South Fork American River Gorge Run 1-Day Trip

This trip meets at 10:00 AM at our Whitewater Excitement basecamp and meeting area in Coloma, CA. We then check you in, board our bus for a very short ride up to the launching area where your guides will meet you and help with your river rafting equipment. 

After our river safety talk and orientation, we split up into groups, assign the guides and begin our rafting adventure on the South Fork American river.  Our South Fork American river Gorge Run, begins with some bouncy whitewater and even an out of boat experience through “Swimmer’s Rapid” a fun, small wave train that leads to a huge pond to recover in.  A fun way to cool off in the hot summer.

We take a break for lunch at our camp area, where your guides will prepare our riverside buffet lunch for you to enjoy. Bathrooms are available for you during the break. We stop for about 45 minutes and then it’s back into the rafts for the exciting part of the day:  The GORGE!

The river builds slowly and we then enter the “Gorge”, where the rapids come almost in non stop fashion for 6 miles. Many rapids make up the Gorge, but the highlight rapids are “Scissors”, “Hospital Bar”, and “Satan’s Cesspool”, where you will always catch a professional photographer capturing your rapid moment.  There are breaks in between the big ones for us to relax and catch our breath before plunging into the next one.

At the end of the day, our busses will be waiting for you with cold drinks and snacks for the 20 minute bus ride back to the meeting area, where again your guides will be there to thank you for coming and let you know how you can view and purchase professional photos of your trip (if you wish).

• Skilled, professional guide service.
• High-quality inflatable rafts, paddles, helmets, personal floatation devices.
• Wetsuits and splash jackets for springtime trips prior to Memorial Day weekend only – (if needed).
• Our riverside buffet lunch
• Transportation from the meeting place to the river and back.
• Drinks and snacks at river’s end.

• River clothing is very casual and you should expect to get wet!  
• Bathing suit/trunks, lightweight, quick drying top (rash guard works well).
• Lightweight windbreaker for cool mornings, sweatshirt 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 the trip).
• Inexpensive waterproof camera (professional pictures are taken at one of the rapids).
• Dry clothes for trip home (to be left in your car). 

Please do not bring

• Pets, fireworks, high pressure water guns or firearms

South Fork Gorge Run Day Trip Information
Whitewater Excitement Assumption of Risk/Wavier of Liability Form
South Fork Details and Directions