South Fork American River Rafting Trip Logistics

Below Is All The Information You Should Need For Your Trip.

If you have any further questions not answered here, please give our friendly team a call

at 1 800 750 2386 and we will be happy to talk to you.

Getting Here

South Fork Specific Trip Information PDFs

AM HALF DAY TRIP INFORMATION PDF
PM HALF DAY TRIP INFORMATION PDF
WHOLE RIVER TRIP INFORMATION PDF
GORGE RUN INFORMATION PDF
CHILI BAR RUN TRIP INFORMATION PDF
SOUTH FORK 2-DAY TRIP INFORMATION PDF
YOUNG RAFTERS TRIP INFORMATION PDF
YOUNG RAFTERS OVERNIGHT TRIP INFORMATION PDF

South Fork American 1-Day Check-in times

AM HALF DAY – 8:00 AM
PM HALF DAY – 12:00 Noon
WHOLE RIVER – 8:00 AM
GORGE RUN – 10:00 AM
CHILI BAR RUN – 9:00 AM
YOUNG RAFTERS RUN – 9:30 AM

All 2-Day Trips

CHECK IN AFTER 5:30 PM THE NIGHT BEFORE YOUR TRIP

South Fork Trips meet at various times (please see above or specific trip information pdf’s) at the WWE camp store. Please be on time as we only wait a short time for late arrivals. If you are on a 2-day trip and camping the night before your trip, arrival time for camping is 5:30 pm or after. Please check the camping board upon arrival for your breakfast times. Please check in with our staff and they will be happy to answer any questions. Once everyone has checked in, we begin your trip. Your car keys will be kept in a locked location while rafting

Directions

Driving Times / Distances

Whitewater Excitement Camp 6580 Highway 49, Lotus, CA 95651 ***Please do not rely on your GPS or phone for directions as only Verizon works in our area.***

Directions from Sacramento

Take Highway 50 east towards Placerville and South Lake Tahoe.
Exit Ponderosa Rd (Exit #37) in Shingle Springs. This is 1 mile past the town of Cameron Park.
Turn left on Ponderosa Rd and cross over Highway 50.
At the second stop light (immediately over the overpass), turn right on North Shingle Rd towards Coloma.
Drive 4.5 miles and you’ll come to a curve in the road, keep left, this is Lotus Rd.
Drive 7 miles on Lotus Rd. Lotus Rd will dead end into Highway 49.
Turn left on Highway 49 and drive 1.7 miles.
Start slowing down at the 1.5 mile mark.
Look for the Whitewater Excitement sign on the left.
Turn left into the driveway, stay to the right and follow the signs to the WWE parking area.

Directions from South Lake Tahoe

Take Highway 50 west to Placerville.
Turn right on Highway 49 (Spring Street, sign to Coloma).
Follow Highway 49 to Coloma.
Pass Marshall Gold State Park and you’ll cross a bridge over the river.
Drive 1.5 miles past the bridge to the Whitewater Excitement sign on the left.
Turn into the driveway, stay to the right and follow the signs to the WWE parking area

Directions from Auburn

Exit Highway 49 Southbound towards Placerville/Cool.
Follow Highway 49 down the canyon.
At the bottom of the canyon turn right across the bridge and up to the town of Cool.
Four miles past Cool is Pilot Hill.
Drive 5.5 miles past the town of Pilot Hill and look for Whitewater Excitement sign on the right.
Turn into the driveway, stay to the right and follow the signs to the WWE parking area.

