Northwest River Company * 9753 N. Golden Sun Dr.* Tucson, AZ 85737 * (208)344-7119
Selway River Wilderness Raft Trips
The Selway River is Unique
The Selway River is one of the highest quality rivers in America due to the natural beauty of the canyon, the challenge of the rapids and the premium opportunity it offers for solitude. The Selway River has the most restricted use level of any river. Only one group per day, a maximum 16 persons (12 guests, 4 guides) is allowed to launch on the river. This management policy and the remote nature of the country make the Selway River an experience in wilderness serenity.
Recognized As Special
In 1964, Congress established the National Wilderness Preservation System comprising nine million acres of America's most pristine wilderness. The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness was 1.25 million of the original nine million acres. Today the National System is over 100 million acres.
In 1968, Congress established the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System, beginning with eight rivers. The Selway was one of the original eight rivers.
Locate the Selway
The Selway River is west of the Idaho-Montana border, just over the Bitterroot Mountains from Hamilton, Montana. Locate Missoula, Montana on a map. For your Selway River trip we drive south from Missoula to a small town called Darby, then turn west and drive over Nez Perce Pass (the border between Idaho and Montana) descending to the headwaters of the Selway River in Idaho. The Forest Service road to the river ends at a place appropriately called Paradise, where we begin your Selway adventure. The river flows for 47 miles, first north, then west until it reaches the road accessing the lower river on the sixth day of your trip. This Forest Service road takes us back to Highway 12 which leads us Northeast, up and over Lolo Pass and your return to Missoula, Montana.
Recognized As Special
In 1964, Congress established the National Wilderness Preservation System comprising nine million acres of America's most pristine wilderness. The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness was 1.25 million of the original nine million acres. Today the National System is over 100 million acres.
In 1968, Congress established the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System, beginning with eight rivers. The Selway was one of the original eight rivers.
Locate the Selway
The Selway River is west of the Idaho-Montana border, just over the Bitterroot Mountains from Hamilton, Montana. Locate Missoula, Montana on a map. For your Selway River trip we drive south from Missoula to a small town called Darby, then turn west and drive over Nez Perce Pass (the border between Idaho and Montana) descending to the headwaters of the Selway River in Idaho. The Forest Service road to the river ends at a place appropriately called Paradise, where we begin your Selway adventure. The river flows for 47 miles, first north, then west until it reaches the road accessing the lower river on the sixth day of your trip. This Forest Service road takes us back to Highway 12 which leads us Northeast, up and over Lolo Pass and your return to Missoula, Montana.
Wilderness
The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is 1,250,000 acres that remains relatively untouched by human incursion. 75 million years ago a large upward swelling of molten granite broke through the earth's crust and created this part of the North American continent. Since then the forces of geologic change formed this country into a rugged jumble of steep canyons, mountains and rivers.
Early explorers and pioneers went around it. The only road in is the one we take to the launch site. We float through 47 roadless miles to the take-out. The country is much as it was when Lewis and Clark passed nearby in 1805 and as the Nez Perce Indians saw it when they passed through on their way to hunt buffalo on the Great Plains.
Dense stands of pine, fir and cedar trees abound in the wilderness. Large groves of cedar rise over 100 feet right from the river's edge. Deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, black bear, otter, eagles, osprey and owls thrive in this protected area.
The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is 1,250,000 acres that remains relatively untouched by human incursion. 75 million years ago a large upward swelling of molten granite broke through the earth's crust and created this part of the North American continent. Since then the forces of geologic change formed this country into a rugged jumble of steep canyons, mountains and rivers.
Early explorers and pioneers went around it. The only road in is the one we take to the launch site. We float through 47 roadless miles to the take-out. The country is much as it was when Lewis and Clark passed nearby in 1805 and as the Nez Perce Indians saw it when they passed through on their way to hunt buffalo on the Great Plains.
Dense stands of pine, fir and cedar trees abound in the wilderness. Large groves of cedar rise over 100 feet right from the river's edge. Deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, black bear, otter, eagles, osprey and owls thrive in this protected area.
There are three small homesteads left near the river from the days prior to wilderness designation. The mountainsides and canyon walls are mosaic shades of green, revealing the history of past fire activity.
The Rapids
There are three factors that determine the difficulty of rapids - the volume of the water, the shape of the streambed and the amount of drop per mile. All of these factors can combine in the extreme to make the Selway River wild. The highest level of difficulty and danger comes at the highest water levels, the peak of the spring run-off from mid-May to mid-June. As the levels drop toward the end of June and during July, the river becomes more manageable and suitable for those interested in a safe, professionally run excursion down the river through this pristine wilderness area.
The Selway River is free flowing. Control over the amount of water in the river is entirely up to naturally occurring factors. Northwest River Company has set procedures we follow at various water levels. We manage risk. We do not eliminate it. You assume risks associated with wilderness adventure travel (see liability release form) when you join a Selway River trip.
We adjust our procedures to changing water levels. All rafts are Maravia self-bailers. We use oar-powered rafts with paddle assist. You have the opportunity to paddle as much or as little as you prefer. If you are concerned about any of the rapids, there is an excellent hiking trail that follows the entire river, giving you the option to walk, observe or take photos instead of running the rapid.
There are three factors that determine the difficulty of rapids - the volume of the water, the shape of the streambed and the amount of drop per mile. All of these factors can combine in the extreme to make the Selway River wild. The highest level of difficulty and danger comes at the highest water levels, the peak of the spring run-off from mid-May to mid-June. As the levels drop toward the end of June and during July, the river becomes more manageable and suitable for those interested in a safe, professionally run excursion down the river through this pristine wilderness area.
The Selway River is free flowing. Control over the amount of water in the river is entirely up to naturally occurring factors. Northwest River Company has set procedures we follow at various water levels. We manage risk. We do not eliminate it. You assume risks associated with wilderness adventure travel (see liability release form) when you join a Selway River trip.
We adjust our procedures to changing water levels. All rafts are Maravia self-bailers. We use oar-powered rafts with paddle assist. You have the opportunity to paddle as much or as little as you prefer. If you are concerned about any of the rapids, there is an excellent hiking trail that follows the entire river, giving you the option to walk, observe or take photos instead of running the rapid.
The Selway River has a tight, constricted streambed. It drops an average of 28 feet per mile. Twice, where large side creeks join the main river, the volume almost doubles. At the halfway point, at Moose Creek, it doubles and drops 125 feet in the next 2.5 miles. We call this section "Moose Juice" - a tribute to the adrenaline producing class III and IV rapids, back to back, that it contains.