See all 2 routes on Little Salmon River
Idaho | West-central Idaho / Riggins
Little Salmon River
Smoky Boulder Road to Hazard Creek
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
A 5.2-mile roadside Class III-V Little Salmon reach from the first Highway 95 waterfalls below Smoky Boulder Road to the Hazard Creek take-out.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Smoky Boulder Road / Highway 95 Put-InUse only the named public launch or landing; a nearby bank, bridge shoulder, fishing easement, or private campground is not substitute access.
Take-out
Hazard Creek Take-OutConfirm current closures, fire restrictions, seasonal gates, parking capacity, fees, launch condition, and Idaho invasive-species requirements before travel.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Use only the named public launch or landing; a nearby bank, bridge shoulder, fishing easement, or private campground is not substitute access.
- Confirm current closures, fire restrictions, seasonal gates, parking capacity, fees, launch condition, and Idaho invasive-species requirements before travel.
- Private banks are common. Do not land, scout, portage, or camp outside a signed public site or manager-designated corridor.
Watch for
- four large waterfalls
- hidden strainers and submerged rocks
- holes at waterfall bases
- Highway 95 traffic and limited shoulder
- mandatory Hazard Creek takeout
- private banks
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Data and sources
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Little Salmon River at Riggins, ID |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Target band | 1,100 cfs to 1,300 cfs |
| Low threshold | 500 cfs |
| High threshold | 3,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Little Salmon flow table: 500 cfs low, 1,200 cfs optimal, 3,000 cfs high |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official route corridorSmoky Boulder Road to Hazard Creek; About 5.2 river miles
American Whitewater Smoky Boulder Road-to-Hazard Creek reach record identifies the endpoint chain, river miles, or managed float corridor.
- Public access controlSmoky Boulder Road / Highway 95 Put-In to Hazard Creek Take-Out
Coordinates represent named public ramps, bank launches, park landings, or an explicitly described staging point.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 13316500 - Little Salmon River at Riggins, ID
Gauge is on the named waterbody and supplies context only.
- Threshold postureGauge-linked range used for live scoring
The cited route guidance is tied to this gauge and reach; hazards, closures, weather, and local inspection still override the score.
- Safety and land managementCurrent manager notices override this record
American Whitewater describes four large waterfalls along Highway 95; all are reported runnable, but the first can damage boats and the drops can hide strainers or submerged rocks. Scout every falls and portage whenever the line is not unquestionably clean. This is a high-challenge roadside run with limited shoulder space. Stage only at the Smoky Boulder Road / Highway 95 access and the river-right Hazard Creek take-out, keep clear of traffic, and do not cross private frontage or continue downstream by accident. Use 500 cfs as a conservative low-water floor, about 1,200 cfs as the published optimal cue, and 3,000 cfs as the high-water limit. Verify the direct gauge, current road/fire notices, and the downstream Hazard Creek exit before launching.
- Camping classificationnearby_basecamp
No endpoint campsite is documented for this short roadside reach. Use a permitted Riggins/New Meadows basecamp or another designated public campground and verify current fire restrictions.
- Image decisionLittle Salmon / Salmon River watershed context photograph
Approved route-area or same-river context; it does not depict every endpoint or current conditions.
- Overlap decisionRetained as a distinct access-to-access itinerary
Adjacent cards use different public endpoints and provide a different trip length, hazard set, skill tier, or operating boundary.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- American Whitewater Smoky Boulder Road-to-Hazard Creek reach record
- Official access/map control
- USGS 13316500 monitoring location
- USGS 13316500 current conditions
- Little Salmon flow table: 500 cfs low, 1,200 cfs optimal, 3,000 cfs high
- Additional threshold support
- American Whitewater Smoky Boulder-to-Hazard reach
- Little Salmon flow table and gauge cues
- USGS Little Salmon River at Riggins direct gauge
- Idaho Transportation Department US 95 milepoint log
- Dreamflows Little Salmon reach map
- Little Salmon / Salmon River watershed context photograph
- Idaho boating and invasive-species requirements
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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Quick answers
Little Salmon River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Little Salmon River?
Paddle Today watches Little Salmon River at Riggins, ID and treats 1,100 cfs to 1,300 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Little Salmon River route start and end?
This route starts at Smoky Boulder Road / Highway 95 Put-In and ends at Hazard Creek Take-Out, about About 5.2 river miles on the water.
Is this Little Salmon River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
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