Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
57Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: Wind 1 kn gusting 14, Air 11 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Tue 3 · 54 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 49 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 1.1 mm
Fri 6 · 51 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 20kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 62 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 59 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 248, fair
- Tue 354, fair
- Wed 457, fair
- Thu 549, fair
- Fri 651, fair
- Sat 756, fair
- Sun 862, good
- Mon 959, fair
- Tue 1062, good
- Wed 1149, fair
The spot in three facts
- Moving waterthe water
- 12.6 kmthe section
- Best Jul–Aug7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 48, fair | 1 kn | 9kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 54, fair | 2 kn | 8kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 57, fair | 1 kn | 7kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 49, fair | 3 kn | 17kn | 5°C | 1.1 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 51, fair | 3 kn | 20kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 56, fair | 1 kn | 8kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 62, good | 1 kn | 14kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 59, fair | 1 kn | 10kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 62, good | 1 kn | 14kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 49, fair | 5 kn | 25kn | 5°C | 0.6 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jul–Aug
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May4of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Confluence Takeout on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Confluence Takeout
A river section on the Salmon River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 13 km along the river. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler. OpenStreetMap marks the water as needing a permit or a fee: check before you go. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. For expert paddlers the best months are usually July and August, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Nearest place to stay we found: Ram’s Head Cafe and Lodge, Shoup, 9 km. Nearest beds: Hamilton Montana, 111 km. Nearest airport: Lemhi County Airport (SMN), 59 km.
- River Salmon River
- Grade No source states its grade: check a guidebook before you paddle it.
- Length 13 km along the river.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water as needing a permit or a fee: check before you go.
- Schools, hire No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$911–US$1,710 each
about US$911–US$1,710 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to MSO, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$214–US$442 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$911–US$1,710 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 111 km away
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
No town nearby
Nearest place to stay we found: Ram’s Head Cafe and Lodge, Shoup, 9 km. Nearest beds: Hamilton Montana, 111 km. Nearest airport: Lemhi County Airport (SMN), 59 km.
See places to stay near Hamilton Montana, 111 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 8h 55m
About 8h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MSO, direct, then 3h 30m by road
Flights ORD → MSO on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Confluence Takeout · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Confluence Takeout · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits