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South Fork and Middle Fork 2 Day Combo

All Meals Included!

Get warmed up on the South Fork and enjoy a beautiful night of camping before tackling the Middle Fork!

River Miles
Class
Min Age
+
Major Rapids
Meals

Itinerary

Day 1 : 

You will meet us at 9 AM at the private Camp Lotus campground, where you’ll meet your guide and be outfitted with everything you need to enjoy your trip, including paddles, life jackets and helmets. Your guide will show you where you camp will be for the night and we will board our shuttle vehicle for our put in at Chili Bar.

On the river, you’ll enjoy some of the most fun rapids and beautiful views the American River has to offer. Along the way, we’ll stop for a gourmet deli lunch served riverside.

Our time on the river ends at Camp Lotus, no need for another drive. Upon arrival you will have time to set-up your camp (tents are available upon request) and relax while your guides prepare dinner.

Enjoy dinner prepared fresh by your guides before drifting of to sleep to prepare yourself for the next day.

Day 2:

Your guides will prepare a full breakfast for you in the morning before breaking camp and departing Camp Lotus. From there we ride in the van down the beautiful Middle Fork Canyon to our put- in location at the Oxbox Reservoir. Enjoy a stunning combination of scenery and adventure on this beautiful stretch of river. Start out with Good Morning Rapid quickly followed by Tunnel Chute. Wrap up the first section of rapids with Kanaka Falls, then enjoy an easy float until you reach the lunch. Stop for a gourmet deli style lunch served riverside, and then continue with another section of Class III – IV rapids.

Once your time on the water is complete you will load into the WET van and be returned to your vehicles. From here we will say our goodbye and see you next times!

South fork / Middle Fork
2-day

Detailed Description

This begins with you meeting us at 9:00 at the private Camp Lotus campground. After directing your to your campsite for the night, we shuttle you up to the top of the river canyon, providing you with everything you need to enjoy your trip, including paddles, personal flotation devices (lifejackets), helmets, a safety orientation and professional guides. Here the river starts out with thrills right from the start. After practicing our paddling and getting comfortable in the raft you will have the opportunity to surf a hole at Chile Bar rapid, if you choose, before tackling exciting rapids like Meatgrinder, Triple Threat and culminating in the most challenging and exciting rapid on the river, Trouble Maker. Yet even in this stretch our guides have the ability to utilize the river’s features giving you additional thrills or guide you safely and serenely back home, depending on what you are looking for. Along the way we will stop for a gourmet riverside deli lunch skillfully prepared by your guides. After which you can enjoy the calming stretch through historic gold discovery state park in Coloma and back to camp, where we first meet, between 2:00 and 3:00. Once back at camp, you will have the opportunity to relive your experience by watching a slideshow of photos taken by professional photographers, relax on the grass fields or take a hot shower. Enjoy a gourmet dinner before heading to bed to ready yourself for the next day.

Wake up and enjoy a breakfast, freshly prepared by your guides before readying yourself for the day’s adventure. 

On day two, the Class IV Middle Fork American River is an intermediate whitewater river offering numerous big drops, intricate technical rapids and tons of action.  This is a full day adventure full of whitewater action as well as calm pools that allow you to bask in the breath taking beauty of the 2000 foot deep wilderness river canyon. If all of that isn’t enough the Middle Fork provides the added benefit of its historic significance during the California Gold Rush. You get a bird’s eye view of the canyon as we travel to our put-in. After being fitted with all the necessary rafting equipment and receiving a safety orientation from one of our highly trained guides, we load into our rafts to continue our adventure. It starts off right away with the aptly named “Good Morning” rapid. If you weren’t awake before, you will be after this rapid. After tackling numerous rapids including Kanaka Falls, Bus Crash and the famous “Tunnel Chute” which drops 80 feet through a 14 foot wide chute ending by floating through a man-made tunnel blasted through the mountain during the gold rush, this is an absolutely incredible experience and one of only two rivers in the world where you can raft through a tunnel, we will stop for a gourmet deli lunch freshly prepared by your guide. Next we continue our journey filled with more whitewater action and breathtaking views with another section of Class IV rapids. After completing our rafting adventure, we will re board our shuttle vans and return you to your vehicles where we will say our goodbyes!

Don’t forget to add the Video Package to your reservation so you can relive your adventure and share it with friends.

FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers
  • Secure footwear; old tennis shoes or sturdy sandals with heel straps such as Tevas, Keens, and Chacos. NO FLIP FLOPS OR BARE FEET!
  • Swimsuit or shorts and T-shirt to wear on the rafts.
  • Sunglasses with neck strap (Please be sure to bring a neck strap for any glasses you plan on wearing on the raft.)
  • Sunscreen and lip ointment
  • Water bottle
  • Waterproof camera (optional)
  • Light cap or visor (optional)
  • Any medicines you require (please contact us beforehand to ensure we can accommodate any needs)
  • One professional, talented, and possibly humorous river guide
  • White water raft (Crewed by your provided guide at all times)
  • Personal Flotation Device (Life-jacket)
  • Helmet
  • Paddle
  • Other required safety equipment
  • Wetsuits an paddle jackets may be required at additional cost during cooler months and are available upon request in warmer months.

Please feel free to bring whatever items you would like to leave in your car for retrieval after the trip. Camp Lotus features hot showers available for your use.

  • Optional gratuity for your hardworking guides
  • Dry Clothing
  • Water or other beverage
  • Dry towels 
  • Sleeping Bag
  • Tent (optionally we can provide tents at a small cost)
  • Warm clothing for the evening.
  • Personal care items (Toothbrush, deodorant,  hair care products, etc.)
  • Flashlight or headlamp

Yes! We love rafting with friends, family, and coworkers! Discounts on rafting are as follows;

  • 5%: 6-11 Rafters
  • 10%: 12-17 Rafters
  • 15%: 18-23 Rafters
  • 20%: 24+ Rafters
  •  

Note that discounts are not applied to other “add-ons” such as camping and photo/video packages.

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Meeting Place: Behind the Raley's

13384 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA 95603

The meeting place for this trip is directly behind the Raleys on Lincoln Way in Auburn. Please drive and park behind the Raley’s where our guides will meet you.

Drive Times:
Sacramento Area: Approximately 45 mins
San Francisco: Approximately 2 hours