BRIAN!! Brian was the best tour guide I have ever had hands down. He is a skilled rafter who knows…read morehow to entertain the raft while maintaining professionalism. The river was amazing but Brian who made the trip 100/10! I would recommend anyone coming to American River to request Brian as their guide. Well worth the time & costs and for all ages!! I flew here all the way from LA and would fly again just to experience the river with Brian again!

We camped at the American River Resort and took part in the river rafting. It's $120/person for 4…read morehours session. The first two hours were kind of boring, we were just floating around the river, the last 45 minutes were really fun with lot of adrenaline. Our captain Luke from South Africa was fun and he even brought his speaker to entertain us with songs. The pictures taken by the prof were amazing, we're having fun.

I love this spot! It's conveniently located right across from the lake and they are always really…read morefriendly. Fair prices as well! I'll be by again and again

We had a fantastic experience on a 1 day trip on the South Fork American River. We had three 11…read moreyear old kids in our boat and the guide (Parker) was so patient and friendly to them! The trip was just the right balance of excitement and feeling safe. Our guide was awesome and clearly an expert at navigating the river. Also highly recommend the campsite - nice flat sites and clean showers/bathrooms.

My family of 3 booked a 2-day South Fork trip and it was absolutely fantastic. Alec, our guide, was…read moreinformative, professional, personable, friendly, and lots of fun. He had lots of knowledge about the California gold rush and it was nice to learn about it as an adult who didn't grow up in CA (I'm sure my 12yo loved learning about it too). While we camped at Earthtrek, it was super helpful that our trip included breakfast, 2 lunches (one lunch mid-rafting trip), and dinner. All meals were delicious and it was nice that there were gluten free options. The OARS site is spacious, with clean facilities, and a small shop for items. Now on to the rafting experience! For some background, my husband was the only one who had ever done it so my kiddo and I were newbies. Along with another kiddo and adult, we rafted through class 1-3 rapids and I never felt that we were not safe (despite me being the weakest swimmer in the family). Alec was truly a guide in every sense of the word. He prepped us before taking on the rapids - gave us the route we would take, what to expect in terms of how we were to paddle and what we had to do. We played some fun boat games and spent some time floating in the river which my husband and son loved. Also included were the always fun brain teaser riddles that had all of us entertained during the floating portions of our trip. After completing the class 3 rapids and all staying in the raft, we felt on top of the world and wanted to do more! If you have ever thought about trying white water rafting, do it - you won't regret it! It's truly an experience and a great time in nature with the family. OARS is a professional and inclusive company, with great guides!

I was afraid to go Whitewater rafting because I get seasick very easily. But I tried it anyway, and…read morethere was absolutely no problem. No seasickness at all. Not to mention how wonderful our guide Gretchen was, and how beautiful the river was. I'm 66 years old and this was my first white water raft. I wouldn't call it scary but it was very thrilling and exciting.

I've rafted on the South Fork and Middle Fork several times times with various companies- I have…read morealways had a great experience- but the companies change names or stop doing middle fork- which is what led me to Whitewater Excitement this year- Everyone who works there from admin to guides to drivers etc are super helpful and nice!! My sister, nephew and I wanted to do Middle Fork this year and I remember it being an adrenaline rush and challenging but so fun- We picked a Tuesday so it was not crowded, but when it ended up being just the three of us in the raft with Juli, I was a little nervous, remembering how intimidating tunnel chute was- and I didn't have the security of a full raft of people to weigh down the raft and help paddle to build up speed. This just goes to show you how important a seasoned veteran rafting guide is Juli was amazing. He gave clear instructions, he was very calm, and he managed the raft like a pro. No no flipping over and no one fell out. So exciting! Now I want to go to Costa Rica and look up Whitewater excitement there and request Juli. Hope to do this at least one more time this year. If I lived closer, I would go more often. Ps- I read some people complaining that you have to pitch in to carry the raft from the water up to the trucks and from the trucks down to the water, I've only been with one company that did not ask you to do that. All the rest have always had the rafters help out in pitch-in.

