Kaweah River Rafting in S. California
Rafting on the Kaweah River offers exciting Class 4-4+ raft trips on 10 miles of snow melt water running from the majestic 12,000 foot peaks in Sequoia National Park. Previous paddling experience is preferred for Kaweah River rafting trips due to the level of difficulty and non-stop action. It is best run by the intermediate and expert rafter, who are strong swimmers, in good physical condition, hardy and adventurous.
For the suitably qualified, it offers some of the best white water rafting in Central and Southern California. Dropping at 85 feet per mile in its first few miles, it is one of America’s steepest rivers. The Kaweah River rafting season does vary with the snow pack, but 1 day raft trips are nearly always available April into June, but in an above normal year, it can run well into July. During peak run-off and resulting high water flows, there are some rapids that may require portaging. The scenery is good, and though there are private residences and Highway 198 alongside for much of the run, they are not obtrusive.
The access used for put-in is just below the entrance of the East Fork Kaweah River and is almost a mile further upstream than the put-in used by most outfitters. This gives an additional 3 rapids. ‘Gateway Rapid’ is a 250 yard Class 4+ boulder slalom, followed by a Class 4 ten foot drop called ‘The Chute’, and then ‘Osterizer’, another Class 4+ rapid. Many more wild rapids follow like ‘Willows’, ‘Bumper’, ‘Powerhouse’, ‘Suicide Falls’ and others. After a calm stretch through the town of Three Rivers and a stop for lunch, the pace picks up again as we take on the “Slickies,” (a unique river feature you will always remember) which is a polished granite slalom that surfs one way, then another, while swirling around. The two biggest drops, Upper Slicky and Lower Slicky, are about a hundred yards apart.
With southern California close-by, the Kaweah River offers a great opportunity to combine a whitewater adventure with an excursion to the majestic trees and mountains of the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. The meeting location is in the town of Three Rivers, which was founded as an idealist colony in the 1880’s. It features a fine array of eateries and galleries strung out along the Kaweah River. There are numerous campground and accommodation options in Three Rivers and nearby in Sequoia National Park.
Distances/Times for travel for Kaweah River Rafting: 
40 mins NE of Visalia (34 miles),
1.5 hrs SE of Fresno (73 miles),
2 hrs N of Bakersfield (108 miles),
3.25 hrs SE of Stockton (193 miles),
3.75 hrs NW of Los Angeles (217 miles),
4 hrs SE of San Jose (220 miles),
4 hrs SE of Sacramento (244 miles),
4.5 hrs SE of San Francisco (260 miles),
5.25 hrs NW of San Diego (329 miles),
7 hrs W of Las Vegas (388 miles)
Other Class 4 California Rafting Trips:
- Middle Fork American River
- North Fork American River
- North Fork Yuba River
- Upper Klamath River
- California Rafting Intermediate/Advanced trips
