Written by Leah Collins
There’s really no feeling like when you set out on the raft into the gorgeous river canyons of Idaho, leaving behind the pressures and monotony of everyday life. Out on the river, every day is an adventure that brings new sights, experiences, and connections.
My family did a multi-day rafting trip in Idaho on the Main Salmon River with Wet Planet for the first time in 2021 and loved it so much that we decided to bring our extended family with us a second time. This trip was able to give us a true vacation where we could disconnect from the world around us and really connect with each other.
Without devices or WiFi, we were able to sit on the beach and talk to each other in the evenings instead of watching a movie or being on our phones. As a high schooler, I found it to be one of the best experiences I’ve had in terms of connecting with my cousins and the adults in my family.
One of the unique parts of this trip is that absolutely everything is handled for you. Normally when my family goes on vacation, it still falls on the adults to plan the meals, organize the activities, and make sure we’re all entertained. On the river, all of the meals are wonderfully prepared, the kids are always entertained, and the adults get to have time for themselves and each other. The Wet Planet team made this an amazing experience. I have never seen people so kind and genuinely happy to be out in nature every day.
I also love that this trip is able to cater to all adventure levels. My family and I, who are adventurous and outdoorsy, loved this trip, as did our extended family. The whitewater was so much fun. Every day there were a couple of bigger rapids to break up the calm, but when we weren’t going through a rapid we would all get out and swim in the river. We’d float on our backs, splash each other, and paddle around in the inflatable kayaks called duckies.
At camp each afternoon and evening there was plenty to do—we would swim, hike, and even float on the sleeping pads called Paco pads. Every night they would bring out games like SpikeBall, Kan Jam, BananaGrams, and cards to play together.
The canyons are old and generally undisturbed so you may even get the chance to see some petroglyphs and visit historical sites. We also got to stop by the hot springs, an incredible destination just steps off the river, with hot water bubbling right out of the ground.
My favorite memory from the trip was the first night on the river when we had been rafting for about half the day, set up camp, and then somehow my cousins and I ended up on the beach a little bit away from everyone else. We all sat down and ended up talking about school and life and everything going on with each other. It was so special to truly get to talk to them without any other distractions. I’ve never been able to talk so much with my cousins, who are also teenagers, because we normally have so many other things pulling at our attention.
If you are considering a family rafting trip in Idaho, my advice is to go for it! It is a true vacation with connection, relaxation, adventure, fun, and delicious food all wrapped into an incredible week-long trek through a beautiful, wild canyon. You won’t regret it!
Thinking about a trip on Idaho’s Main Salmon River? Check out this video to get a sneak peek. Fun fact, it was filmed on Leah’s trip!
