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    Mother Lode River Center

    4.8 (170 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    Forever friends and their beautiful guide, Daniella

    Daniella took care of us all weekend long. Made sure we had what we needed in camp and took us on two awesome trips down the river. She was exceptional!! We absolutely loved out time there.

    My group with our awesome tour guide in the back! Chinky eyes for days hahaha
    Lincy H.

    I came here on 4th of July with my friends and had a wonderful time! Although no longer available, this is the groupon deal we purchased (https://www.groupon.com/deals/mother-lode-river-center-7-san-francisco). With an additional discount courtesy of groupon, we ended up paying [$58 +$9 river fee = $67] per person, which is really good! We ventured on the 11-mile Gorge (South Fork of the American River) rafting trip, which includes of mostly Class II rapids and a bit of Class III rapids. Check in is at 12pm,start time is at 1pm, and then the day ends by 5pm. Our group of 8 + our tour guide was perfect for one raft. I don't remember our tour guide's name but it's not because he wasn't awesome; it's just been 6 months since then. He is the dude with the dreads though! WIthin 3.5-4 hours, we rowed, cliff jumped, swam, cheered, and partied in the river. During one of the rapids, one of our friends completely fell out, but another friend managed to grab a hold of his foot. So crazy! If you want to get a visual of what you'll get to experience, check out the video I made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wO3c2jCIfM If you've never been white water rafting before, do yourself a favor and try it out! It's the best!!!

    Mary H.

    Love this place!! We did the Ropes course in the morning and white water rafting after lunch. Devon, our guide was amazing! Wall/Rock climbing, CatWalk, Pipe Dreams, Zip lining and Leap of Faith (my favorite!) Lunch was perfect with "make your own sandwich" bar. The rafting was pretty wild with several stops in between. Had a chance to jump off a rock but did not have the guts after I almost got swept away by the strong current and drowned at one stop before the rock jump. Needless to say I survived and had fun overall. Devon took us "surfing" on one of the class 3 rapids. He also took our raft up a rock and slid back down. One fun part was holding our paddle upright between our legs and sitting in the middle of the raft while we went through another class 3 rapids. After that we had a nice chicken burrito for dinner, warm shower and off to our nice tent with the sleeping pads provided. There was a group of college kids at camp with us but they were not too close to our area. Breakfast this morning was scrambled eggs, pancakes, ground sausage, potatoes and chunks of pineapple. Overall an excellent experience. Thanks to our Ropes Course guides - Heather, Elsa and Brina (not sure about her name). Devon and Cody, our rafting guides. Will have to start planning our Class 4 rafting trip for next time.

    Beach near where we embarked

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    9 months ago

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    Nice camping spot on the river, no safe place to swim there. Fully equipped kitchen area

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    We loved our rafting trip with mother lode. Daniella is an excellent guide and lots of fun!!

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Mother Lode River Center

    Review Highlights - Mother Lode River Center

    My two teenage granddaughters and I had a great time rafting the South Fork and Chili Bar on the American River.

    Mentioned in 20 reviews

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    Quarry Park Adventures - Zip line-a hit!

    Quarry Park Adventures

    4.0(160 reviews)
    16.0 mi

    I bought tickets to take my daughter and awesome autistic son for a paddle boat ride at Quarry Park…read morefor Easter. Long story short, our plan changed when my son got triggered and dysregulated when he saw my daughter and I put life vests on as required for the boat ride. He started to stim and have vocal outbursts. While I was trying to calm my son down, the staff present was very patient, kind, understanding, and accepting of my son's autism/differences. They told me that they would wait for as long as it took if time was what my son needed. They were also very accommodating when my son refused the idea of going on a paddle boat and offered Kids Kove playground as an option if interested. The staff at Quarry Park were AMAZING!!! I appreciate that they are an inclusive park, that provides a welcoming environment for all children, regardless of their abilities. Words cannot express my gratitude.

    We had an amazing time! We did the 2 hour pass where you could access all the attractions…read more Weight range is 45 lbs - 250. Adult to kid ratio is 1adult to 3 kids. Kids under 12 need a chaperone, and you need to stay together. Went with my 5, 8 and 10 year olds, and the 5 year old could not reach the clips and needed help at every transition. My risk taker 8 year old had the best time and could have stayed for 4 hours. The 10 year old was done after about an hour. The kids cove rope playground is $10 a person and you could easily spend 2 hours there. It is hot! They provide water. TIP: if you want to do the 2 or 4 hour adventure or the ropes course, you need to take their 30 min training course on how to transfer the clips between cables, that happen on the hour and half hour. So you would need to arrive 30 mins before the 2 or 4 hours. Ie - we started the training course at 230 and then did the 2 hour from 3-5.

    Photos
    Quarry Park Adventures - Area adventure (ropes course) medium level

    Area adventure (ropes course) medium level

    Quarry Park Adventures - Rock climbing wall recommend the smaller ones they have more rocks.

    Rock climbing wall recommend the smaller ones they have more rocks.

    Quarry Park Adventures - Kids Kove play area

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    Kids Kove play area

    OARS American River Outpost - Rafting on the South Fork American River

    OARS American River Outpost

    4.9(225 reviews)
    2.4 mi

    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!

    Photos
    OARS American River Outpost - Chili Bar rafting on the South Fork American River

    Chili Bar rafting on the South Fork American River

    OARS American River Outpost - Rafting on the South Fork American River

    Rafting on the South Fork American River

    OARS American River Outpost - Rafting on the North Fork American River

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    Rafting on the North Fork American River

    Sonoma Zipline Adventures - Great ziplining guides Logan and Dulton

    Sonoma Zipline Adventures

    4.9(1.3k reviews)
    113.0 mi

    Such a wonderful experience! The guides were so attentive and funny, which really helped keep any…read morenerves at ease. The views were beautiful, and everything felt well-paced from start to finish. The whole experience lasted about 2.5 hours and included 7 zip lines, which was such a fun adventure. The location can be a bit tricky to find, so I'd recommend giving yourself extra time and arriving at least 30 minutes before your scheduled tour, as they suggest.

    We stayed in the treehouses and had two Zipline adventures. The staff was amazing. From start to…read morefinish every one of our were met. The zipline guides were so friendly and knowledgeable. I brought my 10-year-old granddaughter for her birthday and they treated her careful consideration of her age and her inexperience. They made her feel comfortable and fun for her. I can't say enough about the Treehouse~I was like a 4 star hotel . Absolutely everything you needed to be comfortable and safe. They were beautiful and safe in a pristine situated in a redwood grove . The meals were over the top, deliciously prepared with fresh and quality ingredients. We celebrated my granddaughter's 10th birthday and had the best time from start to finish. I highly recommend a trip to Sonoma Canopy ~ a beautiful adventure I won't forget!

    Photos
    Sonoma Zipline Adventures - My husband and I high in the trees zip lining

    My husband and I high in the trees zip lining

    Sonoma Zipline Adventures - My family having a blast! It definitely a must try!

    My family having a blast! It definitely a must try!

    Sonoma Zipline Adventures - The rope bridges have just enough swing and stability to balance fun with feeling safe.

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    The rope bridges have just enough swing and stability to balance fun with feeling safe.

    Mother Lode River Center - rafting - Updated May 2026

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