,000	This rapid passes an old waterweel and cabin on river right. Look at running left of center
10	Middle Powerhouse Rapid	III+ to IV	1,000–12,000	Harder at high water. At lower water watch out for some sharp rocks in this rapid. Watch where the river current pushes into the right bank at the bottom of this rapid.
11	Lower Powerhouse Rapid	III	1,000–12,000	Watch for wood and other wrapping and entrapment hazards in this area.
12	Soldier Creek Rapid	II+ to III-	1,000–12,000
13	Greyhound Rapids	II to II+	1,000–12,000	If you are floating through this is a standard read and run class II rapid. If you are camped here, kayakers can get some surf time in based off of water levels.	read and run
14	Artillery Rapid 1	II+	1,000–12,000	This rapid starts the beginning of about a mile to 2 mile section of class II to III water.	Read and run
15	Artillery Ledge Hole	III to III+	1,000–12,000	The river bank protrudes with a bar into the river on river right and can create a hole here.	read and run
16	Artillery Rapid 2	II+	1,000–12,000	This rapid gets tricky at low water since you need to pick a line cleanly through. High water just enjoy the ride	Scout from the left bank above the rapid
17	Artillery Rapid 3	II+	1,000–12,000	Again tougher in low water with all the rock dodging. Look at running just left of center.	Read and run
18	Artillery Rapid 4	II	1,000–12,000	Follow the waver train	Read and run
19	Rapid River Waves	II	1,000–12,000	A clean wave train below the rapid river outlet	read and run
20	Cannon Creek Rapid	III- to III+	1,000–12,000	This rapid was formed by a landslide and contains a hole/ledge at most water levels.
21	Lake Creek Rapid	II+ to III-	1,000–12,000	Right below a debree fan on the river right is this rapid. Look at running towards the left bank and channel.	You can scout from the debris fan if you wish
22	Pistol Creek Rapid	III+ to IV	1,000–12,000	This rapid is formed on an S curve in the river. Try to run through the S as straight as possible avoiding the wall and rocks.	Scout from the Lake Creek debris fan and walk down.
23	Indian Creek Launch Rapid	II+	1,000–12,000	A small rapid here but has good kayak surfing.
24	Pungo Rapid	II	1,000–12,000	A small wavetrain exists here at lower to medium level flows	Read and run
25	Orelano Rapid	II+ to III-	1,000–12,000	At low water this stretch is rocky and technical. At high water run down the right side.	Read and run
26	Higby Rock and Teapot Rapid	II- to II	1,000–12,000	At low water this is a very shallow area.	Read and run
27	Marble Creek Rapid	III to III+	1,000–12,000	A good sized hole develops here between 3 and 4.5 feet. Steer clear of it unless you like flipping or dumptrucking your boats.	Scout above the rapid on the left.
28	Ski Jump Rapid	II to IV	1,000–12,000	A funnel section in the river. At high water this can become a nasty hole.
29	Jackass Rapid	III	1,000–12,000	A Class III rapid. Run left of center.	Scout river right
30	Screaming Right Hand Turn (SRT) #1	II	1,000–12,000	Run toward the left	read and run
31	Pine Flat Rapid	II+	1,000–12,000	A smaller rapid but has fun spots for kayakers to surf and endo at certain water levels	Read and run
32	Lower Pine Flat Rapid	II to II+	1,000–12,000	A rocky Class II rapid	read and run
33	Screaming Right Hand Turn (SRT) #2	II to II+	1,000–12,000	Run left. Also look for a nice waterfall on river right before the rapid	Read and run
34	White Creek Rapid	II	1,000–12,000	Rocky at low water otherwise easy	Read and run
35	Shelf Rapid	II+	1,000–12,000	An easy rapid. Good surf wave for kayakers at higher flows	Read and run
36	Jack Creek Rapid	II	1,000–12,000	Read and run right of center
37	Hospital Bar Surf Wave	II+ to III-	1,000–12,000	An excellent kayak surf wave forms here between 2 to 4 feet. This section of river has it all. Camping, Hot Springs and Surfing.
38	Grouse Creek Rapid	II+	1,000–12,000	A read and run rapid. Good kayaking surfing here at medium flow levels
39	Tappan I Rapid	III to IV+	1,000–12,000	A small drop exists here and is straight forward to run	Read and run
40	Tappan Falls	III to IV	1,000–12,000	Definitely scout this. Enter right and pull towards center as you work through the rapid.	Scout from either bank. The right bank may be the best choice.
41	Tappan III or Cove Creek Rapid	III to IV	1,000–12,000	This rapid was altered in 2008 from debris and flooded out Tappan II (which no longer exists). Look at running left and scout this one.	Scout from the right bank.
