This is the most amazing campground. The staff is amazing, friendly and helpful. Campsites and…read morerestrooms are always clean and there's lots to do and learn about gold mining history

We stayed at a tent site at Coloma Resort and had a great time overall. The site was right by the…read moreriver but tucked into a quieter, more secluded stretch, not the main part of the river, which made it peaceful and a bit more private. There was a pre-built tent frame that we were able to pitch our tent under, which was spacious and really helpful for shade. The ground was decomposed granite, which made it tough to get tent stakes in. Grass would've been nicer, less dusty and more comfortable, but we made it work. The site had water and electric hookups, which was a nice surprise for a tent spot, and the restrooms were super clean and close by. The river was beautiful. We went swimming, it was shallow but fast-moving, which the kids absolutely loved. We also saw a bunch of people tubing down the river, which looked like a blast. There's a small general store on-site that opens at 9am, basic supplies, drinks, firewood, etc. Super convenient. All in all, a lovely campground. Despite the dusty ground, we'd definitely go back again.

We stayed in a cabin for two nights. It was pretty basic accommodations but was clean and had…read moreeverything we needed as a family of four (we have two teens). The location was right by the river and very convenient when going rafting. The only thing I would have loved to have is a fire pit and seats like a few of the bigger cabins had.

Stayed here for 3 nights, and unfortunately the experience was frustrating due to the lack of staff…read moreavailability. I went to the front desk four separate times during normal business hours and never once found it open. I had a time-sensitive question and was unable to get help, and calls to the front desk also went unanswered. On our last day, we needed assistance locating the dump station. When we went to the front office, there was still no one available. We also encountered other guests actively searching for staff and unable to find anyone, which makes it clear this isn't an isolated issue. The lack of basic amenities was also disappointing--there is no WiFi or laundry on-site. While the location is beautiful, it seems to be the main reason this place stays in business, as the customer service and amenities do not meet expectations. The bathrooms were acceptable, but the shower pressure was extremely low, which made it difficult to use--especially for anyone with thick or textured hair.

Camp Lotus is a wonderful family run campground with lots of water activities…read moreand picnic areas. Situated beside the winding American Canyon river, this magical spot is located in Placerville. There are quiet little beaches that are kid friendly, where they can wade out safely. We saw lots of fish, kayaks, campers and day trippers. There was lots of laughter and playfulness all around. The surroundings are beautiful and wildlife is abundant. The little store that is there upon check in is stocked with the basics, and if you stay in a cabin, you get free delicious coffee every morning. Luann is there to greet you at check in and at breakfast, she makes hot muffins. My favorite is cornmeal blueberry.

+s: Great natural beauty in the diverse plant life. Clean bathrooms for a campground. No dog…read morepolicy. -s: Neighboring property had a chipper running non-stop. Road noise is loud. An overall rudeness from staff that I assume was due to my service dog though she is exceptionally trained and no more of a nuisance than a cane. Being respectful of their policy, I had asked before booking. Knowing what I know now, I would not have wasted $67. I had planned on staying 2 nights if it was pleasant. Thankfully, I did not pay in advance for both nights.

5 Stars for Nancy, Best Customer Service ever!…read more Coloma Cottages is a private resort on the river. There are a few different cottages you can rent, we were in # 6 Riverhaus. Two days prior to arriving you will receive an email with current info on how to check in. You will basically text the manager, Nancy, 30 minutes prior to arrival to get your code for the security gates. Once you enter she will be there to greet you and get you settled in. The Riverhaus is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath cottage. You have a front porch under the roof with a couple of benches. There is a living room with a couch (pulls out to a bed), a fully stocked kitchen of pots, pans, utensils, plates, etc. The kitchen counter has seating for 2, but there is no actually dining table inside. The bedrooms are small but have comfortable beds, and the bathroom has a small counter so there is not a lot of room for stuff. Great water pressure though! There is an a/c unit in the living room and TV's but no service. There is Roku in the bedroom and DVD's and VHS tapes to watch in the living room. Good wifi thoughout. There is a small back porch with a table and 4 chairs to eat at and it has an umbrella. There is normally a charcoal BBQ that you can use, however because of the fire risk being high we were not able to BBQ. There is also a laundry room on site if you are staying longer term. You are on the river, and there is some access, though it is rocky, no beach area Positives: *Nancy! She is wonderful, super great personality and always willing to help *Kitchen has lots of items in it, I did not feel like I was missing anything *Beds and pillows were comfortable *Great water pressure Could have been better: *We did not know about the not being able to use the BBQ so we spent money on charcoal and food and then could not use it. I wish the email sent out 2 days prior had told us this. Thank you Nancy for providing excellent customer service, you are a blessing!

