PAYETTE RIVER COMPANY — LOWMAN, IDAHO The closest overnight rafting trip to Sun Valley. Just 2 hours away.
Heading out of Sun Valley for a day on the river? Payette River Company runs guided whitewater trips on the South Fork of the Payette River, outside Lowman, Idaho. Owners, Sean and Ginger Glaccum, are both native Idahoans who have been running this operation since 2006 — Ginger makes sure you know exactly what to expect before you ever leave home, and Sean is on the water with you as safety kayaker or guide, and in camp as host!
What makes the South Fork special: it’s reservoir-fed, which means consistent water levels even in a low water year. While rivers elsewhere are running thin, the Canyon section is still flowing strong all summer — 25 named Class III and IV rapids through a stunning granite canyon. It’s one of the most reliable stretches of whitewater in Idaho this season.
And hot springs on every single section. No matter which trip you pick, a soak is built into the day.
TRIPS INCLUDE:
- Half-Day Kirkham Hot Springs — Class II-III, hot springs, rock jumping. Ages 5+.
- Full-Day Kirkham — Family-friendly full day with swimming, wildlife, and a riverside lunch. Ages 5+.
- Full-Day Canyon — 25 rapids, Pine Flats Hot Springs, the legendary Big Falls portage, and lunch. Ages 12+. (Reservoir-fed — running strong all season.)
- Overnight Rafting — The closest overnight rafting trip to Sun Valley. Full day on the river, then a night at Camp Woopie, PRC’s private riverside camp with a full riverside dinner, a dutch oven dessert, and breakfast.
- Multi-Day Rafting — The only 2 or 3-day raft trip on the entire Payette River system. Raft both sections, sleep under Idaho stars, and eat farm-fresh meals cooked by your guides.
CAMP WOOPIE — SLEEP ON THE RIVER
If you want to wake up to the sound of the South Fork, this is your only option on the Payettes. PRC’s private camp sits right on the riverbank — bocce ball, horseshoes, a sandy beach, dinner cooked riverside with produce from the PRC garden and meat from the family farm in North Idaho, and a dutch oven dessert that guests keep talking about long after they get home!
