This atlas follows the Main Salmon from Corn Creek to Carey Creek, about 80 river miles through Idaho’s mountain country. Vinegar Creek is also marked as an alternative takeout.
Upper follows Corn Creek to Black Creek Rapid, near explorer mile 20.7. Middle continues to the South Fork confluence near Mackay Bar, around mile 56.1. Lower follows the remaining Main Salmon corridor to Carey Creek.
Search by name, nickname, or river mile, choose a stretch, and tap a marker. Every mapped rapid opens an aerial close-up and an authentic USGS topographic view. Previous and Next place follow the river downstream.
The collection records a September 6–12, 2009 Main Fork Salmon journey. The atlas shows the reference corridor and modern named-place records. The photographs retain their archive captions; no daily itinerary or camps have been reconstructed.
The river follows connected USGS National Hydrography Dataset flowlines. USGS GNIS supplies tributary and landmark locations; public RiverBrain records supply river-specific rapid, access, and selected historic-place references. This edition includes 46 named rapids, three access points, and 11 landmarks. Two upstream rapids and two unnamed records are outside this selection.
Miles count downstream from Corn Creek along the river line, adjusted to the approximate 80-mile Corn Creek–Carey Creek reach listed by American Whitewater. These are approximate explorer positions. The Forest Service describes a 79-mile wild-river designation ending at Long Tom Bar; its endpoints and mileage convention differ from this atlas.
Class ranges come from the linked RiverBrain reference pages. Rapid names, channels, and difficulty can change over time, including the Salmon Falls and Black Creek area. Aerial dates vary. Callouts show approximate reference geography. Consult current Forest Service information and a current river guide when planning a trip.
The Relief view uses USGS 3D Elevation Program data with shaded terrain and a muted stone scale from darker low elevations to lighter high elevations. The shading shows terrain and elevation. Zooming in loads finer elevation tiles with the same palette and shading. The saved overview stays visible while detail loads or if the elevation service is unavailable. Detail depends on the USGS source resolution available at each location; choose Satellite for photographic surface detail.
USGS · 3DEP elevation data ↗
Sources checked October 26, 2026. Elevation, topography, river line, and geographic names: USGS. Corridor context: Forest Service. Approximate reach length: American Whitewater. Reference class ranges and river-specific points: RiverBrain. Satellite imagery: Esri and contributors.