You may want to pick an Idaho river for a vacation. There are more than 3,000 miles of whitewater and a wide range of activities, including rafts, dories, kayaks, canoes, paddle boats, sweep boats and jet boats on a dozen different rivers.

The Salmon

• “River of No Return”
  LOCATION: Corn Creek (2,920 ft) to Vinegar Creek (1,960 ft) — 79 miles.
  
  The Main Salmon was dubbed the “River of No Return” by early explorers. A full Main Salmon run begins near Salmon, floats through the second deepest canyon in North America, and ends 79 miles later near Riggins. There are plenty of hot springs and historic sites.
  
  Contact the North Fork Ranger District, 208-865-2700.
  
  
• Middle Fork of the Salmon
  LOCATION: Boundary Creek (5,640 ft) to Cache Bar (3,000 ft) — 96 miles.
  
  Ranked as one of the top 10 whitewater rivers in the world, the Middle Fork of the Salmon is Idaho’s most famous “Wild and Scenic” river. Known for its challenging class III-IV rapids — 100 in less than 100 miles — the Middle Fork is undammed and unspoiled as it passes through central Idaho’s “Frank Church River-of-No-Return” Wilderness, the largest federally-protected wilderness in the lower 48. Contact the Middle Fork Ranger District, 208-879-4101 for more information.
  
  
• The Lower Salmon Gorge
  LOCATION: Hammer Creek (1,410 ft) to Heller Bar (850 ft) — 73 miles.
  
  Although “Wild and Scenic” designation is pending for the Lower Main Salmon, it is still undiscovered. It drops out of the forest near Riggins into narrow basalt gorges that squeeze the river runner for miles. Then, the landscape opens up to grassy palisades until the Salmon joins the Snake at Hells Canyon on the Idaho/Oregon border.
  
  The Lower Main Salmon is a good place to get away from it all. Aside from old ruins, there is little evidence of man. Indians and early Chinese miners liked the seclusion of the lower Main. Contact the Bureau of Land Management, 208-962-3245.
  
  
• Hells Canyon
  LOCATION: Hells Canyon Dam (1,475 ft) to Pittsburgh Landing (1,120 ft) — 30 miles.
  
  Everything about the Snake River in Hells Canyon is big. Big river, big waves, big views, big cliffs. The canyon is the deepest gorge in North America, several thousand feet deeper than the Grand Canyon. Idaho’s Seven Devils Mountains tower on one side; Oregon’s Wallowas on the other. Rapids such as Granite and Wild Sheep get class III-IV ratings largely because of their size.
  
  There are two ways to ride the river and see the canyon. Jet boats offer sightseeing cruises both from Lewiston at the northern end and from Hells Canyon dam at the southern end. Rafts and dories float through the central 34-mile “Wild and Scenic” section of the river. Visitors often combine the two by float boating down the river and jet boating back to their starting point.
  
  Contact the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, 509-758-0616.

The Lochsa
LOCATION: White Pine (2,6401 ft) to Split Creek (1,720 ft) — 26 miles.

Lochsa means “rough water” in the Nez Perce Indian language. From its headwaters in the Bitterroot Mountains to its confluence with the Selway and Clearwater rivers, the Lochsa pounds through more than 40 class III-IV major rapids. Contact the Clearwater National Forest, 208-476-4541.

The Selway
LOCATION: Paradise Guard Station (3,050 ft) to Meadow Creek (1,720 ft) — 46 miles.

The Selway is Idaho's most private wild and scenic river. Only one launch is allowed each day, in order to protect the pristine beauty of the river as it passes through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. The banks of the river are overgrown with cedar, fir, huckleberries and ferns and the water always runs clear. Contact the West Fork Ranger Station, 406-821-3269.

