Paddle TodayFind the best paddle near you today

Live score, water level, and weather.

See all 13 routes on Salmon River

Idaho | Central Idaho / Sawtooth-Salmon corridor

Salmon RiverYankee Fork Access to Torrey's Hole

An approximately 8.5-mile Class II-III Sunbeam Day Stretch from the Yankee Fork raft-slide access to the developed Torrey's Hole take-out.

Route location

Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.

Open access map

Plan this route

DistanceAbout 8.5 river miles
DifficultyHard
Typical timeAbout 3-5 hours plus scouting
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Salmon River winds through dry mountains north of Challis, Idaho.
River contextSalmon River north of Challis; same-river context, not an endpoint or current-conditions photograph river-level context — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Bureau of Land Management via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
Pulling the latest gauge and weather. This usually takes a few seconds.
View Primary Source
Embed this route

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceAbout 8.5 river milesYankee Fork Access to Torrey's Hole
DifficultyhardDifficulty follows the cited manager guide where stated and otherwise is deliberately conservative. Current flow, debris, diversions, weather, and party skill can materially change the trip.
ShuttleCar shuttleHighway 75 parallels the entire section. Stage at Torrey's Hole, then drive back to the Yankee Fork slide; account for summer traffic and shoulder parking.
PermitsNone notedNo general river permit is listed. Follow Salmon-Challis/Sawtooth National Recreation Area rules, Idaho AIS/PFD requirements, fire restrictions, and current Highway 75 or access notices.
CampingOptions nearbyThis is a day stretch. Use designated Salmon-Challis/Sawtooth campgrounds such as nearby Sunbeam or O'Brien-area facilities; do not assume dispersed camping at the raft slide or ramp.
SeasonMay-AugLate spring through early fall is the normal planning window. Verify snowmelt, releases, fire or fish-protection closures, water temperature, weather, and access status immediately before travel.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

An approximately 8.5-mile Class II-III Sunbeam Day Stretch from the Yankee Fork raft-slide access to the developed Torrey's Hole take-out.

Access map

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
Start

Put-in

Yankee Fork River Access raft slide
Open mapDirections to put-in

Use only the named public launch or landing; a nearby bank, bridge shoulder, fishing easement, or private campground is not substitute access.

Finish

Take-out

Torrey's Hole River Access boat ramp
Open mapDirections to take-out

Confirm current closures, fire restrictions, seasonal gates, parking capacity, fees, launch condition, and Idaho invasive-species requirements before travel.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

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

  • Piece of Cake
  • Warm Springs Gorge / The Narrows
  • cold water and changing holes
  • raft-slide carry
  • Highway 75 traffic

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.

Trip schedule

Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.

Browser plans

Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.

Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.

Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.

Gauge detail

Water-level history and forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Weather

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

Route gallery

Photos

Check each caption: some photos show the surrounding area rather than this exact trip.

The Salmon River winds through dry mountains north of Challis, Idaho.
Salmon River north of Challis; same-river context, not an endpoint or current-conditions photograph river-level context — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Bureau of Land Management via Wikimedia Commons
U.S. government work / public domain

Score & sources

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today’s call.

Data status
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

Why this scoreData reliability: checking

This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.

Why
  • Checking data sources and update times.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times

These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.

Gauge siteSalmon River below Yankee Fork near Clayton, ID
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Preferred range1,800 cfs to 3,200 cfs
Low threshold600 cfs
High threshold6,000 cfs
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial and local sources
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreRiverBrain/Sunbeam guidance: 600 cfs minimum, 2,500 cfs average, 6,000 cfs maximum; 1,800-3,200 cfs planning ideal
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
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 corridorYankee Fork Access to Torrey's Hole; About 8.5 river miles

    American Whitewater Sunbeam Day Stretch reach record identifies the endpoint chain, river miles, or managed float corridor.

    Source

  • Public access controlYankee Fork River Access raft slide to Torrey's Hole River Access boat ramp

    Coordinates represent named public ramps, bank launches, park landings, or an explicitly described staging point.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 13296500 - Salmon River below Yankee Fork near Clayton, ID

    Gauge is on the named waterbody and supplies context only.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • Safety and land managementCurrent manager notices override this record

    The lower Sunbeam section is mostly Class II with Piece of Cake and Warm Springs Gorge/Narrows as the principal Class III features; scout the gorge and keep a long-swim margin. American Whitewater describes the Yankee Fork, Elk Creek, and Snyder Springs access points as raft-slide or steep-carry facilities. Confirm the slide, shoulder parking, boat type, and current landing before launch. Use the direct 13296500 Yankee Fork gauge with the published 600-6,000 cfs shoulders and 1,800-3,200 cfs planning ideal. Low water makes Piece of Cake boney; rising water increases hole size and consequence. Torrey's Hole is a formal ramp, but stage the vehicle first and respect Highway 75 traffic, cold water, weather, wood, and current Salmon-Challis access notices.

    Source

  • Camping classificationnearby_basecamp

    This is a day stretch. Use designated Salmon-Challis/Sawtooth campgrounds such as nearby Sunbeam or O'Brien-area facilities; do not assume dispersed camping at the raft slide or ramp.

    Source

  • Photo contextUpper Salmon River same-river context photograph

    The gallery photo is visual context. It may show another part of the same river or watershed and does not show current conditions at every access point.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

Share your trip

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or explore different rivers within 75 straight-line miles.

More in Idaho

All 137 routes
Idaho route guideBrowse every tracked Idaho route.Central Idaho / Sawtooth-Salmon corridorJump to routes in this region.

More on Salmon River

All 13
Bayhorse to Challis BridgeCentral Idaho / ChallisModerate · 8.3 river milesChallis Bridge to Watts BridgeCentral Idaho / Challis ValleyModerate · 14.2 river milesCuster Pullout to Pole Flat CampgroundCentral Idaho / Custer CountyHard · About 7.1 river milesEast Fork Recreation Site to Bayhorse Recreation SiteCentral Idaho / Custer CountyModerate · About 11.7 river miles

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Marsh Creek / Middle Fork SalmonState Highway 21 to Dagger Falls · about 23 straight-line mi awayHard · About 16 milesMiddle Fork Salmon RiverMarsh Creek to Boundary Creek · about 24 straight-line mi awayHard · About 15.7 river milesMiddle Fork Salmon RiverBoundary Creek to Cache Bar · about 33 straight-line mi awayHard · About 100 river miles, multi-dayBig Wood RiverChocolate Gulch Bridge to Lake Creek Bridge · about 38 straight-line mi awayModerate · About 3.6 river miles

Quick answers

Salmon River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Yankee Fork Access to Torrey's Hole route on the Salmon River?

Paddle Today watches Salmon River below Yankee Fork near Clayton, ID and treats 1,800 cfs to 3,200 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does the Yankee Fork Access to Torrey's Hole route on the Salmon River start and end?

This route starts at Yankee Fork River Access raft slide and ends at Torrey's Hole River Access boat ramp, about 8.5 river miles on the water.

Is the Yankee Fork Access to Torrey's Hole route on the Salmon River suitable 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.

Flag a change

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.

Report a changeEmail update