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

Mother Lode River Center - It was truly the best experience! Michael did a fantastic job keeping us safe. It was worth every penny and every moment. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

Everything went very well and exceeded our expectations!! 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!! read more

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Daniella was an excellent guide! She's very knowledge about the river. My boys and I had so much fun. We were greeted immediately, given our gear and clear instructions. Perfect for us as that lack experience read more

This was my 3rd time coming here and its always amazing. I come with a big group from a camp. We had Josh as our guide and he was hilarious and brought great vibes. Its was a perfect day or as Josh would say a beautiful day so we did everything we could and even tried flipping the boat. It was amazing and everyone on our raft fell out. Im definitely coming back here and hoping to see Josh again! read more

We booked a rafting trip with Mother Lode River Center in June of 2024. None of us had ever done much more than easy trips on calm water, so it was a pretty new experience for us. Our guides were Erin and Lauren. We had an absolute blast; it was the most fun I've had in years. My sister-in-law was visiting from the UK and she said it was the highlight of her trip. Yes, the rapids are fast and wild and yes, there's a possibility you might fall out of the boat. If you're not a big adrenaline junkie or you're older and this worries you, don't let that keep you from doing this. I'm also not a big adrenaline junkie. Three of us on the raft were over 50. We all had a fantastic time. I never felt like I was in danger and I was never scared. The guides are great at showing you what to do, easing your fears, keeping you safe, and making sure you have a good time. Highly recommended experience, especially if you have a visitor and you want them to experience the best of Northern CA recreation! read more

Our family had a great time rafting with Mother Lode and our guide Mike on the South Fork of the American River during a busy July 4th weekend. We found a deal on Groupon for a trip for 3 and doubled that up for our group of 6. The South Gorge is pretty mellow for the most part. There are some really fun rapids where our entire crew got soaked. We did the half day trip since it was peaking around 105 on our day. Mike was great to chat with and helped pull some of us back in the boat when we wanted to swim and float along at the calm spots on the river. Jim picked us up in the van, provided a few cold drinks for us at the end of the trip and drove us back to our vehicle. Mother Lode feels more like "Mom and Pop shop" kinda place compared to the bigger companies on the river with younger guides. We felt safe, no one fell out and I wasn't worried about our youngest in the boat that is 10 yrs old. There are cool spots to camp out at this place as well and they offer Upper Gorge and Middle Fork trips as well. Highly recommend Mother Lode! read more

Highly recommend Motherlode. It's a wonderful set up. Great setting on the river. Excellent platform tent and yurt accommodations, delicious food, and wonderful people who take care of everything on land and on the river. read more

My group had so much fun the guides were so kind and seemed very experienced. The tents and bathrooms were clean and the stars are very pretty at night. read more

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. read more

Mother Lode River Center - Forever friends and their beautiful guide, Daniella - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

I was a manager for Mother Lode back in the early days when Ken Brunges was the owner. Is this the same operation ? I managed both the Stanislaus and the South Fork of the American. Lots of wonderful memories. read more

My 18 year-old son and his five other friends went rafting for the first time and they had a blast! They ALL loved their guide, Mike. That speaks volume coming from a bunch of teenagers. They had so much laughs. When I did the booking over the phone, I requested for an experienced guide who is patient with loud teenagers and they surely provided a good match. Booking was so easy and I really appreciated the good communication both on the phone and over emails. I emailed Greg and inquired a bunch of questions at night time and woke up receiving an email with all the answers to my questions! I loved the fact that a real person actually answered the phone every time I called! I didn't have to press 1 or 2 or go through a bunch of hoops to an answering machine. My son couldn't find the meeting place. He called Greg, got the directions and found it right the way. I asked my son if he would go back again and he said, "For sure!" It was my son's 18th birthday today. Thank you, Mike, for giving my son a memorable day and taking good care of the boys! read more

We had a great time with Josh! He was very funny and welcoming. We learned many new river metaphors (life is like a pendulum). Over all great time! read more

Mother Lode is awesome!! We have used other companies and this was by far our best experience. We brought our 9 year old and did the 'lower gorge' it was such an awesome experience for him. Our guide, Aubrey, was so rad and knowledgable. We will definitely use Mother Lode again! Thanks ML for the awesome memories!! read more

We had a lovely girls weekend at Mother Lode celebrating a 50th birthday this past weekend! We had two perfect days on the river, a lovely, experienced and informative guide Daniela, and great food and camping. We spent the warm afternoons relaxing in the river and watching the other boats go by. Thanks Mother Lode for a wonderful weekend! read more

