|
South Fork American
 Cascading through the California foothills . . .
and past the Marshall Gold Discovery State Park, the South Fork of the American River provides a fantastic one or two day escape from urban living.
The river has a lot of fun, invigorating Class II rapids and just enough tricky, exciting Class III’s to keep it interesting. There are 20 miles of river and a lot of options for trips; 2 different one-day, 10 mile trips (the Upper which includes Meatgrinder and Troublemaker and the Lower which includes Satan’s Cesspool and Hospital Bar); a one-day 20 mile trip (all the rapids!), and a great two-day, 20 mile trip with an option to spend the night at a wilderness-style campsite that is accessible only by raft. Our South Fork American whitewater rafting trips take place in a rolling foothill canyon in the Coloma-Lotus Valley halfway between Auburn and Placerville in the heart of the historic Highway 49 Gold Country.
This is the perfect trip for groups of varying experience, ability and thrill thresholds – everyone will have fun – and it is just a short drive from the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe.
Large Group Options
Do you have a large group and want a discount?
Check out our Group Rates.
Do you have a group of 8 or more and want to bring your own lunch? Check out our Cooperative Trips.
"All the guides were extremely friendly, knowledgeable and approachable. I also really enjoyed lunch--I am a sucker for food and the lunch spread was great! "
Kathryn Pearcy
ARTA GUIDE
JESSICA PERRY
 When she walks, she skips. Bluebirds build houses for her. The twinkle in her eye is visible from outer space - during the day. Puppies come to her for therapy. She is the most cheerful person in the world. And she’s also interesting: she knows where Tierra Del Fuego is (BA in Geography from the University of Denver and she’s been there); she can order gluten-free cupcakes in Spanish (six months of study abroad in Chile and she’s done it); she can simultaneously provide vocabulary and hope (two Christmases as a translator at an orphanage in Tijuana), and she can introduce you to Harry Potter, help you find Your Best Life Now, show you The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and bring you Green Eggs and Ham; (she works in a bookstore).
"I don't always smile, but when I do, sunflowers turn. Stay happy, my friends.”
Meet more of our guides...
|
For Left Brained People:
In one word: Everyone
In another word: Festive
Expect to: Grin from ear
 to ear
Meeting Place: Lotus, CA
Length in days: 1 or 2
Length in miles: 10 or 20
Gradient: 23 feet/mile
Overall difficulty: III
Highest difficulty (#): III+ (1/day)
Rapids/day: ~ 10
Signature Rapid: Troublemaker
Types of boats: Paddle
Hiking: C
Scenery: B
Wilderness: C-
Fishing: C
Campsites: B- (B+ for
wilderness upgrade)
Wildlife: B-
Swimming: B
For Right Brained People:
The best thing about the South Fork is that you can share it with everyone. We’ve taken fearless 7 year olds and their fretful grandparents and we’ve taken world adventurers and their neighbors who’ve never slept outdoors. We’ve taken company groups, scout groups, church groups, and single people who live alone in studio apartments in the big city. We’ve been joined by people celebrating birthdays, weddings, graduations, family reunions and just life in general. Some folks were at the upper end of their thrill threshold, others were at the lower end, but they all kept talking about Troublemaker or Satan’s Cesspool (or both if they were on a 2 day trip or a 1 day Full River trip). Everyone was in a paddle raft, (with a guide), participating and holding success in their own hands, unnerving at first, but unforgettable in the end. One-day trips are quick, recreational events; two-day trips are a bit deeper. The upgrades (to a one-day full river or a two-day wilderness camp) are worth it.
|
