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CALIFORNIA WHITEWATER
RAFTING
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Since 1982, over
100,000 Happy Guests & Growing!
A Great Family River, Perfect for the First-Time
Rafter, and a Quick Weekend-Get-Away
"We had the best
time on the South Fork. The guides were just fabulous in taking good care of
us, sharing their knowledge of the river environment and just having fun!"
N.K.,
Anaheim.
South Fork
River Description
Two-Day Trips
One-Day
Trips
Special Wine TastingTrips
***Due to popularity, Every Weekend!***
Special
Family Trips
Our Riverside Campsite
What Our
Customers Say About Rafting With Us
Trip Dates and PricesView Our South Fork
VideoListen To What Our Customers Have To
Say
Central California,
One hour east of Sacramento near Coloma
Difficulty: Class III,
Beginning: Low-Medium Intensity Whitewater
Available daily,
Mid-April through October
Minimum Age: 8 years old
The South Fork -- "BEST CALIFORNIA RIVER"
We rate the South Fork of the American River as the best river in California for both first-time and more experienced rafters. As the premier dam controlled river in California, the South Fork is a consistent Class III- beginning whitewater river, and it has become the most popular river for individuals, families, groups of friends and company recreation trips, available daily from April through September. The river offers a wide range of adventures, with over 50 exciting rapids interspersed with calm, slower stretches where we can enjoy the beautiful canyon scenery and each other's company.
Class III
Whitewater
The South Fork's
many whitewater rapids are perfect for learning and practicing the
paddle skills of whitewater rafting. Each 13 or 14 foot self-bailing raft
usually has a crew of 4 to 7 paddlers, and an experienced guide at the back of
the boat who steers the raft and instructs the crew in basic paddle strokes, in
order to power the raft through the rapids as a team. Under our paddle
captain's guidance, we set up for each approaching rapid, paddle hard to make
it through safely, and sit back to laugh and relax with each successful, wet
run of an exciting rapid.
The South
Fork and Gold Rush Country
Melting snow from the High Sierras creates this 21-mile
whitewater river in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada near Coloma on Highway
49, one hour east of Sacramento. The water is clear and cool; the air is clean
and warm--the perfect setting for a fun, exciting adventure. The river
environment is home to a multitude of fish, birds, and other wildlife. The
scenery alternates between rolling green and golden hills and long rocky gorges
with many oaks and pines along the riverbank.
Two -Day Trips
The Gorge and Chili Bar Runs, 21
miles. Two days rafting, 2 Nights camping, 5 meals
We start our two-day trips on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. In the morning of the first day we'll meet for a river orientation and safety talk. Then you and your other crew members will board your boat at our campsite put-in and practice basic paddle strokes with your guide before setting out to raft the lower eleven miles of the river known as the "Gorge Run".
Before lunch, the river
winds through rolling hills and the rapids are fun and easy- a good chance to
warm up and get to know your crew and guide. We'll stop midday for a delicious
deli-style lunch on the riverbank, and then it's off to the bigger rapids in
the lower section of the Gorge run. By the end of the day, you'll have rafted
some of the most fun rapids in California.
We'll drive back to camp where you can shower, relax, and play while your guides prepare dinner. After dinner we'll enjoy a hilarious slide show of each of our boats negotiating Satan's Cesspool, one of the bigger exciting rapids of the day. Then we'll gather around a roaring campfire to end the evening in the glow of a day well spent.
The second day after a nutritious "MARIAH" breakfast we'll drive up to the start of the upper ten miles of the river known as the "Chili Bar" section. The river starts right out in some big Class III 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. Then we float into a calmer stretch to enjoy the beautiful scenery and laugh about the excitement and adrenaline rush of the morning's rapids.
We'll beach our boats back at the campsite in the early afternoon and have a big barbecue lunch. Saying good-bye to your guide and other crew members before departing for other adventures is the last event of a glorious two-day adventure.
One-Day Trips
The Gorge Run, 11 miles with lunch
We meet at our campsite just outside Coloma on Highway 49. We launch from our campsite into a fun and easy section of the river, with time to warm up and practice our paddling before hitting some of the bigger Class III rapids in the Gorge. This eleven-mile run is fun and exciting, just perfect for a beginning whitewater experience! We have a healthy and hearty lunch on the riverbank.
We'll tackle fun and challenging rapids like Satan's Cesspool, Hospital Bar and Recovery Room. At the end of the day, we shuttle back to camp in Mariah vehicles, and you may take a shower, buy a souvenir t-shirt and say farewell to the new friends you've made.
The Chili Bar Run, 10 miles with lunch
We meet at our campsite just outside Coloma on Highway 49 and shuttle up to the top of the river canyon, where we begin the Chili Bar run. The river starts right out with exciting rapids so first-timers are ready for a thrill from the beginning. After we practice our paddle strokes we'll tackle fun and challenging rapids like Meatgrinder and Triple Threat, and finish off the big rapids with the excitement of Troublemaker. We enjoy the beauty of the river canyon stopping for lunch along the riverbank and take out at our camp in time for fond farewells.
