Our most popular river trips are listed below and they are obviously those that have a long guaranteed season. Those on the American River near Sacramento and the Truckee River near Lake Tahoe are popular choices due to their ease of access. They also happen to provide some of the best whitewater in the USA. Trips can be for just a few hours, but multi-day overnight adventures are also available.
Tributary offers a wide variety of California Whitewater rafting trips and offering different levels of difficulty. Some of these can be suitable for the most timid, but we also have something for those seeking a wilder adventure. All of our trips have a professional river guide in each raft to get you down the river safely. You will however participate in the fun!
On our easiest (Class 2) trips, our minimum age for kids is 4 years old. For older kids from 7-8+ our Class 2-3+ options are usually suitable. Teenagers 13+ with strong swimming skills can tackle Class 4 intermediate/beginner trips. We even offer some of the toughest Class 5 runs in California like the Cal Salmon and Burnt Ranch Gorge!
California Rafting Season
Our California Whitewater Rafting season runs from April through September. The available river options vary depending on time of year. Rafting trip options that are dam controlled, have longer seasons. These flows are more predictable and usually guaranteed. Some river trips have flows that only run when the snow from the mountains is melting – these are typically only available in the spring to early summer. Due to this they may not make the most popular river trip list. However, be sure to check them out when we have a big snow pack year! See here for all of our rivers!
Choosing your River Trip
You can also view the many choices of river trip by level of difficulty and location, suitable for different groups and best for families with children. Please be sure to give us a call or email If you would like help in finding the best option for you. We look forward to you joining us on one of our most popular river trips or any of our wonderful runs!