Have been rafting the Gorge each summer with this company for more than a decade. We requested a…read morefemale guide this time and Jess was amazing, she did not disappoint. Super fun experience, will continue to choose this company. The photographers got amazing footage too, so of course we had to have the photos. This trip has become a tradition with some of my friends.

Yesterday my girlfriend and I did the full day trip down the South Fork of the american river and…read moreit was a great trip. I did this sam trip two years ago and on both trips had a really good guide with a great personality. Scenery is fantastice and the rapids are fun to run. Not sure why they ask for an additonal $5 for parking, seems unnecasary. Resommend doing this on days where the temps are 90 degrees or below the sun can be very brutal and it will be very hot. Will be doing again in the future.

For my friend's birthday, we booked the South Fork Lower Gorge 1-Day Trip (Class II-III, Beginner,…read more15-mile 1-day trip with lunch). It was our first time rafting and our guide Horacio made the experience very enjoyable! We brought (and left in the car) towels, a spare change of clothes, and a portable battery. To our raft, we brought waterbottles and sunscreen. We also brought a waterproof pouch for our phones to take pictures and videos. It was attached to a lanyard so we were able to take videos as we paddled and went down the rapids. The trip starts on a bit of a calm stretch. We were lucky to have a 6-person raft to ourselves (party of 4). We were suited up with life vests, helmets, and paddles (provided). Our guide primarily did the paddling since he said we needed to conserve our energy for the latter part of the trip. He also chatted with us a bit about the history surrounding the river. Since the waters were relatively peaceful, we sacrificed a friend so that we could practice rescuing someone who fell off the raft :D! The lunch provided by the guide on our trip was build-your-own burritos and lemonade. It was delicious and the variety of toppings and condiments was thoughtful. We reapplied sunscreen during this break (important)!! The latter part of the trip was definitely a lot more strenuous, eventful and fun. There were a good amount of Class 2 and 3 Rapids with time in between each to chat and rest. There is a photographer in a kayak who would prep and capture the money shot of each rapid (excluded from the rafting package). Our group did end up purchasing the full package (all photos and videos) for $90 since the photographer was able to capture the moment our birthday girl fell out of the raft LOL. Once we traveled the full-length of the route, we took a bus back to the reception area alongside the other rafters we saw on the river and met during lunch. Near the reception is restrooms with showers to rinse off in. Overall it was a very memorable experience and we will definitely come again in the future!

My friends and I signed up for a 2 day rafting experience. Day 1 the full South Fork River and Day…read more2 was Middle Fork. My most recent trip with American Whitewater Expeditions was amazing. Specifically Middle Fork with Duffy - he is super experienced AND so fun and creative on the river. This was my 3rd time on Middle Fork, but 1st time with Duffy. He had us doing tricks I have never done before with any other guide and I've rafted on Middle Fork a few times. It was like rafting a completely different River. He even got us pumped up to try out the North Fork, which until now, was so intimating to even consider. We are so looking forward to rafting again with Duffy this spring on the North Fork. He is awesome! Also it was amazing glamping right next the American River. Everyone at the resort was friendly and helpful. From now on it's American Whitewater Expeditions for me and my rafting companions. It is the best!

Had an awesome first time rafting experience with the kids (13 & 11). Took the South Fork 1/2 day…read moretrip and experienced the swimming rapid and all that was down stream. Couldn't have asked for anything better. Our guide, Mike, was great! He kept the boat lively, relaxed, and safe. He was filled with knowledge of the river and local history. Shout out to Ann as well. Super-friendly and comforting team to be around! Already looking forward to a full day trip next summer and will definitely book with H2O.

I can't recommend this tour company enough!! Amazing experience, knowledge, and fun. We were a…read moregroup 7 and thoroughly enjoyed our guide, Ann, and the beautiful memories.

