Scenes from classic permitted Idaho rivers: Hells Canyon, Ladle Rapid on the Selway and the Main Salmon's Buckskin Bills.
One of the special things about Montana's Smith River is its geology which is very much different than Idaho, Oregon or Washington rivers.
Exiting Wolf Creek rapid on the Selway at 1-foot on gauge.
River Permit Arithmetic
Paul Delaney, writing in the summer of 2022 for OutThere Outdoors magazine looked at the process of trying to secure river permits on several Northwest rivers. Running these rivers requires not only a permit for the most popular rivers but also patience and perseverance. Read more when you CLICK HERE.
How to Snag 10 of the Most Coveted Private River Permits
Plan ahead and read all about it at oars.com when you CLICK HERE.
CURSES, FOILED AGAIN!
The broken river permit system is in need of a long-overdue fix, but there’s no mechanic on the way.
Paul Delaney follows up on his 2022 story in OutThere Outdoors magazine with some dismal odds on snagging a permit, but some thoughts on how to still run some the West's most dynamic wilderness rivers. Read more when you CLICK HERE.
Permit applications by the numbers:
By now many of you have entered the whitewater version of the “MegaMillions” lottery so here are some recent stats that show how lucky you have to be to draw a permit.
The yearly chase for river permits is under way so get ready!
For classic Idaho rivers like Hells Canyon, the Main, Middle Fork of the Salmon or Selway visit 4-Rivers Permits: Click Here.
NEW: Check out Colorado Whitewater for other links to great Western river trip permit info by Clicking Here.
Permit info and much more is found at the Whitewater Guidebook: Click Here.
Smith River: Changes arrived in 2024 season
The Smith River is Montana’s only permitted stream and is accepting applications through mid February. There were big changes in 2024 of which you should be aware. For a PDF with links click below.
Download: Smith River permit info.docx
Download: Smith River permit info.pdf