Our 2 day South Fork American River rafting trip is great for families with kids, adult groups and suitable for ages 7+ and ok for non-swimmers. We are conveniently located close to Sacramento, San Francisco, and Lake Tahoe in Lotus, CA! Join us for a riverside camping and white water rafting adventure on Class 2 and 3 rapids.
Arrive the evening before your rafting trip starts for a relaxing evening by the river. The following morning is a mellow start with breakfast at camp and short section of Class 2 rapids before lunch. The final rapid on this stretch Barking Dog is a fun wave, you may see some kayakers or even surfers taking turns surfing this wave! After lunch we head down the Gorge Run on the South Fork American and get into the Class 3’s rapids like Satan’s Cesspool, Hospital Bar, and Fowlers Rock. We will bring you back to camp for some camp set-up and shower time before serving appetizers, drinks, and an amazing dinner!
Day 2 is an earlier start with breakfast at camp and than a shuttle rider to the put in. Rafting more Class 3’s on the upper Chili Bar section of the South Fork American. This section starts with some big Class 3 rapids, and you’re ready for them after yesterday’s run! We tackle the exciting Meatgrinder rapid, followed by Triple Threat, Racehorse Bend and Troublemaker, thought by some to be the biggest rapid on the river. We typically stop at the Marshall Gold Discovery Park for lunch. This is the historical State Park where James Marshall first found gold in the river, beginning the California Gold Rush. For large groups we can usually arrange for a guided tour thru this historic state park. We float into a calmer stretch of river back to camp while enjoying the beautiful scenery. We’ll beach our boats back at the campsite, return the rafting gear and you will have plenty of time to pack up your things and take a shower if you like before saying your good byes.