The Whole River, 21 miles with lunch
We combine the "Chili Bar" and the "Gorge Run" sections of the South Fork for a very full day of exciting rapids, stopping at our camp at mile 10 for a hearty lunch. Due to the number of rapids and the amount of paddling time on the river, this trip can be strenuous. We suggest you be in good physical condition and ready to be happily tired at the end of the day. We offer this trip in the spring and early summer when the water level is higher, and we require a group of six paddlers for the necessary paddle power to negotiate all 50+ rapids safely! Please call us for trip availability.
SPECIAL WINE TASTING &
RAFTING WEEKENDS
Every Weekend on the South Fork American River,
Two-Days
Rafting, Two-nights Camping, 5 Meals
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Sample the fine wines of El Dorado and Amador Counties, escape the summer heat, enjoy delicious appetizers and refresh yourself by the banks of the South Fork of the American every Saturday evening this summer.
Raft the South Fork of the American--the perfect choice for a trip that includes lots of fun for everyone and is particularly well suited for groups of friends. Add to that our special wine tasting evenings accompanied warm camaraderie in this unique setting, and we have the ingredients for a great weekend! Featured wineries this year may include the Charles B Mitchell Vineyards, Jodar Vineyards and Winery, Latchum Vineyards, Venezio Winery & Vineyard, as well as many of the other wineries from El Dorado and Amador Counties.
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Relax after an exciting
day of rafting and taste El Dorado and Amador Counties' best wines while
enjoying spectacular scenery, great meals, and luxury wilderness
camping.SPECIAL FAMILY TRIPS WITH
STORYTELLER
July 10-11, July 17-18, July 24-25, July 31-August 1,
August 7-8, August 14-15
Two days
rafting, Two Nights camping, Five Meals; Minimum Age 8
MARIAH WILDERNESS EXPEDITIONS is proud to be the first rafting company to offer a special series of rafting trips for the whole family, designed to bring fun and adventure, education and growth to our guests. These trips offer you time together in the outdoors, sharing the thrills of the river, meals, campfire and sleeping out under the stars. You will be delighted by professional storytellers as they weave their stories and spin their tales during lunches, on river, and around the campfire at night. For detailed trip information, see Two-day South Fork Trips.
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Special Family Trip Youth Prices |
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Our Riverside Campsite:
the Best on the South
Fork! |
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WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING ABOUT RAFTING WITH MARIAH WILDERNESS EXPEDITIONS
Listen To Our Customers
At
the end of each trip we invite our customers to evaluate their rafting
experience and give us their comments in writing in order to continue to
improve the quality of our trips. With our customer's permission, here are some
of their comments:
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"One of the best trips down the river our group has ever had. Looking forward to next year!" S.C., Middle-South Fork Combo, June 17-18. "By noon the first day on the South Fork my daughter and I were already planning our return trip!" L.K., South Fork, June 16-17. "The entire Mariah staff exhibits professionalism. They are courteous, helpful, friendly, and FUN! I have a lot of confidence in the river guides, whose expertise on the river is so apparent!" P. W., South Fork, July 15-16. "The skill and competence of the guides is so great!!! I feel so safe with them. Nikki, Jodi, Amy, Mike and Travis were all so friendly and FUN!" S.P., South Fork, July 14-15. "The office was great! (on a scale from 1 to 5) 5+. Trips are well designed, well executed! Excellent staff; great food, really nice people."D.S., South Fork, July 12-13. "5+. I have wanted to do this my entire life and Mariah Adventures exceeded all my expectations!" J.S.,South Fork, July 17. "Nikki was absolutely superb-the best guide we've ever had. She was knowledgeable and also very personable....Our entire group is anxious for a repeat." C.W., Merced, May 19-20. |
"On behalf of everyone on the trip, we had an exhilarating time! We wanted to do it again the following week!...It was a great way to learn about our coworkers and ourselves." R.R., South Fork, June 27. "WE LOVED OUR TRIP! Grady, Bob, and Doug were outstanding!" K.F., Middle Fork, July 22. "Caring, courteous staff that help you every step of the way if you are a first-time rafter." K.O., South Fork Family trip, July 20-21. "What a wonderful family trip! Great for the parents, the teenagers, AND our 10 year old daughter. The whole trip, the facilities, the food, the people were outstanding." E.C., South Fork Family trip, July 20-21. "With a group of 22 teens, there was plenty of things for them to keep busy. The guides allowed the teens to help out in the kitchen and were great in building a team spirit in each raft while on the river. We had an exceptional time and look forward to future trips." Y.L., Youth Group, South Fork, July 18-19. "This is one of the greatest experiences that I have been on. I am now looking forward to going on more rafting trips!" J.B., South Fork, June 17-18. "Excellent, excellent, excellent! I was especially impressed by the guides' awareness and knowledge of the land, and animals, and history." A.B., August 5-6. "Top Notch. Professional, knowledgeable and friendly." D.D., SF/MF Combo, August 6-7. |
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR MARIAH CUSTOMERS!
Prices |
Mariah Home |
MARIAH WILDERNESS EXPEDITIONS
P.O. Box
70248
Point Richmond, CA 94807
Voice (510) 233-2303 Fax (510)
233-0956
Reservations (800) 462-7424
rafting@mariahwe.com