|
Central
California
|
| American
(South Fork) |
-  |
State’s
most popular whitewater trip, in the heart of gold-rush country,
offers exciting daily trips that are suitable for first-times and
families.
|
| American
(Middle Fork) |
|
Only
slightly more difficult than the South Fork, the Middle Fork affords
a unique wilderness river experience in gold-rush country.
|
| American
(North Fork) |
-  |
Chamberlain
Falls run provides excellent III-IV+ action and Giant Gap IV-V+
multiday trips are for hardy rafters only.
|
| Yuba
(North Fork) |
- |
|
Near
historic gold-rush town of Downieville, two sections offer trips for
adventurous and truly-adventurous paddlers.
|
| Stanislaus
(North Fork) |
|
Challenging
springtime whitewater in the scenic gorges of Calaveras Big Trees
State Park in the heart of the mother lode.
|
| Stanislaus
(Goodwin Canyon) |
|
Exciting
technical whitewater through large gorges between Goodwin Canyon Dam
and Knights Ferry.
|
| Tuolumne |
- |
Classic
Wild and Scenic River has all features a river adventurer could
want: remoteness, wildlife, and swift-flowing and demanding
whitewater.
|
| Cherry
Creek |
|
An
exciting and demanding upper tributary of the Tuolumne with an
abundance of V+ whitewater for extreme paddlers.
|
| Merced |
|
Continuous
and lively large wave whitewater just west of Yosemite National
Park. Great early-summer family rafting.
|
|
Southern
California |
| Kings |
|
Good
intermediate-advanced whitewater run during the springtime is
followed with family rafting during more moderate summertime flows.
|
| Kaweah |
|
One
of the state’s steepest and most challenging whitewater runs,
should be attempted only by experienced rafters.
|
| Kern
(The Forks) |
|
One
of state’s premier multiday adventures with plenty of exciting,
strenuous and physically demanding whitewater action in gorgeous and
remote Sierra canyons.
|
| Kern
(Upper) |
|
Exciting
springtime whitewater run gives way to mellow family and first-time
raft trips in early summer.
|
| Kern
(Lower) |
- |
Controlled
flows from Lake Isabella Reservoir provide highly popular one- or
two-day raft trips throughout the season.
|
|
Eastern
California/Western Nevada |
| Truckee |
|
Lively
whitewater trip below the historic Donner Trail in the eastern
Sierra foothills near Lake Tahoe.
|
| Carson
(East Fork) |
|
Two
relatively easy sections through semiarid eastern slopes of the
Sierra provide ideal rafting for families and first-timers.
|
|
Northern
California/Oregon |
| Klamath
(Upper) |
|
Lots
of exciting and challenging whitewater in remote canyons make this a
popular raft trip offering by both Oregon and California outfitters.
|
|
Northern
California |
| Klamath
(Lower) |
|
Popular
half-day, one-day, and multiday raft trip opportunities through
scenic canyons for nearly all ages.
|
| Salmon |
- |
Challenging
advanced one-day trips on each of two sections: IV-V Nordheimer
(upper) or III-IV (Butler Creek)
|
| Trinity |
|
Scenic
single- or multiday trips of varying lengths through the Trinity
National Forest for families, seniors, and the disabled.
|
| Trinity
(Burnt Ranch) |
|
One
of state’s most-challenging commercial whitewater runs. Top
physical condition and previous Class IV rafting experience are
required.
|
| Sacramento
(Upper) |
|
Intermediate
springtime raft trip with exciting whitewater and scenery just south
of snowcapped Mount Shasta and parallel to Interstate 5.
|
| Cache
Creek |
|
| |
|
|
| California, the most
populous state of the United States, has some of the country's best
recreational whitewater rafting opportunities. Professional
outfitters offer guided raft trips on rivers ranging from very easy
to extremely difficult. Such offerings include half-day, one-day,
and multiday trips, as well as trips especially for families, senior
citizens, and the disabled.
California's most popular rafting
trips are located in the western Sierra foothills near the
agricultural-rich Central Valley. Here, free-flowing snowmelt from
the High Sierra and controlled water releases from irrigation
reservoirs and power dams are the source of much of the state’s
finest whitewater. These trips include:
- The South Fork of the American
River, in historic gold-rush country, the state's most popular
whitewater run, offers exciting daily trips that are suitable
for first-timers and families.
- The North and Middle forks of the
American, with more difficult than the South Fork, feature both
one-day and multiday trips through scenic wilderness canyons.
North Fork's Giant Gap run, with Class V whitewater, is reserved
for physically fit adventure paddlers.
- The Yuba River’s North Fork,
near the historic gold-rush town of Downieville, has Class
III-IV and Class V sections for adventurous paddlers.
- The North Fork of the Stanislaus,
which passes through the breathtaking gorges of Calaveras Big
Trees State Park west of Yosemite National Park, and the lower
Stanislaus, which cuts through Goodwin Canyon near Knights
Ferry, both provide challenging Class III-IV whitewater.
- The Tuolumne designated a National
Wild and Scenic River, is a whitewater classic through scenic
wilderness canyons. Cherry Creek, an upstream tributary with
dynamic Class V+ rapids is reserved for extreme rafters.
- The Merced offers continuous and
lively Class III-IV whitewaters just west of Yosemite National
Park.
South central California's Kings and
the Kern rivers, which originate in Kings Canyon and Sequoia
national parks, provide several rafting options. While both have
dynamic and extremely challenging Class III-IV+ whitewater in the
springtime, both have family rafting trips during moderate
summertime flows.
On the eastern flanks of the Sierra
Mountains two rivers—the Truckee, near Lake Tahoe and the East
Fork of the Carson, are favorite springtime rafting destinations.
Northern California's coastal
mountain ranges and rain-fed forests provide action-packed
spring-season whitewater excitement as well as reliable summer
rafting excitement for adventurous and first time rafters. Three of
California's most challenging Class IV-V+ whitewater trips—the
upper Klamath, the 'California Salmon', and Trinity's Burnt Ranch
Gorge—are within 75 miles (120 km) of the California-Oregon
border. More moderate, Class II-III whitewater sections on the
Trinity River and the lower Klamath River can be enjoyed by families
all summer.
|
|
