The origin of the Salmon River Rafting Company began in the mid-fifties when Frank Ewing and Dick Barker began guiding fishermen on the Snake River in Wyoming. Though each man operated independently, they were friendly competitors who willingly referred guests to each other when demand for their services began to exceed their individual capacity. In 1965 they combined their operations and formed Barker-Ewing River Trips. The success of those early years prompted a company expansion in both capacity and operational areas. In 1972 Barker-Ewing added white water trips on the Snake River south of Jackson, Wyoming to their popular scenic float trips within Grand Teton National Park. In 1981, with the inclusion of their senior guide, Wayne Johnson, as a partner, an additional expansion was made to include multi-day river trips on the Salmon River in Idaho. From those early beginnings Barker-Ewing has established and maintained a standard of excellence widely respected within the outfitting industry for five decades, providing safe, exciting river adventure for more than one million clients.

After twenty years on the Salmon River as a partner/manager for Barker-Ewing, Wayne Johnson purchased the "Barker-Ewing" interests in the Idaho operation and changed the corporate name to Salmon River Rafting Company. With five decades experience as a professional river guide, and nearly four decades on the Salmon River, Wayne is committed to maintaining the standards of safety, attention to detail, quality custom-made equipment, and interpretive activities for which the company has become famous since the mid-sixties. Only the name has changed- the commitment to quality river adventure remains.