This place had potential if we weren't nickeled and dimed for little things... First off, there…read moreare 8 pages of rules and policies (font 12) that you'll need to read which we read with a highlighter given previous Yelp comments. And yes, you will be reminded at every communication that you need to read them. Including a text the day before you check in. If you ask any questions, they'll send it to you like you've seen in other Yelper's reviews. Unlike hotels or AirBnBs, be aware that the rate is for just 2 people. They will charge $50 more per person. We had a little one with us and we were charged $50 more per night. (And yes, they will meet you at check-in to make sure you don't bring extra people!) Our cottage had a queen bed and a sofa bed. Presumably with the extra charge, we would have been given enough towels and linen for 3. Nope. There were towels for 2. And the sofa bed was a bare mattress with a throw without a sheet. We didn't complain since we brought our own linen. Despite being charged a cleaning fee of $50, know that you will still need to haul all of your trash to a trash bin 50 - 100 feet of your cottage. As other Yelpers have mentioned, the place is tired and old: filthy floors, dusty baseboards, tight shower knobs, weak AC, broken porch light... The deck didn't have the nice furniture that was in the photos. Yes, it's river front but getting down to the river is treacherous with many jagged rocks and makeshift steps - exercise caution with kids and elderly. There are no banks, just jagged rocks. We were here in April and it is very, very buggy - lots of mosquitoes and big flying bugs were found in the house every night. Just one screen door. No screens on any of the windows or front door. Beware - they are sticklers with checking out. We left the cottage on time but decided to take a few last minute photos near the river. After paying $2000 for 2 cottages for 3 nights, we were charged - after Danika / Sherry gave us a discount - an additional $25 for not having left the premises on time! We would not recommend this place and certainly will not be visiting again.

It's super peaceful and green everywhere. Our dogs enjoyed the fenced dog park. The trees will…read moreprovide great shade come spring and summer. The area has a lot to offer.

We have stayed in a cabin twice and each time was great. Friendly staff, the lounge was a big hit…read morefor the whole family and the cabin was clean (even in a pet friendly one). The only thing is this last time most of the cups, dishes and cookware needed to be cleaned before we could use them. Just seemed like the last renter didn't scrub everything enough. Great place and we will keep coming back!

We had an amazing experience on the south fork of the American river. Our guide was knowledgeable…read moreand friendly, the weather was beautiful, and the river itself is gorgeous. They do a very good job of organizing the day, with a lunch spread that is surprisingly edible. I loved being able to swim a bit in the river, and wish there was more time to do that. The rafting itself was fun, the class 3 rapids were exciting and our group managed to not fall out of the raft due to the expert navigation of our guide. I am looking forward to going back and experiencing some class 4 rapids.

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!

We had our wedding at EarthTrek this past weekend and I couldn't wait to write a glowing review. We…read morefeel so fortunate to have been able to host our wedding here - it was everything we'd dreamed of and more. From the moment we stepped onsite for our initial tour, EarthTrek was the immediate and obvious top choice for us. The grounds and facilities are very well kept and it's obvious that the family takes a lot of pride in the way they care for the site. There are so many areas for guests to explore and enjoy - many of our guests raved to us about the beautiful, serene venue. The river provides such a soothing backdrop and the whole site feels very private and secluded. We really loved that our guests could book overnight camping, and we also opted for the breakfast burrito option on Sunday morning, which was a big hit and a really delicious, bountiful spread. Laura, who was our primary point of contact, is a dream to work with - just genuinely one of the nicest people I've ever come across, and so accommodating and responsive (which is exactly what you hope for when you're planning a wedding). Our wedding was very DIY and decor-forward, and Laura was so great about scheduling site visits with us so we could plan and take measurements. I could go on and on, but basically: EarthTrek is incredible and I highly recommend working with them at their beautiful venue.

A great place for everything from rafting to interactive experiences with gold searching and bead…read morenecklace making with people who know the history! A great place for sure! :)

Had a pretty good time here with my mom. Was able to go the museum there. The museum was pretty…read morenice. There are some trails there as well. There are signs that are by the structures that has information. It's a pretty outing if you're looking for something to do for the day.

This place was really cool. We took a tour that went well over an hour, walked all around the area,…read moreand learned so much about its history. Ed was a great tour guide.

It was amazing, thrilling, safe, and never a dull moment!! Best experience ever! Micheal was a…read moregreat tour guide and kept us safe the entire time.

Everything went very well and exceeded our expectations!!…read more Early on and well in advance obtaining pertinent information for planning by phone and email, Greg was so detailed and patient answering all the questions. Finalizing our plans we worked with Rebekah and she was very kind and diligent and reassuring. The tent cabin by the river was a beautiful spot and loved waking up hearing the river. It was a very hot day and the it cooled off which was great. Clean bathroom and showers, running hot water a plus. They have volley ball, corn hole, zip line and rock climbing wall. Overall, beautiful campsite and we can't wait to return. Rafting was amazing, Aubrey and Maggie were the guides for our group and they made our experience so fun! We always felt safe and well informed. We all were first time rafters, great experience and soooooo much fun!!! I highly recommend Mother Lode for your one stop shop!!

Duffy and crew were absolutely amazing. we chose North Fork and we were not disappointed…read more Five stars

My friends and I had an excellent time with AWE for a full-day South Fork beginner trip. I booked…read morethrough the phone which was super easy. Prices are comparable to other companies in the area. I was informed that I could add people to the trip up until the day of the trip, unfortunately that is not the case and they actually set up the rafts the day before, so any changes should be made at least a day before. Email confirmation was helpful but I wish it also included info on what's allowed/recommended to bring into the raft itself (wasn't super easy to find on the website). In addition to their recommended list, I would recommend bringing a small bottle of hand sanitizer because there is no handwashing area during lunchtime and no utensils because lunch is a tortilla wrap style meal. Waiver can be filled out the day of the trip. Life jacket and helmet is mandatory (brownie points for AWE washing helmets between uses). Use the restroom beforehand - at the halfway mark/lunchtime there is only 1-2 pit toilets available and likely a line for it. Overall I had a great time in the river and our guide Michael was fantastic.