South North Fork American River 2-Day Combo

Your 2-Day South Fork American River and North Fork American River rafting combo adventure begins the night before your trip with camping at our own private camp area right on the banks of the South Fork American River.  Our camp host will meet you and escort you to your assigned camp area and answer any questions you might have about the camp or river rafting trip.

Breakfast the next morning is served by our camp cooks at 8:00 AM (coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are available earlier for those who just cannot seem to sleep in).  After breakfast our Gorge Run awaits, a 14 mile adventure that meets at 10:00 AM at our South Fork Camp Store, where your guides will meet you and check you in for the trip.  We then board our bus for a 5 minute scenic ride along Gold Country Highway 49.  Arriving at the 49 Bridge launching point, your guides will help you with your PFD’s (life jackets), helmets, and paddles. We will give a river safety orientation, break up into groups and guides, and then hit the river for our longest all day adventure on the South Fork of the American river.

The morning session is an hour long teaser run before we stop for lunch.  After lunch it’s on to – The Gorge!

The afternoon section, called the Gorge Run, begins with some bouncy whitewater and even a voluntary 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.  Then the river builds and enters the “Gorge”, where the rapids come almost in non stop fashion for 6 miles.

After the trip, it’s back to camp for an outstanding BBQ dinner and drinks expertly prepared by our dedicated camp cooks. Following dinner, our guide staff will have a slide show of you and your crew rafting down the rapids.  You will have time after dinner for yourselves, for a camp fire (conditions permitting), or a short hike.

Breakfast our next morning will be early at 7:30 AM as we begin our North Fork American river rafting adventure at 8:00 AM at our basecamp meeting area where our guide staff will be there to check you in and answer any questions about the day’s activities. We will issue wet suits and rafting windbreakers for you to put on and get ready for the trip.  Once everyone is checked in, we board our vans and take a very scenic drive of a little over an hour to the launching area.

On this drive you will pass the confluence of the North Fork American river and Middle Fork American river (confluence is where the two rivers meet and become one).

Once at the put in, our guide staff will help you with the river equipment necessary for the river rafting adventure.  Then we will have a river safety orientation, divide up into groups, assign the guides and get on the river.

After a very short warm up, we enter the main gorge and “Entrance Exam” followed immediately by “Slaughter’s Sluice” a series of non-stop drops, holes, and waves, climaxing in one of the biggest drops on the river, “Chamberlin Falls”, an 8 foot waterfall.  Rapids come in quick fire procession for the next 4 miles, ending in “Staircase Falls”, a series of 3 drops in only 30 yards.

The river then enters a more relaxing stretch where we have time to catch our breath and enjoy the splendor of the North Fork American river canyon.

We stop for lunch in this section and your guides will prepare our riverside buffet lunch, which believe it or not, was in the rafts from the beginning.  After lunch we hit some super fun class III rapids on the way to the end of our adventure.

At the end of the day, our vans will be waiting for you with cold drinks and snacks for the 30 minute ride back to the camp area, where again your guides will be there to thank you for coming and 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)
• Transportation from the meeting place to the river and back
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner on day 1 and breakfast and lunch on day 2
• 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 evening
• 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)

Camping Items

• Tent and ground cloth (not needed if you reserved a 4-person dome tent or a 5-person deluxe cabin tent with us – call to book: 1-800-750-2386)
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping pad
• Pillow
• Long pants
• Shorts
• Shirt
• Sweatshirt or light jacket
• Dry shoes
• Flashlight
• Lantern
• Insect repellent
• Food, snacks, and drinks (see above for what we provide on your trip)
• Campfire wood (when campfires are permitted, please call for current conditions)

Please do not bring

• Pets, fireworks, high pressure water guns or firearms

South North Two Day Trip Information
Whitewater Excitement Assumption of Risk/Wavier of Liability Form