We took 17 of our parents and youth on the South Fork of the American River rafting experience…read more All of the guides were amazing, we had such an amazing time, I hope to see them soon for another experience. Every guide was very knowledgeable, they all had a safety first mentality. They were willing to put up with a full boat of kids that just wanted to splash, but reigned it in when they had to become part of the greater team to get through some of the tougher rapids. Overall we had an amazing experience, were able to get out and truly enjoy some of God's amazing beauty that He's created. I'm so glad to have been part of this.

I went on a bachelor trip and we all decided on this company to guide us on a full 8-hour tour…read more From the get-go with just transportation they were very welcoming and accommodating. Our instructors were Joey and Schyler who were fantastic. Even the driver Pauly was fun. We put so much trust into them and it worked out so well! We followed their guidance and they listened to our input, and the food they made was good! I have to recommend it and would absolutely do it again. 10/10

Had an absolute blast with Whitewater Connection for our trip down the South Fork!…read more Parking is $2 for the day, cash only. Drive straight until you see someone who will take the cash and point you to where you should park. The day started out with lunch, which was burgers and hot dogs cooked backyard barbecue style. Other toppings were provided, and I thought it tasted simple but great! (Was expecting plain old possibly stale sandwiches.) We were scheduled to embark at 12:15, but due to CHP closing the bus route, many guides from the last trip were not able to make it back on time. I didn't have my phone or watch on me, but I think we ended up leaving around 1:00. Ann kept us updated the entire time, while scrambling to make the best out of a messy situation. Our boat guide was Gonzo, and he did a fantastic job! The entire trip was fun, and he would often advise us when we could go out into the water for a swim, or sit at the front edge of the raft at a rapid to get the full experience (some rapids are more shallow, for example, so sitting there can result in falling out of the raft and cutting yourself on rocks). Very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. Total trip time on the river was 3 hours, 45 minutes, plus about a 15~20 minutes ride down to the buses (a boat is pulling you along, so you can sit/lay in your boat and relax). Then about a 25 minute bus ride back to the parking spot. On the bus ride back, one of the tires fell off. Ann told us that they just changed the wheels the week before (in a lighthearted manner)! We ended up stranded for about 30 minutes, but Ann again patiently went about finding a solution. A kind lady drove a back-up bus to come pick us up, and she and Ann kept us entertained and engaged with facts and jokes the entire time! Overall, the transportation on this day was not in our favor. It was not Whitewater Connection's fault at all! However, Ann decided that since we had been through so many delays that day, all of the groups on this trip would get free photos. I thought it was an extremely kind gesture! Her demeanor and attitude in the face of issues tells a lot about how much she cares about her clients. We ended up receiving a link to download the photos the same day, despite having such a long day. Overall, I would highly recommend a trip with Whitewater Connection. The customer service does not fail to impress, and the guides are all knowledgeable and have the right personality to make the trip fun! Shout out to Ann and Gonzo (and the kind lady who drove the back-up bus...my memory is failing me here) - cheers! BRING / DO NOT BRING: - Lots of sunscreen - Water shoes (they also sell some for $15 at the site, which is reasonable) with socks - Tennis shoes w/o socks worked perfectly for me as well - No shirt (guys) - I had no issues with the life jacket scratching me! - Cheap sunglasses (so you don't have to be afraid of doing the fun parts!) - Bathing suit for guys, probably shorts for girls - Change of clothes, or at least shoes for the drive back home

I was in a vehicle behind Whitewater Connection bus and it was emitting a lot of filthy diesel…read moresmoke. Not only that, the driver was not pulling over to let the line of cars behind it go ahead even when there were many big and wide pullovers. I won't go rafting with them nor recommend them to my friends. Picture was taken July 25, 9am towards Chili Bar put-in. Their drivers consistently lacking driving etiquette that I decided to post this review.