California Whitewater Rafting near Napa
Whitewater rafting near the Napa Wine Country is available April-September and provides some of the best whitewater in the western USA. Napa’s rolling hills and spectacular views are within easy reach of the all summer American River (3 forks of varying difficulties available), and Eel River. Northern California has the ideal climate and soil for growing grapes giving Napa Valley international recognition for its vintners, but Sonoma Country is not the only area in California for wine enthusiasts.
There are also many tasting rooms and wineries in the Gold Country, that you might like to consider. These are gaining a great reputation and are even closer to some great rafting and other wonderful visitor destinations like Lake Tahoe.
See below for the location of the closest trips to the Napa area
Rafting near Placerville:
The South Fork of the American River runs for over 21 miles through the beautiful gold and green foothills of the Sierra Nevada and ends in Folsom Lake. It is 2 hours from Napa and accessible near Placerville, towards Lake Tahoe. It serves as an introduction for many beginners and rafting trip options include just a couple of hours to multi-day campouts and Family Specials where all meals are provided. The South Fork American River provides some of the most reliable rafting in California, still running at full flows even into September, when other options have dried up.
Rafting near Auburn and Colfax:
The Middle Fork American River’s secluded wilderness runs for 25 miles, offering Class 4 rapids and trips from 1 - 3 days, or a 1/2 day trip on Class 2 rapids suitable for younger children. The Middle Fork American River gets its water from the mountain snow melt on the west side of Lake Tahoe and it flows through the Tahoe National Forest and through the Auburn State Recreation Area near Foresthill towards Auburn. Can also be combined with the South Fork American (25 mins south) or North Fork American (20 mins east) for even longer trips. The Middle Fork American River provides reliable river rafting well into September. Trips meet in Auburn, 2 hrs from Napa, 1 hr east of Sacramento on the way to Lake Tahoe.
The North Fork American River flows freely through steep gorges on the Tahoe National Forest and into Lake Clementine in Auburn. The Chamberlain Falls Run is a class 4 run with challenging boulder slalom rapids, so previous experience is usually required. Season depends on the snow pack, and usually April/May ais the most reliable time, but in a good water year it can run well into June.
Rafting near Ukiah:
The Eel River runs from the Lake Country all the way to the Pacific Ocean and because it is a natural flowing river it also has a very short spring season usually from March to early June. With three forks to choose from on the Eel River, several multi-day rafting trips are available on the Middle, Main, and South forks. Isolation, beautiful scenery and an abundance of wildlife is found on the Eel River. Usually requires a group booking to have an adequate number of people for a multi-day trip. Trips meet in Willits, about 2.5 hours north of Napa on the Redwood Highway 101.
