Questions, whitewater rafting, canoeing, hiking trips in Montana and Idaho

We are working on more of our “frequently asked questions” and ready to help you plan your vacation on the rivers & trails of Montana and Idaho, whether it’s whitewater rafting, canoeing, hiking and / or just general questions about travel, weather, lodging, dining, family friendly trips and special places in our area.

Below are our recommended gear lists and other recommendations.

Gratuity – how much do we trip our guides?

Price does not include guide gratuity, 10-15% of regular trip is greatly appreciated but not required. Feel free to discuss prior to your trip or with the lead guide on your trip.

Here are some guidelines:

For day trips, you can tip your guide directly, 10-15% of your regular trip fee (before discounts) being the baseline and can go up from there, if your trip included lunch or more elaborate dinner or your guide went above and beyond to make your trip special.

For multi-day trips the gratuity is usually pooled together and split equitably. You can give the gratuity to a lead guide, the owners Wayne & Gia, leave in an envelope at our office in Missoula or mail a check and we will make sure it is given to your guides. If you have a particular guide that made your trip special or went above and beyond, feel free to give them extra gratuity directly or indicate that to us. Again, 10-15% is the baseline and if your trip included extra amenities like tents & cots set up in advance, sit-down dinner, etc… additional gratuity is certainly appreciated.

Thank you so much for your participation and showing your appreciation for the crew!

Where can we leave our luggage we are on a trip?

Day trips – we recommend bringing only the minimum to our office. You can lock items in your car or leave them behind.

Multi-Day trips – first choice would be locking items in your car. If you do not have a private vehicle, second choice would be to leave with your hotel or lodging location that you will be returning to, third option is we can store your unneeded luggage with us. NOTE: be cautious with what you are bringing on your trip to be left behind while you are on the river. Irreplaceable Valuables and sensitive work electronics, etc… are probably best left at home.

Where can we leave our vehicle we are on a trip?

Day trips – cars can be left at our office in Missoula, Lochsa Lodge or custom meeting location. Our parking is very limited however, so carpooling is recommended.

Salmon River guest private vehicles can be left at your lodging location or at our office. If you do not have a car, we can arrange a pick up at your hotel the morning of the trip, just let us know in advance. If you would like your car shuttle to the take-out, the rate is around $400, we recommend River Shuttles based in Salmon, ID. Let us know if this is a service you are looking for and we can help facilitate. We will need to know if you are having your car shuttled for our transportation needs.

Missouri River guest private vehicles can be left at the BLM boat ramp parking lot in Fort Benton. It is a couple blocks from any of the lodging locations in Fort Benton.

Lolo Trail guest private vehicles can be left at the Lochsa Lodge. Please inquire with them the best location for your long term parking.

Raft-IK-Tube-SUP Rentals

Ace Hardware in Eastgate for Tube & Floaty purchase – you can take the public bus to the put in at Sha-Ron in East Missoula and float back to town.

Shuttle Service for all rivers around Missoula

Four Rivers Shuttle Service

Trip Cancellation Policy and Guest Responsibility

Need trip insurance? For your convenience, we offer travel protection through Travelex Insurance Services. For more information on the available plans or to enroll, got to www.travelexinsurance.com or contact Travelex Insurance Services at 800-228-9792 and reference location number 26-0048.

Travel Insurance is underwritten by, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company, NAIC #22276. 55Y