Idaho Rivers United

DARE to Kayak is about helping kids find their passion. World-class kayaker and IRU board member Devon Barker-Hicks started the program 25 years ago, and its impact resonates in Riggins and the wider Idaho community still today. Watch a short film created by NRS about DARE to Kayak at

Dare to Kayak with Devon Barker Growing up on the banks of Idaho’s Salmon River in a legendary raft...

🐟 900 miles. 8 dams. Over 6,500 feet of elevation.

Idaho’s wild salmon complete one of the most incredible migrations on the planet — traveling all the way from the Pacific Ocean back home to the Sawtooth Valley. It’s time to welcome them back! 🙌

Join us in Stanley, ID for the Sawtooth Salmon Festival — a FREE, family-friendly weekend celebrating these remarkable fish and our legendary river country.

And of course, we will also draw the winner of the Maravia Raft Raffle during Saturday’s festivities, with the final tickets being sold onsite!

✨ What to expect:

🚌 Guided Salmon Redd & Spawning Tours
🥁 Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Dancers & Cultural Performances
🎤Story Story Night: Swimming Upstream edition
🎸 Live Music
🎨 Local Artisans, Food Trucks & Beer Garden
🎟️ Raft & Vendor Raffles

📍 Where: Stanley, Idaho
🎟️ Cost: FREE Admission! 🔗 Details, full schedule, and camping info at sawtoothsalmonfestival.org

Presented by Idaho Rivers United & Sawtooth Interpretive & Historical Association.

Conservation isn’t just something we protect.
It’s something we experience.

This past weekend marked the beginning of another season of Salmon River Stewardship—a program that equips volunteers to become educators, ambassadors, and advocates for one of Idaho’s most remarkable rivers.
We started the morning around folding tables and coffee.
By lunch, we were standing beside the Salmon River with maps spread open between us.

Not because anyone expected volunteers to memorize river miles...
..but because understanding this place changes the way you talk about it.

The maps became real.

The numbers became fish.

The river became more than water moving downstream.

Every conversation eventually circled back to one question:

How do we help the next person care?

Because stewardship isn’t memorizing facts.

It’s learning enough that when someone asks why these fish matter—

you have a story worth telling.

To everyone who chose to spend their weekend learning, asking questions, listening, and investing in this place—thank you.

Stewardship isn’t built by a single organization or a single season. It’s carried forward by people who choose to know a place deeply enough to care for it, and generously enough to help others do the same.

Every volunteer who becomes a steward becomes part of that legacy.

Thank you to our U.S. Forest Service partners for sharing your knowledge so generously, and to every Salmon River Steward who has chosen to help carry this story forward.

We’ll see you on the river.

Join Idaho Rivers United and the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association on the evening of August 3rd in Lewiston, and the 5th in Clarkston, for a presentation and discussion around the economic opportunity associated with services replacement of the Lower Snake River Dams, and restoration of the river and fishery as a local and regional resource.

The program will cover the findings of a report from an independent, nonpartisan research group - Headwaters Economics - on the economic impacts of dam removal on the local communities of Nez Perce (ID) and Astoin (WA) counties, within the wider context of Lower Snake River dam removal and associated opportunities for economic revitalization.

LEWISTON
📍Lewiston City Library, 411 D Street
📅 August 3rd, 5-6:30 pm

CLARKSTON
📍Red Wolf Golf Club, 1676 Elm Street
📅 August 5th, 6-7:30 pm


Idaho Rivers United Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association

Idaho Rivers United Protecting and Restoring the Rivers and Fisheries of Idaho for over three decades

Sometimes the best part of getting outside isn’t the destination—it’s the people you meet along the way 💜

Thank you to everyone who joined us for another Women of Idaho Outdoors gathering.

Every conversation, introduction, laugh, shared story, and new friendship is what makes this community so special.

A huge thank you to our presenters and partners for making the evening possible:

✨ Wild Hearts of Idaho
✨ Ashley Merrill (Ashley - Boise based adventure-travel Mom)
✨ Boise Bicycle Project
✨ Payette Brewing
✨ Outdoor Exchange
✨ Sunrise Bicycles
✨ Sawtooth Valley Gathering
✨ Trailhead Designworks

Your generosity, knowledge, and enthusiasm continue to inspire more women to get outside and build community together.

Next Up:

📍 Idaho River Sports
🗓️ Oct. 21

📍 Common Ground Coffee & Market
🗓️ Dec. 10

We can’t wait to see you!

Because community looks good outside. 🌿

Tomorrow is the deadline.

Each fall, volunteers help visitors experience one of Idaho’s most remarkable natural events—the return of salmon to the Salmon River.

As a Salmon River Steward, you’ll help share information about salmon, redds, river closures, Leave No Trace principles, and why protecting spawning habitat matters.

No prior experience is required. Training is provided—you simply need a willingness to learn, spend time outside, and help care for the river.

Stewardship takes place in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area during salmon spawning season from August 15–September 22, 2026, with a minimum commitment of two stewardship days (4+ hours each).

⏳ Applications close July 15.

If you’ve been thinking about applying, now’s the time. Follow the link in our bio or scan the QR code in the post to learn more and submit your application before the deadline

DARE TO KAYAK 🛶
Join us for an evening celebrating rivers, salmon, and the people who care for them.

📍 Little River Bait & Tackle | Riggins, ID
7482 US-95 RIGGINS, ID
📅 Tuesday, July 22

-Event Schedule-

5:00 PM
🍽 Community Gathering
🎟 Giveaway Raffle

5:30 PM
🎬 Dare to Kayak x NRS Film Release
🐟 Salmon Presentation with Stephen Pfeiffer

6:00 PM
🎥 3100 Short Films: The Bruneau and Salmon River

6:30 PM
🎞 Paucartambo
🎤 Q&A with Director John Armstrong

Whether you paddle every weekend or simply love rivers, come spend an evening with good people, inspiring stories, and a shared appreciation for Idaho’s Rivers.

Bring a dish to share, invite a friend, and join us in celebrating rivers, salmon, and community.

Come celebrate the rivers that bring us together.
See you in Riggins.

Every fall, one of Idaho’s most remarkable natural events returns to the Salmon River—and you can help protect it.
🐟

The Salmon River Stewardship Program provides volunteers the opportunity to help visitors experience the salmon spawning season responsibly by sharing information about salmon, redds, river closures, Leave No Trace principles, and the importance of protecting this incredible migration.

No special experience is required—just a willingness to learn, care for the river, and connect with others. Training is provided, and stewardship takes place during salmon spawning season in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area from:

August 15 - September 22, 2026.

📅 Applications close July 15.

If you’ve been looking for a meaningful way to spend time outside while making a difference for
salmon, this is your opportunity.

Apply today through the link in our bio or scan the QR code to learn more.


IdahoOutdoor