The Owyhee River

Idaho’s boating laws A new Idaho law mandates a $75 fine when children younger than 15 are caught without an approved life jacket. The new life jacket rule says children 14 and younger must wear a life jacket when they are aboard a boat 19 feet and less when the boat is under way or under power, according to Boating Law Administrator Doug Strong at the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. Idaho law since the mid-1980s has required all types of boats to carry life jackets for everyone on board, but people were not required to wear them. Now, youth must have them on. State law defines an approved life jacket as one that meets all the following characteristics: List “US Coast Guard Approved” on the label. Are properly sized for the person wearing it. Are in “like new” condition with no broken zippers, rips or missing buckles. While youth 14 and under must wear an approved life jacket, for adults and youth over the age of 14, there must be:  An approved life jacket within easy reach of each person aboard the boat when under way or under power. A “wearable” type of life vest or jacket on boats less than 16 feet long and on all canoes and kayaks. An additional “throw-able” type flotation aid such as a ring buoy aboard boats 16 feet and longer (except canoes and kayaks of any length).  To learn more For more information about Idaho’s boating laws, safety tips and educational opportunities, log onto the state boating Web page at www.boatidaho.org, or call the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation at 334-4180, ext. 227. Boater safety classes are offered throughout the state by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, county sheriff’s officers, state park staff, community education programs and online by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.

The Payette
LOCATIONS: Main Payette-Banks (2,790 ft) to Beehive Bend (2,700 ft) — 7 miles; North Fork-Smiths Ferry (4,490 ft) to Banks (2,790) — 16 miles; Cabarton Run-Cabarton Bridge (4,700 ft) to Smiths Ferry (4,510) — 9 miles; South Fork-Deer Creek Turnout (2,950 ft) to Banks (2,790 ft) — 5 miles. The Payette River is just an hour drive from Boise but it still manages to leave civilization far behind. Visitors float a clean mountain river with forested banks and hawks or osprey flying overhead, and different groups enjoy different stretches of the river. Contact the Boise National Forest, 208-373-4100.

The Bruneau and Jarbidge
LOCATIONS: Bruneau-Indian Hot Springs (3,790 ft) to Indian Bathtub (2,580 ft) - 56 miles.

Jarbidge-Murphy Hot Springs (4,900 ft) to Indian Hot Springs (3,700 ft) 25 miles.

The Bruneau/Jarbidge rivers are two of the most remote and fleeting canyonland rivers in the West. They can be run only for a few months each spring from April to June. There are no ranches, no old homesteads, no airstrips, no signs of civilization on these rivers. There is no hiking out. River runners camp in cedar and juniper grottoes. Contact the BLM, 208-384-3300.

The Moyie, St. Joe and Clearwater
LOCATIONS: Moyie-Copper Creek ( 2,580 ft) to Moyie Dam (2,030 ft) -18 miles.

St. Joe-Heller Creek (4,690 ft) to Spruce Tree (3,700 ft) -16 miles.

Day trips are also popular on the three North Idaho rivers. The Moyie River delivers a lot of excitement in just one day. The whitewater is consistent and fast-flowing, dropping 30 feet a mile through a cedar forest. That means non-stop intermediate whitewater through a short May and June season. Contact Clearwater National Forest, 208-476-4541; Bonners Ferry Ranger District , 208-267-5561: Idaho Panhandle National Forest 208-765-7223.

The Snake
South of Boise, the Snake River has cut a canyon where more eagles, hawks and falcons nest each spring in greater concentrations than at any other place in North America. The Snake River Birds of Prey Area is protected here. Birdwatching and sightseeing trips are offered on motorized pontoon boats each spring into the summer. These are scenic trips only. There are no rapids on this stretch. The Snake offers more rafting in south-central Idaho. Families and beginning rafters enjoy bouncing through small rapids on day trips through the green Hagerman Valley. The Murtaugh stretch of the Snake churns up big excitement with class III-IV rapids.

The South Fork of the Snake stretches some 60 miles from Palisades Dam to its confluence with the Henry's Fork. Major recreation uses include power and float boating, fishing, camping, sightseeing, day use and biking. Commercial outfitters and guides provide fishing and scenic boat trips.