1 Day from $169
View Dates & Prices
Overview
The Wild & Scenic North Fork of the American River near Sacramento, CA provides an extraordinary California whitewater rafting experience. The North Fork of the American is the most challenging fork of the American River, and rapid after Class IV rapid deliver nearly non-stop, white-knuckling whitewater, followed by a stretch of more moderate Class II-III rapids. Intricate boulder gardens, rushing falls and staircase drops promise intense paddling and plenty of adrenaline-inspiring thrills through the 2000-foot cliffs as blankets of green grass and colorful wildflowers amidst black oak and pine forests provide a spectacular backdrop. This trip is an easy jaunt from Sacramento, Lake Tahoe or the Bay Area and well worth the journey for both exhilarating whitewater and classic California wilderness scenery.
Make it a 2-Day:
Photos & Videos
Itinerary & Map
Back parking lot behind Raley’s Supermarket, 13384 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA 95603 (Look for the OARS vans and staff)
GPS COORDINATES: 38.924278, -121.053393 (Intermittent GPS/cellular service in area)
9:00 AM weekdays
Weekends vary due to launch times assigned to us by CA State Parks. Please refer to your pre-trip email for exact meeting time.
Information for this Mile by Mile guide was gathered from the books “California Whitewater” and “A Guide to the Best Whitewater in the State of California,” as well as from a variety of sources on the Internet.
Colfax-Iowa Hill Road bridge. Put-in (start) for OARS North Fork American Whitewater Rafting trips. The North Fork American River was granted Wild and Scenic status in1978. This classic California whitewater river is free flowing, with spring run-off dependent on Sierra snow pack. This river is typically run from April through May, when the wildflowers are in full bloom. The area around the North Fork of the American River is paradise for hiking and mountain biking enthusiasts.
FLAKE ROCK. There is a 10-foot high knife-edge rock that guards the right side of the entrance to Slaughter’s Sluice rapid.
SLAUGHTER’S SLUICE (III-IV) There are house-sized rocks in this boulder slalom rapid that require attentive paddling. Most of the boulders you see have been rolled downstream by floods and have been caught in the narrow, constricted canyon.
CHAMBERLAIN’S FALLS (IV+) The river funnels into a narrow slot with an eight foot drop, pushing the boat into a big reversal, also known as a hole, at the bottom. You may be caught in a turbulent eddy between the reversal and the left bank.
ZIG ZAG (IV) Lots of tricky boulder dodging and attentive paddling. Start center and move right then quickly back to the left.
FERN WALL. On river left there is a wall of ferns and wildflowers.
BOGUS THUNDER (IV) Another classic North Fork of the American River rapid. This boulder slalom is most difficult at low water when the right side becomes very rocky.
GRAND SLALOM (IV) A collection of very large boulders form a long, technical maze.
STAIRCASE (IV+) There are three river-wide ledges in this rapid. The rapid begins with a drop into some waves, followed by a right ferry aided by slow moving water, followed by a final move to line-up for the drops. Below Staircase rapid are high ledges along both banks that are “hard accumulations of lava with pillow structures, indicating that they were formed on the ocean floor 350 million years ago.”
Canyon Creek, river left.
Indian Creek, river left, leads to a picturesque 30-foot waterfall.
River Access. Shirttail Canyon Creek, river left, just above the Colfax-Foresthill Road bridge.
Brushy Creek, river right.
Big Bend. The river makes a long, horseshoe-shaped bend.
Ponderosa Way Bridge. Take out. Hot/cold drinks and a return shuttle to your vehicle wait at the take-out of your OARS North Fork American River rafting trip.
Dates & Prices
Additional Cost:
DISCLAIMER
Discounts applicable on American River trips only and cannot be combined with any other offer. Some restrictions apply. Contact an adventure consultant at 1-855-541-4792 for details. Discounts must be mentioned at the time of booking. No retroactive discounts will be applied after a trip has been booked, confirmed or completed. All such discounts are subject to expiration, restriction or withdrawal without notice.
Camp with us! Limited camping for rafters is available before and/or after your trip at the OARS American River Outpost in Lotus. All nights of camping are $15 per person/night. Advance reservations are required. Please ask an Adventure Consultant about the details of staying at our beautiful riverside camp.
A few of our campground amenities include men’s and women’s restrooms, hot showers, camp store, beach and river access, games and free WiFi. All within a few minutes walk of Sierra Rizing Bakery & Coffee House and a handful of other local restaurants.
Don’t have your own gear? Rental options include:
Learn about our campground | View the campground map
Please note that camping reservations must be made in advance of arrival and guests may check-in between 3:30 and 8:00 PM.
Save 10% when you book online!
O.A.R.S. West, Inc. is a permitted outfitter of the California Department of Parks and Recreation Gold Fields District.
We respect and recognize that many of the river canyons on state and federal lands where we operate are the ancestral homes of indigenous communities. Where we operate on the North Fork of the American River between Iowa Hill Bridge and Lake Clementine, we acknowledge the territories of the Nisenan.
Reviews
“What I like the most is knowing I can always rely on OARS to do a great job. The guides are excellent and the trips are always very well organized. I particularly appreciate that OARS pays careful attention to safety. For example, on this trip, I noticed that there was both a safety boat and a rescue kayak. My guide gave an excellent ‘safety talk’ before the trip, and, then, before the most challenging rapids, again emphasized key precautions. I think the North Fork American is a great trip. Even though it’s only a one-day trip, it provides a real sense of wilderness and adventure. I intend to go on the North Fork with OARS again next year.”
–Diane McCarthy ~El Dorado Hills, CA
“The guides were friendly, practiced, and extremely laid back – it really makes all the difference to remember your life is in the hands of the guides and then have really caring, capable people.”
–Mara Flores Naumann
Press & Blog
Before You Go
