Riggins is a small town. One main street, a couple thousand people, and more big country around it than most places ten times its size. The Salmon River runs right through town, the Little Salmon joins it here, and the Seven Devils mountain range rises straight up to the east. If you are passing through or building a trip around it, here is an honest rundown of what is worth your time.
Hit the River Beaches
This one is obvious if you have been here before, but first-timers are always caught off guard by the beaches. The Salmon River around Riggins has some of the best river beaches you will find anywhere in the West! The wide, clean, white sand gets better and better as summer goes on.
In May and early June the water is high and most of the sand is underwater. By late June it starts emerging, and by July and August you have got wide open beaches all along the canyon. Pull over anywhere along the Salmon River Road east of town, find a flat spot, and spend the afternoon. Swim, bring a cooler, read a book, sun bathe, do nothing.
The sand is the way it is because the Salmon runs free. No dams above Riggins means the spring floods push fresh granite sand down from the mountains every year.
Raft the River or Grab a Kayak
Riggins is the Whitewater Capital of Idaho, and the Salmon River right here in town backs that up.
Wild River Adventures runs half-day trips for people who want to get on the water without a full-day commitment, all-day trips for guests who want the full Riggins experience, and overnight trips for those who want to sleep on the river banks. The rapids in the Riggins section (Time Zone, Traps Creek, Ruby, Lake Creek) are real whitewater. An amazing river with actual guides who know what they are doing.
If you want something more independent, we also offer inflatable kayaks. They are a great option in the calmer stretches between rapids, easy to handle, fun on flatwater, and a completely different way to experience the river than sitting in a raft. On multi-day trips through the Lower Salmon Gorge, guests can hop in an inflatable kayak on the mellower sections and be back in the raft before the next big rapid. If you are visiting Riggins on your own and want to get on the water in a kayak, ask us at the shop and we can point you in the right direction.
For guests with more time, the multi-day Lower Salmon Gorge trip is in a completely different category. Four days, 3 nights, 72 miles, canyon walls the whole way. That one is worth planning a trip around.
Drive Up to Heaven’s Gate
Riggins sits at around 1,800 feet. Heaven’s Gate lookout is at 8,429 feet. You can drive that in about 45 minutes on a gravel road that climbs out of the canyon into full alpine terrain.
At the top you are standing on a ridge between two of the deepest canyons in North America — Hells Canyon on one side, the Salmon River Canyon on the other. On a clear day you can see into four states. In July and August when Riggins is hitting 100 degrees, the lookout is in the 70s with a breeze and snowfields still hanging on the north faces.The sunset views are spectacular year-round.
The trailhead at Windy Saddle just below the lookout connects into the Seven Devils Loop, a multi-day backpacking route for people who want to go deeper into that country. Even if you just drive up and look around for an hour, it is worth the trip.
Fish the Salmon
Riggins is a serious fishing town. Guides run drift boats and jet boats year-round depending on the season and species. Steelhead are the big draw in fall and spring. Chinook salmon run in summer. Smallmouth bass are in the river through the warm months and are genuinely fun on light tackle. White sturgeon hold in the deeper pools and can run over ten feet long — catch and release only, but seeing one up close is something you do not forget.
If you are interested in guided fishing through Wild River Adventures, stop in or call and we can walk you through what is running and what the best setup looks like for your dates.
Day Trip to McCall and Payette Lake
McCall is about 45 minutes south of Riggins on Highway 95, and it is worth a day if you have the time. The town sits on the shore of Payette Lake, a 5,300-acre glacial lake at about 5,000 feet elevation, so it is clear, cold, deep, and surrounded by mountains. After a few days in the canyon heat of Riggins, getting up to McCall feels like stepping into a different world. On the drive to McCall, about halfway through is the Zims Hotsprings if you want to step in for a while and relax.
Payette Lake is the main draw. Rentals for boats, kayaks, paddleboards, and jet skis are available right in town, and Ponderosa State Park sits on a peninsula jutting out into the lake with beaches, hiking trails, and campgrounds. The park has over 20 miles of trails if you want to get out of the heat and into the pines. Summer temperatures in McCall stay in the 70s and 80s while Riggins is still cooking which can make it worth the drive.
McCall has a good little downtown too. A few breweries, restaurants, a Saturday farmers market in summer, and enough going on that you can spend a full day there without trying too hard.
Burgdorf Hot Springs is another two hours north of McCall up into the Payette National Forest. A lot of guests build Riggins, McCall, and Burgdorf into a long weekend loop and come away feeling like they saw a real piece of Idaho.
Where to Eat in Riggins
Although Riggins is small, they’ve got some restaurants worth noting while you’re there.
Seven Devils Bar and Steakhouse is the local standby. Good food, cold drinks, and the most local crowd you will find in town. Family-friendly and unpretentious — the kind of place where you sit down, eat well, and feel like you are actually in Riggins and not a tourist version of it.
Kim’s Kitchen is a great breakfast spot. If you are getting on the river early, this is where you eat first.
Riggins Whitewater Market is where you can get all your grocery needs, but make sure to check out their ice cream. Good stop after a hot day on the water.
Fiddle Creek Fruit Stand is seasonal and family-owned selling fresh fruit and local produce. If you drive past it on the way in or out of town, be sure to pull over, it’s worth your time.
Just Be in Riggins for a Minute
There is something to be said for a town that has not been built for tourism. Riggins has a gas station, a few places to eat, a bar or two, and a river running through the middle of it with lots of fun events throughout the year. It is not polished. The people who live here actually live here and love it.
If you are building a trip to the Salmon River, plan to spend at least two or three days in Riggins rather than treating it as a quick stop. The river is the reason to come, but the town and the country around it are the reason to stay.
Book a trip with Wild River Adventures and we can help you figure out the rest from there.
For further information on rafting or visiting the Salmon visit: