Middle Fork American River

On the Middle Fork American River you will encounter many Class 4 rapids including Tunnel Chute, Kanaka, Bus Crash, Cleavage and more! This trip is action packed right after put in.

Our 1 day trip is all day and includes lunch. We meet you in Auburn at the Crooked Lane Brewing Company in the morning and will take you to/from the river.

The 2 day overnight on this river is a favorite of our river guides during the summer. They appreciate escaping into this secluded and pristine road-less area. This trip allows us to show you the more unique canyons, streams and waterfalls as we explore in the rafts and on foot.

Middle Fork American River rafting trips are fed all summer long by snow melt captured in upstream reservoirs. The headwaters are in the Granite Chief Wilderness on the back side of the Squaw Valley. The river travels through steep, rugged and forested canyons within the Tahoe National Forest and into the Auburn State Recreation Area.

The Auburn Dam project threatened the Middle Fork American River canyon for many years. This prevented it from receiving its deserved wild & scenic status. Though the growth of our foothill communities is unavoidable, there is obviously a demand for these recreational areas to remain unspoiled for future generations. We continue to work with organizations like Friends of the River and Protect American River Canyons so we can all continue to enjoy its beauty.

The Middle Fork is one of the deepest river canyons in California. Once scheduled to be under hundreds of feet of water as part of the Auburn Dam project, folks just like you discovered it’s treasures and forced the powers-that-be both here in California and back in D.C. to recognize it’s true worth as an important part of our environmental, social, economic and spiritual health. Check out this gem – it’s perhaps the most bang for your buck (in so many ways) that you can get anywhere in California!

For non-swimmers and timid first timers we recommend easier Class 2 Lower Middle Fork American River (for ages 4+) or 3 rafting trips on the South Fork American River (ages 7+).

The rapids on the Upper Middle Fork American River section from Oxbow Powerhouse to Ruck a Chucky Campground are rated class 2-4+. There is a Class 5 that is a mandatory portage for rafting guests.

For easier rafting trips the South Fork American River is rated Class 2-3+ and suitable for kids ages7+ and non-swimmers.

There are other Class 2 sections on the South Fork American and Lower Middle Fork American rivers OK for kids as young as 4 years old.

The Middle Fork American River trips are 1 to 2 days. A full day is 8 hours and overnights include 2 nights of camping and meals with 1 night of camping in the wild.