Shelley business offers float trips on section of Snake River

Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ BUZZ

SHELLEY

Float a 7-mile section of the Snake River with Shelley Adventure Center

SHELLEY – Sarah Acree and her husband, Sterling, want to help you get out on the water this summer.

The Shelley couple are the owners of Shelley Adventure Center, a seasonal business offering kayak and raft trips along a section of the Snake River. It begins at Gem Lake Dam near the Shelley Fish Pond and follows a 7-mile route, ending at North Bingham County Park. It lasts anywhere from two to three and a half hours, depending on how fast you paddle. See what it’s like in the video above.

The business has kayaks and rafts available for rent as well.

The Acrees started the season the last week of June and are planning to continue through the first week of September.

“We can sometimes squeeze out another week or two, but by then the water is either getting too low or the weather is too cold,” Sarah tells EastIdahoNews.com. “July and August are really our sweet spots.”

The 42-year-old Firth native grew up river rafting with her dad and worked as a professional river guide in Utah for about eight summers.

She and her husband decided to launch Shelley Adventure Center last summer for a side income. This section of the river isn’t one that many people float, and they thought it would be ideal for families.

“We didn’t know if there would be enough interest,” says Sarah. “We set up our website and started posting on social media, and it quickly (took off).”

The bulk of their customers last summer were people on their way to Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Park, but more locals have gotten in on it this year as word has spread.

Sarah started floating the river with her dad at age 5. He had a friend who worked as a river guide near the Grand Canyon, and that inspired her to pursue it as a career.

She got her start giving Boy Scouts guided tours along the Salmon River years ago. She taught them how to paddle boat and kayak. That led to a similar job with Western River Expeditions in Moab, Utah.

Over the years, Sarah says, the most rewarding part of working as a river guide is seeing the smiles on people’s faces at the end of the trip.

She’s hoping to attract more people from Idaho Falls and Shelley this year.

Though the view on float trips with Shelley Adventure Center is mostly farmland, she says it’s still worth it.

“It’s just enough removed to be relaxed and get away from all the other stresses for a while,” she says. “Seeing people with a smile on their face and saying they really enjoyed it — that’s the best reward.”

To schedule a trip or learn more, visit the website or Facebook page.

BIZ BITS

Idaho insurance company named one of the top 50 in the industry nationwide

IDAHO FALLS – Farm Bureau Insurance has been listed among the top 50 performing insurance companies in the United States.

The Ward Group is the leading provider of benchmarking and best practice studies for insurance companies. Each year, it analyzes nearly 3,000 property-casualty insurance companies to identify the top performers. To make Ward’s Top 50 list, a company must pass rigorous financial stability tests and demonstrate an ability to grow while maintaining strong capital positions and underwriting results.

Each company named to the 2024 list achieved outstanding financial results between 2019 and 2023. This year’s awards were announced at a public ceremony on July 11.

Click here to see the full list.

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