South Fork on the American River Rafting

The American River--pulsing through the heart of California's Gold Country--was the lifeblood of the state's gold rush in the late 1840s. The grassy foothills of the Sierra Nevada hid a great wealth along their streams and rivers, until James Marshall discovered the first gold on the South Fork of the American in 1848. By the end of the following year, hundreds of thousands of gold seekers from all over the world & now known as the "49ers" & flocked to the Sierra foothills to make their fortune from, as one San Francisco entrepreneur called it, "gold, gold, gold, from the American River."

Today, gold is still sought after along the shores of the American, but the main attraction of the South Fork is no longer a precious metal. Today, many outdoor lovers discover a different treasure on this stretch of river: a wealth of excellent Class III rapids that have made the South Fork of the American California's most popular whitewater run!

Why the South Fork of the American?

Join O.A.R.S. for this classic rafting trip in the scenic Gold Country. Scheduled releases keep the South Fork flowing from April through September, delivering miles of thrilling, non-stop whitewater that's ideal for rafters of any experience level. The river's close proximity to Sacramento, along with its fun, easy-to-handle whitewater and long season, make it an extremely accessible trip. Its Gold Rush history and beautiful scenery & rolling, grassy hills sprinkled with deep green oak and pine trees, rocky gorges and early-season wildflowers & make the South Fork an ideal river trip for families to experience together.

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Itinerary / Highlights

Sample Itinerary

We pride ourselves in running a relaxed and always flexible schedule. Every trip is different depending upon the group, other trips on the water and sometimes the weather. The following is a sample of what your trip might be like:

Allowing for plenty of time to drive the at times winding local roads, we welcome you to River's Bend Resort at 8:00 AM for our 21-Miler and Chili Bar Run trips. From the parking lot at the bottom of the hill, please follow our signs to O.A.R.S.' River Store, where we will check you in. The short walk along the trail takes you upstream and introduces you to the sights and sounds of the river.

Once everyone has arrived, we'll take a 25-minute shuttle ride to your put-in point, where your boats and the rest of your O.A.R.S. crew await us. Your guides will present a thorough river orientation and safety talk, and then your adventure begins. After practicing your paddle-strokes with your guide, your morning starts off with a bang in Meatgrinder rapids! Beautiful river scenes stretch out around you, with redtail hawks soaring overhead and the occasional river otter swimming near shore. Exciting rapids like Racehorse Bend, Maya and the famous Troublemaker Falls await you and yours on this enjoyable Chili Bar run!

After floating by the historic town of Coloma, where gold was originally discovered in 1848, you have now returned to where your day started. Get ready for a satisfying, deluxe BBQ lunch - which is included on the 21-Mile trip and available for purchase on the Chili Bar or Gorge Run trip options - at our River's Bend campground. If you have joined us for the 21-Mile trip option, 10 more exciting miles await after lunch! Along with enjoying our BBQ lunch, you may wish to play some volleyball or horseshoes, pan for gold or throw a Frisbee around under the trees. This is the end of the morning Chili Bar Run.

If you have chosen our afternoon Gorge Run trip option, we invite you to meet us at River's Bend Resort at 11:00 AM if you would like to join us for the optional BBQ lunch. If not, the trip arrival time is 12:00 PM.

The South Fork's Gorge begins at the base of the Lollipop Tree, where the canyon walls constrict the flow of the river and help create a half-dozen enjoyable Class III rapids. Such memorable torrents as Fowler's Rock, Satan's Cesspool and Hospital Bar are sure to get the whole family's pulse racing. Be sure to smile for the photographers' cameras!

The fun in the sun ends as you approach Folsom Reservoir and your take-out at Salmon Falls Bridge. At the take-out point there is a short, steep hill from the river's edge to where your shuttle vehicles wait for you. Although your guides very much appreciate any help in carrying the rafts and other equipment up to the vehicles, it is not required or even encouraged if you are not in good physical condition. After enjoying a cold soda or juice from the cooler, you'll be returned to River's Bend Resort and your car around 5:00 PM.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

MEETING PLACE: “Sand Pit,” 24.5 miles northeast of Mariposa on Highway 140 (1.4 miles east of Cedar Lodge toward Yosemite)
MEETING TIME: 9:30 AM
RETURN TIME: Approximately 5:00 PM
RIVER RATING: Class III/IV (Suitable for aggressive beginners and intermediates)
RIVER PUT-IN: Indian Flat
RIVER TAKE-OUT: Railroad Flat
MILES COVERED: 18 river miles with 6 recognized rapids
AGE LIMITS: Minimum age is 9 (16 in high water conditions)
TRIP LENGTH: 1 Day

A Few Important Details

Reservations and Deposits
A $30/person deposit is required at the time of reservation. The balance is due 30 days prior to departure.

Cancellations and Refunds
If you find it necessary to cancel your trip, notify us as soon as possible. All payments are nonrefundable and we regret that we cannot make exceptions for personal emergencies. For this reason, we strongly urge our participants to investigate trip cancellation insurance (see Insurance).

If you transfer from one trip to another, there is a $15/person charge up until 30 days before the trip. Transfers made after this time will be treated as cancellations.

Medical
Under most circumstances, if you are of an adventurous spirit and in reasonably good health, you should have no problem enjoying an O.A.R.S. trip. People with medical conditions, including pregnancy, should have a physician´s approval before taking an adventure travel trip.

Insurance
Although every effort is made to insure a safe trip for all, we strongly recommend that you protect yourself, your belongings, and your vacation through the purchase of a short-term traveler´s policy. A trip cancellation policy covers your non-refundable payments in most cases, should you have to cancel your trip at the last minute due to illness or injury. Trip participants should realize that in the event of illness or injury on an adventure travel trip, evacuation can be prolonged, difficult and expensive. Personal belongings and cameras are carried entirely at the owner´s risk, and O.A.R.S. accepts no responsibility for lost, damaged, delayed or stolen property.

Liability Waiver
Everyone is required to sign a standard release before the trip, acknowledging awareness that some risks are associated with the trip. Safety is of the utmost concern on our trips. However, due to the nature of the activities, a condition of your participation is that you will sign this form and return it to our office before the trip begins. Anyone who refuses to sign the form will not be allowed to participate, and consistent with O.A.R.S. cancellation policy, there will be no refund of the trip fees at that time.

Departure Dates, Options & Prices

Daily (Except Wednesday) April – September

Chili Bar Run: 8:00AM - 12:30PM
Gorge Run: 12:00PM - 5:00PM
21-Miler: 8AM - 5:00PM
NEW! Ducky Fun Run! (Inflatable Kayaks): 12:00PM - 5:00PM Weekdays, July - September
(Minimum 4 paddlers required; water levels must be below 1700 CFS; minimum age 14 years)

Chili Bar or Gorge Run:

Weekdays! $109*
Sundays: $119*
Saturdays: $129*
Ducky Run: $150*

21-Miler (Full river trip includes BBQ lunch):

Weekdays: $155
Weekends: $175
*Add a tasty BBQ lunch to any Chili Bar, Gorge Run or Ducky trip for $10.00 per person!

Deposit: $30

Additional Costs:
$8 per person federal, state and local access fees

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