Lower Middle Fork American / South Fork American River Rafting overnight combo
This American River Rafting trip is a great first time trip for younger children, or those who may be a bit nervous about tackling Class 3 rapids. Suitable for those 7 yrs and up, though some adventurous 6 yr olds might be also be considered. You can book these runs as separate ½ day and 1 day trips, but they can be combined with a stay at our camp in Coloma and the luxury of hot showers and a private riverside camp. We can on occasions provide additional meals in camp, you can bring your own food to BBQ in camp, or you can elect to eat in nearby restaurants.
We suggest you start with an afternoon trip on the Lower Middle Fork American River, which meets in Auburn after lunch. The river flows through the steep, rugged and forested canyons of the Auburn State Recreation Area. There are safe beach areas for picnicking and play, together side hikes up creeks into shady dells with waterfalls. Very few people are seen on this trip, but we often see nesting ducks, deer, heron and fish jumping. Late in the season, we also stop to pick the most incredible juicy black berries. After getting back to your car around 6:00 – 6:30 pm, it is 20 mins to our camp for dinner in Coloma-Lotus, or there are plentiful accommodations and restaurants in Auburn.
On the 2nd day, we depart from our camp around 10:30 am. If you booked the overnight trip, you will be served breakfast in the camp. We will be running the 13 miles on the South Fork American ‘Gorge’. The first 4 miles is fairly easy and only contains Class 1 & 2 rapids (Lotus Run). We raft into our camp for a great riverside lunch. We continue down into the Class 3 section of the South Fork American River. Most youths will now be confident enough to tackle these more exciting rapids. You can also add an additional day of Class 3 on the upper Chili Bar section.
These trips can be suitable for a diverse family group. We can supply inflatable kayaks on the Lower Middle Fork American for the more adventurous participants. On the South Fork American River trip, if you have younger children who cannot raft on Class 3, they can stop at lunch and play in camp, visit the nearby Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park or take some easy local hikes.
Class: 2/3
Length: 20-31 miles in 2-3 days, May-September
Elevation: 700-900 ft
Location: Meeting in Auburn, California. Off I-80, between Sacramento and Truckee
Lower Middle Fork / South Fork American River Rafting, Distances/Times for travel:
¾ hr E. of Sacramento (36 miles), 1 hr W of Truckee, 2½ hrs NE of San Francisco (123 miles), |
PLEASE ALLOW EXTRA TIME ON
BUSY HOLIDAY WEEKENDS
Other Class 2 & 3 rafting options for overnight trips:
- Trinity River (available as a custom trip, skipping Class 3 section)
- Lower Klamath River (available as a custom trip, or younger kids can be hiked around some Class 3 rapids)
- Family Specials (2-4 day trips on selected dates, kids 20-50% discount)
