The American River is the most popular rafting river in California and possibly the whole country. It's so popular because it's so close to Sacramento, it has fun rapids, and it relatively safe. It's hard to beat a day of rafting down the American River when it's 100 degrees outside.
Where is it?
All three forks of the American River are less than an hour from Sacramento in the Sierra foothills between Auburn and Placerville. Most rafting trips for all three forks meet along the South Fork of the American in the Coloma Valley.
What are the rapids like?
There are three forks of the American which are distinctly different. The South Fork is the most commonly run and has fun Class III rapids and due to upstream dams, it has water all summer. The Middle Fork also has water all summer and is a longer section of river with great Class III and IV rapids including the famous Tunnel Chute Rapid. The Class IV+ North Fork is the most exciting of the bunch with steep drops and narrow channels.
Why the American?
The American River is close to Sacramento and the Bay Area so it's easy to put a trip together and there are tons of great places to camp or stay in the Coloma Valley. All three forks have plenty of whitewater excitement for whitewater enthusiasts.
American River Rafting News
- Ten Best Rafting Trips in the World (Sep 23, 2007) I'm sure these are up for debate, but I was asked to write this for an online magazine the other day and thought I'd post 'em.1. The Grand Canyon: this is the ultimate trip. Most trips are 14-18 days ...