What To Bring

What Is Provided

Skilled, professional guide service.
High-quality inflatable rafts, paddles, helmets, personal flotation devices.
Wetsuits and splash jackets for spring trips only – (if needed).
Transportation from the meeting place to the river and back.
Drinks and snacks at river’s end.
River Clothing

What To Bring

River Clothing is very casual and you should expect to get wet!
Bathing suit/trucks, lightweight quick drying top (rash guard works well)
Lightweight windbreaker for cool mornings. Sweatshirts for cool evenings
River sandals or old tennis shoes work great (No flip flops or bare feet allowed)
Hat (Optional under helmet)
Sunglasses (suggest retaining device so they don’t end up in the river)
Waterproof sunscreen and lip protection
Bottle of water (drinks provided at lunch and end of trip)
Inexpensive waterproof camera (professional pictures are taken at one of the rapids)
Dry clothes for trip home (to be left in your car)
Tent and ground cloth

Camping Items

CHECK IN AFTER 5:30 PM THE NIGHT BEFORE YOUR TRIP

Tent and ground cloth
We have 4 person dome tents or deluxe cabin tents that sleep 5
Sleeping bag, pad, and pillow
Camp clothing. (dry shoes, long pants, shorts, shirt, sweatshirt or light jacket)
Flashlight, lantern, insect repellent
Food and drinks (that are not provided on your trip)
Campfire wood (when campfires are permitted, please call for current conditions)

What Not To Bring

Pets, fireworks, firearms or high pressure water guns

Places To Stay In The Area

Campgrounds

We have our own private camp area, only for WWE Guests, right on the banks of the South Fork of the American river. Our facilities include: bathrooms with hot showers, flush toilets, sinks and mirrors, recreation areas with volleyball, and horseshoe pits. All of our camp areas are group areas that are assigned prior to your arriving. Smaller sized groups could be sharing an area with another smaller sized group.

Reservations for the WWE Camp Area can be made by calling our office at 1-800-750-2386. Cost for camping is $15.00 per person per night. We do also have areas for RV’s, however, we do not have any hook-ups available.

Other Campgrounds

Coloma Resort (530) 621-2267

Camp Lotus (530) 622-8672

Lodging

Hotels / Motels

Marriott – Springhill Suites, Auburn, CA 530-492-5656
Holiday Inn, Auburn (530) 887-8787
Motel 6, Cameron Park (530) 677-7177
Quality Inn, Cameron Park (530) 677-2203
Best Western, Auburn (800) 201-0121
Gold Country Inn, Placerville, CA (530) 622-3124
Mother Lode Motel, Placerville, CA (530) 622-0895
Cary House Historic Hotel, Placerville, CA (530) 622-4271

Bed & Breakfasts

Enchanted April Inn, Cool, CA (916) 939-9144
Bella Vista Inn Placerville, Placerville, CA (530) 622-3456

Cottages by the River

Coloma Cottages, Coloma, CA (530) 334-3479

Where To Eat

Local Eateries

American River Pizza (530) 887-1969 (10 min away)
We serve a variety of great food including, Appetizers, BBQ Ribs, Salad Bar, Sandwiches, Burgers, Wraps, Pasta Dishes, Pizza, Beer, Local Wines, Beverages and Much More.

Troublemakers Beer Garden (530) 663-8723 (3 min away)
Great outdoor Summer dining experience serving Roman style pizza, salad, curry, rice bowls, local beer and wine.

Cafe Mahjaic (530) 622-9587 (5 min away)
Dinners at Café Mahjaic are New American, a mixture of all ethnic backgrounds. All foods, sauces and breads made from scratch using naturally raised organic meats and grains. Daily specials. Restaurant now open Wed. – Sun.

Sierra Rizing Bakery, Catering & Coffee House (530) 642-1308 (4 min away)
Breakfast, lunch and dinner fare with locally roasted coffee, fresh baked goods, soups, salads, pastas, pot pies and more. Enjoy daily dinner specials, fine desserts and espresso well into the evening. Open daily year round.

Coloma Club Café (530) 626-6390 (3 min away)
Café open 6:30 a.m. Great family style eatery, full bar, live music every weekend.

Other Options And Things To Do

Other Local Places Of Interest

James Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park – This park is located where gold was discovered in California in 1848. There are historic trails wandering through the park, picnic tables by the river, and a gold rush history museum

Weather

Weather Info

Our area can experience extreme changes in weather especially in the months of April, May and June, so please check the weather (www.weather.com) for Coloma, CA prior to your trip.

Average Area Air and Water Temperatures