42	Tappan IV Rapid	II to II+	1,000–12,000	This is the last rapid in the Tappan series. It's a read and run class II	Read and run
43	Aparajo Rapid	II to III	1,000–12,000	A straight forward rapid. This was also the proposed site of a dam.	Read and run
44	Haystack Rapid	III- to IV+	1,000–12,000	Lots of rocks and debris from sidecreek blowouts make this rapid tricky at low water and hole'y at high water. This rapid has been the scene of several accidents over the years so use caution.	Scout from below the air strip if you wish.
45	Bernard Rapid	III	1,000–12,000	Another class III rapid that follows immediately after Haystack. Very rocky here, especially at low water.
46	Jack Creek Rapid	III	1,000–12,000	The Jack Creek rapids consist of several rapid sections. The first encounter is earthquake rock where a large rock fell into the river when the Mount Borah earthquake happened in the 80's. This is followed by Jack creek as the river continues to bend.	Scout from right bank anywhere you want
47	Little Pine Rapid	II to II+	1,000–12,000	A class II and decent Kayak play here.	Read and run
48	Driftwood Rapid	II	1,000–12,000	Watch for a few boulders around the river in this section	Read and run
49	Lower Driftwood Rapid	II	1,000–12,000	Another wave train rapid	Read and run
50	Wall Shot Rapids	II to III	1,000–12,000	There is an S Curve in the river here and boats can get thrown into the upper right hand bank or the lower left hand bank if they aren't prepared.	Read and run
51	Kimmel Creek Rapid	II	1,000–12,000	A small rapid. Watch for the Kimmel Creek Waterfall on river left.	Read and run
52	Sam's Hole Rapid	II	1,000–12,000		Read and run
53	Waterfall Creek Rapid	III to III+	1,000–12,000	Harder at higher water.	Read and run
54	Big Creek Rapid	II	1,000–12,000	A rocky rapid at lower water	Read and run
55	Cutthroat Cove Rapid	II to III	1,000–12,000	This rapid is tougher at high water and has some decent kayak surfing and playspots here.	Read and run
56	Big Pine Rapid	II+ to III-	1,000–12,000		Read and run
57	Veil Falls Rapid	II to II+	1,000–12,000	Waves at higher flows and run leftish at lower flows.	Read and run
58	Porcupine Rapid	III	1,000–12,000	Run right and start pulling left to prevent contact with the right hand cliffs	Read and run
59	Goalpost Rapid	III- to III	1,000–12,000	Mainly a single wave drop but is one of the better surf spots on the MFS	Read and run
60	Redside Rapid	III to IV	1,000–12,000	This is a bigger rapid on the MFS and changes at different water levels. Avoid the main hole drop and start your pull to the left.	Scout from the redside camp on river left above the rapid
61	Weber Rapid	III to IV	1,000–12,000	Watch for a large hole in the center of this run. This is another rapid to take seriously.	River left.
62	Mist Falls Rapid	II	1,000–12,000	A minor rapid below the falls.	Read and run
63	Tombstone Rock Rapid	II+	1,000–12,000	A nice surf area here with good eddy access.	Read and run
64	Parrot Placer Rapid	II	1,000–12,000		Read and run
65	Upper Cliffside Rapid	II+ to III	1,000–12,000	Current and rapids form on river left. Stay off the wall and pull to the right through this rapid.	Read and run
66	Lower Cliffside Rapid	III	1,000–12,000	Run left as the current pushes towards the right bank. Watch for boulders and holes at all water levels.	Read and run
67	Rubber Rapid	III to IV+	1,000–12,000	Run down center. This is one of the middle forks biggest rapids and should be scouted. Watch for holes and rocks.	Scout from the right or left bank.
68	Hancock Rapid	III to IV	1,000–12,000	This is a long rapid and can have huge waves at high water.	Scout from the left bank.
69	Devils Tooth Rapid	III to III+	1,000–12,000	A changing rapid at different water levels.	Read and run.
70	House Rock Rapid	III	1,000–12,000	House Rock (after which the rapid is named) is on the right. Run left.	Read and run
71	Unnamed Rapid	II	1,000–12,000	A large boulder is in the center of the river here.	Read and run
72	Jump Off Rapid	III	1,000–12,000		Read and run
73	Boulder Choke Rapid	II	1,000–12,000	More large boulders stud the river in this section.	Read and run
74	Goat Creek Rapid	II to II+	1,000–12,000		Read and run
75	Cramer Creek Rapid	III to IV+	1,000–12,000	This is one of the biggest rapids on all of the Salmon and it's forks. Cramer has a big drop with a sizable hole.	Scout from the road on the right bank.

