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The departure time for this trip varies based on the permit for that day. You will meet the WET shuttle van and your North Fork river guides for the day behind the Raley’s shopping center in Auburn, California. From there we have a short 25 minute ride in the van to our put-in location at the Iowa Hill Rd. Bridge.
North Fork American River rafting trips start off with a bang! Starting at Iowa Hill Bridge you will take on nearly continuous, non-stop, technical class 4-5 white water rapids. Stopping along the way to enjoy a riverside deli lunch, where you can enjoy the breathtaking spring wildflowers, lush green foliage and abundant wildlife found in the deep magical wilderness canyon of the Wild and Scenic North Fork American River. The last few miles of your north fork adventure offer a chance to catch your breath, relax and enjoy the awe-inspiring scenery of the canyon as the pace of the river slows down. At the end of the trip you will have a true sense of accomplishment. This white water rafting trip is a true participatory experience. You will see & feel how what you do on your raft & with your paddle make a big difference navigating some of the best class 4+ rapids in California.
Once your time on the water is complete you will load into the WET van and return to the Raley’s parking lot after a short drive.
Only 3 hours from San Francisco, 45 minutes from Sacramento and 1 hour from Lake Tahoe. The North Fork American River is the classic California white water adventure. With its steep drops, technical rapids and rushing falls this intermediate/advanced rafting trip is perfect for adventurous first timers and those who have rafted before but want even more excitement, adventure, seclusion and beauty.
The North Fork of the American River will make you feel like you have entered into your own private wonderland as you travel on a ribbon of crystal clear water through a narrow granite canyon, covered in lush green vegetation highlighted with spring flowers. Part of the beauty is its free-flowing nature. Undammed, this is truly a pristine river that is normally runnable from March through May.
Don’t miss your chance to experience this true wilderness river canyon with some of the most technical rapids in California. Fortunately for you, when you choose WET River Trips you will be provided the best and most experienced river guides to navigate you along your adventure, their sole job is to ensure that you have a safe and memorable trip. But don’t be mistaken, the North Fork is an all hands on deck trip. Everyone will be fitted with all the necessary rafting equipment (paddle, life jacket, wetsuit, splash jacket and helmet) and trained how to successfully paddle in order to safely maneuver the rafts through this technically exciting river.
The North Fork trip begins by meeting at Raley’s Shopping Center in Auburn. After meeting your highly trained and experienced river guides we load into our shuttle vans to head to the river put in. Once there you will be geared up with your rafting equipment before receiving a safety and paddling orientation. Then it is time for the whitewater adventure to begin. The Wild and Scenic North Fork American River is full of whitewater action. Starting off with 7 miles of back to back Class 4+ rapids, you and your guide will skillfully maneuver around boulders, crash through giant waves and drop the 7 foot Chamberlain Falls. The whitewater excitement doesn’t stop there, the action continues with rapids like Bogus Thunder, Grand Slalom, Staircase and Nose Stand just to name a few.
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
Then you will get the opportunity to bask in the sun and relax along the banks of the river as your guides skillfully prepare a gourmet deli lunch. After satisfying your hunger, you will play in numerous Class 3 rapids, giving you a chance to truly appreciate the beauty of the Sierra Nevadas as we laugh and reminisce about the morning’s excitement. Ending at Upper Lake Clementine, you will be greeted by cold refreshing beverages before we shuttle you back to your cars in our shuttle vans.
This is our guide’s favorite river trip, after you have experienced it for yourselves you will know why, and have the memories for a lifetime.
Don’t forget to add the Video Package to your reservation so you can relive your adventure and share it with friends.
