Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
Not for new paddlers. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler.
The spot in two facts
- Moving waterthe water
- 12.6 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
Not for new paddlers. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler. See it for grade III paddlers.
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.
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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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. 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$913–US$1,710 each
about US$913–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 2 November 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$215–US$443 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$913–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
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.