Access

Type	Name	Elevation	Camping	Water	Boat ramp	Vehicle access	Description
Put-In	Boundary Creek	—	Yes	No	Yes	All Vehicles
Take-Out	Confluence Boat Ramp	3,033 Feet	No	No	Yes	All Vehicles	This is the first opportunity to take out when running the middle fork. You can also bypass Cramer Creek Rapid by taking out here. This is not a paved ramp but dirt.
Take-Out	Cache Bar Ramp	2,980 Feet	No	No	Yes	All Vehicles	This is a paved very busy ramp.

Camps

Camp	Fee	Beach	Description
Big Bend Camp	No	Yes	On river right. Good camp for kayak surfing.
Trail Flat Camp	No	No	A camp on a bench above the river. Hot springs here. Not a bad setup.
Elkhorn Bar Camp	No	Yes	On river right, just pass Elkhorn Creek outlet.
Saddle Camp	No	No	A camp on a bench above the river on river left
Boot Camp	No	No	Smaller camp on river right located on a bench
Joe Bump Camp	No	Yes	On river left.
Scout Camp	No	Yes	Sandy beach camp on river left
Sheapeater Camp	No	Yes	A nice large camp near hot springs
Fire Island Camp	No	Yes	Look for a large tree on the left bank just above a small island. Land immediately after the tree.
Lake Creek Camp	No	No	River right bank across from the small Lake Creek stream outlet. Beach is rockier but campable.
Johns Camp	No	Yes	A long pebble ridden sandbar on river right.
Greyhound Camp	No	No	River right just above the greyhound class II rapids
Dome Hole Camp	No	Yes	On river left just below the greyhound rapids
Rapid River Camp	No	No	On river right just below the outlet of Rapid River. At faster flows the outlet bar of rapid river has a tendency to push you right past the landing area.
Big Snag Camp	No	Yes	The river makes a small jut and peninsula. Big Snag is on river left at the tip of this small peninsula. Descent sand bar and bench for camping.
Dolly Lake Camp	No	Yes	On river right
Pistol Creek Camp	No	Yes	On river left just above the Pistol Creek outlet is the Pistol Creek Camp. This area was burned badly in 2000.
Indian Creek Camp	No	Yes	On river left near the landing strip
Indian Creek Camp	No	Yes	On river left where Indian Creek meets the middle fork.
Pungo Creek Camp	No	No	On river left. Camp below the Pungo Creek in the trees. Above the creek is off limits to camping. Remnants of Native American pit houses are in this area and Forest Service regulations forbid camping there.
Little Soldier Camp	No	Yes	A beach at low water with a campable bench at high water.
Upper Marble Camp	No	No	On river left
Marble Right Camp	No	No	River right below Marble creek rapid
Lost Oak Camp	No	No	Camp is on a bench. Makes for unloading gear unpleasant.
Sunflower Flat Camp	No	No	A small camp near the hot springs on river right
State Land Camp	No	No	On river right. Cobble beach
Thomas Creek Camp	No	No	A large football lenght bench on river left can be used for a camp here regardless of the water level.
Little Creek Camp	No	No	On river right just below the guard station.
Hood Ranch Camp	No	No	On river left just below a river island
Upper Jackass Camp	No	Yes	On river right just below Jackass Rapid
Lower Jackass Camp	No	Yes	On river right
Pine Flat Camp	No	No	A bench camp. Hauling gear up to camp from the boats can be a pain here
Culver Creek Camp	No	Yes	Small camp on river right.
Whitie Cox Camp	No	No	A camp on the lower bench on river right. Upper bench is closed to camping due to Native American structure remnants there. Also nearby this camp is Whitie Cox's grave and hot springs.
Rock Island Camp	No	Yes	Large beach camp on river left. Some FS camping restrictions here. Follow the rules and signs.
White Creek Camp	No	No	Large lower bench on river right. More camping restrictions because of archeological sites on the upper bench.
Shelf Camp	No	No	On river right
Big Loon Camp	No	Yes	A very nice large camp just below the Loon Creek drainage. If you stay here make sure to hit the hot springs up Loon Creek
Cow Camp	No	Yes	On river right
Cave Camp	No	Yes	A mid to low water camp right on river right of a hard right hand bend in the river.
Hospital Bar Camp	No	Yes	A nice beach on river left.
Horsetail Camp	No	No	On river right
Cub Creek Camp	No	No	On river left
Upper Grouse Creek Camp	No	Yes	On river right. Good beach, not much shade
Lower Grouse Creek Camp	No	Yes	A great beach and ponderosa trees on river right
Tappan Island Camp	No	Yes	A unique camp on an actual island on the Middle Fork. Use the right channel or head of the island for access.
Camas Creek	No	Yes	Large camp on river right just above the Cama Creek confluence.
Johnny Walker Camp	No	No	On river left
Pool Camp	No	No	On river right. Beach at low water
Funston Camp	No	Yes	On river left
Broken Oar Camp	No	No	On river right
Trail Camp	No	Yes	On river right. Good beach, good shade
Sheep Creek Camp	No	Yes	On river left. Another good beach camp
Flying B Ranch Camp	No	No	On river right just opposite of the Flying B Ranch
Flying B Airport Camp	No	No	A small hot and shadeless camp on river right. Right across from the airport strip.
Bernard Camp	No	Yes	River left below the air strip
Short Creek Camp	No	No	River right
Cold Spring Camp	No	No	River right
Little Pine Camp	No	No	River left
Driftwood Flat Camp	No	Yes	A large camp on river right
Wilson Creek Camp	No	Yes	River right
Grassy Flat 1 Camp	No	Yes	River left
Grassy Flat 2 Camp	No	Yes	River left
Survey Creek Camp	No	Yes	Large camp on river left
Woolard Creek Camp	No	Yes	Small camp on river right.
Fly Camp	No	Yes	Small camp on river right
Fish Camp	No	Yes	A large beach camp on river left.
Big Creek Camp	No	No	A small camp on river left just above the confluence of Big Creek and the Middle Fork
Last Chance Camp	No	Yes	River right
Pine Bluff Camp	No	No	River left.
Cutthroat Cove Camp	No	Yes	Small to medium camp on river left.
Big Pine Camp	No	No	On river right
Elk Bar Camp	No	Yes	A very popular large sandy beach camp on river left.
Love Bar Camp	No	Yes	This camp is better at lower water. River left.
Redside Camp	No	No	Smaller camp on river left
Papoose Camp	No	Yes	On river left.
Ship Island Camp	No	No	River left.
Lightning Strike Camp	No	Yes	An exposed camp on river left.
Parrot Placer Camp	No	Yes	A very nice large camp on river right.
Parrot Cabin Camp	No	No	Smaller camp on river left.
Cradle Creek Camp	No	No	On river right.
Tumble Creek Camp	No	No	River right just after the cliffside rapids
Ouzel Camp	No	No	River left.
Cliffside Camp	No	Yes	A large popular camp on river right.
Stoddard Camp	No	No	River left
Otter Bar Camp	No	Yes	River right
Solitude Camp	No	Yes	On river left.
Goat Creek Camp	No	No	River right

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

Joe Bump Cabin Historical Place

Sheapeater Island Landmark

Lace Creek Hot Spring Hot Spring

Mortar Creek Island Geological Formation

Pistol Creek Ranch Historical Place

Pungo Mine Historical Place

Sunflower Hot Springs Hot Spring

Middle Fork Lodge and Bridge Historical Place

Thomas Creek Airstrip Landmark

Hood Cabin Historical Place

Sunflower Hot Springs Hot Spring

Sheepeater Pictographs Pictograph

Cougar Creek Ranch Historical Place

Mahoney Creek Airstrip Landmark

Fred Paulson's Cabin Historical Place

Hot Springs Hot Spring

White Creek Pack Bridge Landmark

Loon Creek Hot Springs Hot Spring

Hospital Hot Springs Hot Spring

Tappan Ranch Historical Place

Kaufman's Cave Historical Place

Shark Fin Pictographs Pictograph

Mormon Ranch Historical Place

Hot Spring Hot Spring

Flying B Ranch Historical Place

Bernard Bridge Landmark

Bernard Creek Guard Station Historical Place

Rattlesnake Cave Pictographs Pictograph

Waterfall Creek Waterfall

Big Creek Bridge Landmark

Veil Falls Waterfall

Mist Falls Waterfall

Tombstone Pictographs Pictograph

Nugget Falls Waterfall

Stoddard Pack Bridge Landmark

External Links & Resources

Lowest Priced Experienced Shuttle Service for Main, Middle and Lower Salmon River

Community Run Notes

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