Payette River
Kayak spot · United States
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
- 24.3 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
Payette River 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.
More kayaking near here
1 place
- Horseshoe Dam Boat Ramp 3.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Payette River
A river section on the Payette River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 24 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 open to canoes and kayaks. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. The town to stay in is Horseshoe Bend. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.
- River Payette River
- Grade No source states its grade: check a guidebook before you paddle it.
- Length 24 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 open to canoes and kayaks.
- 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$1,200–US$2,210 each
about US$1,200–US$2,210 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, 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 MDW to BOI, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$221–US$463 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$87–US$148 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$349–US$584 |
| 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$1,200–US$2,210 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Horseshoe Bend
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Horseshoe Bend its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest town: Horseshoe Bend, 1 km. We have not checked places to stay in Horseshoe Bend yet. The nearest beds we have counted are in Boise, 33 km away (about 1h by car). Search before you plan on staying there.
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 6h 25m
About 6h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → BOI, direct, then 1h by road
Flights MDW → BOI on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Horseshoe Bend · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Horseshoe Bend · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at PAYETTE RIVER NR HORSESHOE BEND ID, 5 km upstream: 25.4 m³/s, low for November (updated 2 h ago). Running.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River levels in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). Credits
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.