EXCELLENT Based on 359 reviews Posted on Google Lucy TranAugust 9, 2026Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We did the 4-hour rafting trip with WET River Trips, and it was such an amazing experience! Mike (Jersey Mike!) was our guide, and he was absolutely wonderful. If you have to spend four hours on a raft with someone, he’s definitely a top pick! 😂 I was the only person in our group who couldn’t swim, so I made sure Mike knew ahead of time. I sat toward the back of the raft and felt extremely safe the entire trip with both our group and our guide. When we hit our first big rapid, I felt my body literally catapult out of my seat. Before I even had time to panic, Mike grabbed my life vest and pulled me right back down so I didn’t fall out of the raft! 😂 That definitely made me feel like I was in good hands. For being on the river for four hours, the rowing really didn’t feel strenuous at all. Mike did an awesome job leading us, steering the raft, and making the whole experience fun. No one fell out, and everyone had a great time! I’m a VERY scared and cautious person, so the fact that I had this much fun says a lot! 😂 I would absolutely do it again and would definitely recommend WET River Trips, especially Jersey Mike!Posted on Google Isabet T.August 5, 2026Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This is the operator you should pick to go whitewater rafting on the American. Abby was the best guide ever, she managed to keep all four of us in the boat and still hold a fun conversation. The team provides sandwich makings for lunch (meats, cheeses, tomatoes, guacamole, chipotle aioli, hummus, etc) which in the middle of a full day on the South Fork was a gourmet experience. Plenty of great rapids, saw an osprey and a fawn on the riverbank, jumped out multiple times to swim, and even got to swim some of the rapids. Consider wearing long sleeves and pants, the sun will get you. The South Fork is exciting and beginner friendly, just prepare to be sore the next day with some good memories.Posted on Google Jessica WhayneAugust 4, 2026Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Highly recommend rafting with WET. They are family-owned and operated. We did the south fork/middle fork 2 day combo with camping. Our guides Walker and Logan were experts that kept us safe and having fun. Walker cooked us a great dinner and brownies for dessert to fuel our last day of rafting.Posted on Google Jenae PenoliAugust 3, 2026Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. First time rafting this river, what a fun experience! Accommodated a group of 8 of us. Our kiwi guide Mike was wonderful! He was very informative and gave clear expectations and safety processes. Very organized company from start to finish. I suggest staying with the four hour tour, it was plenty of time. Bring larger disposable water bottles for each, and one sunscreen. The rafts have two medium mesh bags to accommodate. Highly recommendPosted on Google Joe KeylonAugust 2, 2026Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great fun for my kids and I. Beautiful calm/peaceful float down the scenic American River with some exciting rapids mixed in for flavor! Skyler was the best guide ever. Good luck on all your upcoming piloting classes and grand canyon excursions!Posted on Google Jana RoperJuly 24, 2026Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Did the full day Middle Fork American trip. I'd never been whitewater rafting before and considered starting with a South Fork trip, but I consider myself to be pretty adventurous, and it was an absolute BLAST! We took a swim at Tunnel Chute which is about 20 minutes into the day, and that definitely kicked things off! Our guide Noelle was AWESOME, very experienced, knowledgeable, and fun! I'll definitely be booking with them again.Posted on Google Brad ThontlinJuly 22, 2026Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This was an amazing day of rafting. The clear communications prior to booking and our arrival was great. We knew exactly what we’re doing. Short van ride to the river from the meeting point and then some rafting education and safety briefings. From the start, Wet made everyone feel welcomed and part of the team with their entire group including the guides, van drivers, and other persons- felt like friends or even family. I really liked the helmets and the quality of all the equipment and they even made sure I got a helmet with a GoPro mount. Our guide Noelle was great and explained each rapid in advance and we even did a practice run for some of the rapids. I’m not so sure about some her jokes though. I’m still trying to understand the whale joke! At our mid day lunch stop was perfect and excellent. The surprise snack was amazing- can’t tell ya, you’ll have to find out for yourself.I even purchased the photos as they were awesome.Posted on Google Melody NguyenJuly 20, 2026Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. John was such a great instructor! Patient and explained how to work as a team. We can tell he's very experienced and understands the middle river very well, calculating the turns very precisely . Would 1000% recommend rafting with this team.Posted on Google Roman AlekseenkovJuly 20, 2026Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. we had an amazing time on the river! our guide went above and beyond to make sure we had a blast, safely mixing in extra thrills like rock spinning. it was a lot more fun that just a standard float. small company, top-notch experience, will definitely book again!Posted on Google Tony StrainJuly 20, 2026Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had a fantastic trip. I planned the trip in advance, then had several last minute changes. The team accepted all the changes in stride without missing a beat. I received constant updates via email and text message. Abby was a wonderful guide, extremely knowledgeable, and kept the fun to a maximum. Everyone on the boat, (all 7) stated they wanted to come back. The lunch surprised me. Instead on dry tasteless sandwiches, Abby and Wyatt set an entire fresh cut veggies and real deli meat spread. I have picky eaters with me, and they enjoyed the spread as well.Verified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more