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

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!!! read more

Mother Lode River Center - My group with our awesome tour guide in the back! Chinky eyes for days hahaha - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

Brandon is absolutely the greatest rafting guide we could have asked for. We actually were rafting with another company where Brandon was lending a hand for the day. We were having such an amazing time with good laughs and great instruction, when about an hour into the trip, my epileptic friend had a seizure.. In a moment where many would panic or freeze; Brandon not only was extremely aware,but knew EXACTLY how protect my friend, manage the circumstance, and guide us to safety. It was so impressive on how Brandon controlled the situation. Brandon, thank you so much. I'd also like to credit Sierra Whitewater Rafting, whose staff and team all assisted and were well prepared on how to handle an emergency situation. We can not thank everyone involved enough. With great thanks, Kevin, Lizzie, and Danielle read more

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. read more

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WE LOVE THIS PLACE!!! We have two teenagers and this is the perfect family getaway weekend from the Bay Area. We love it so much, we've come back every year for four years and it has become a family tradition we plan to carry into the years ahead. The best part is that it is SO MUCH MORE than just another rafting company. They have a super fun ropes course (brave the Leap of Faith!), camping for all outdoorsy levels (from the river cottage to glamping to bring-your-own gear), breakfast/lunch/dinner made for you, guided nature hikes and a really cool group of guides who are 110% customer focused. You will have a wonderful time here at Mother Life. Just being here on the site puts you into a different frame of mind. Leave the rat race behind and reconnect with your family, friends and Mother Nature. Oh yeah, did we mention the rafting? It's awesome! Fowler's Rock, Satan's Cesspool, Hospital Bar, Chili Bar. You've got expert guided access to all of the class 2, 3, and 4 rapids that make the American River such a special place for the hardcore adventurous and the cautiously adventurous. You can specially design your trip for every skill level and know that you will come away feeling awesome about yourself for taking on the rapids and having a blast. A special shout out to Brandon, Emily, Coco and all the other guides who have made Mother Lode a highlight of our summer every year. See you next year! read more

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

I've been here twice with groups of friends to camp and raft, and what a lovely place it is...the setting is delightful and the staff members are all great, from Penny who answers the phone and makes reservations to those who cook meals to the guides. The last time we camped (Motherlode conveniently provides tents for a small fee), but the first time we stayed in the tent cabins, which have remarkably comfortable bunk cots. Shout out to the two guides we've had: Sean, who fished my son and me out of the water in about two seconds flat when we had a bit of excitement on Chili Bar Run and was fun and interesting, and Alex, whom we just had this past weekend and was also an interesting fellow. My son is ten years old and he is IN LOVE with white water rafting thanks to Alex and Sean. It really is a wonderful experience for kids -- builds a ton of confidence and interest in nature. One nice thing: the guides at Motherlode make a big point of explaining the importance of river conservation - a real bonus for kids and adults. Going forward I hope we can go twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Thank you, Motherlode! read more

Oh man I can't even begin to tell you how much fun this was! We went as a group of 11 so we got 5 people on one raft and 6 on another. We picked up a bonus guide that was getting trained that day to even us out as a 6v6 rafting team. We ended up doing the middle fork (intermediate) as our first adventure. They have a beginner and expert course to depending on how comfortable and confident you are. We all figured since we were adults we could pass by the beginner course. We did it and we LOVED it. You definitely get tossed around a bit on a few of the rapids but that's why you step up the difficulty right? Our river guides Chris, Cass and Isaac helped guide us as smoothly as you can guide someone through gushing whitewater. The only person that fell out the entire trip was one of the guides. I highly recommend rafting to anyone who hasn't tried it. I'm a bad swimmer so I was a little apprehensive at first buut once I got into a few Rapids and saw they have a lot of knowledge and rescue plans/techniques specific to each rapid I felt comfortable knowing they're on top of things if you happen to go overboard. They also have the Motherlode camp which we didn't stay at but I walked around and they have a nice setup and all the people that work there seem like fantastic, friendly, passionate and knowledgable people. I saw a zip line, a ropes course, a climbing wall and a bunch of cool canvas tents to use in addition to the regular camp sites. It's a nice full day so if you're not camping there to have breakfast served to you then fill up with food before you go! You get out and have a nice healthy lunch about halfway down which your river guides will prepare for you. Stop questioning if you want to and JUST DO IT... Seriously you'll thank me later! read more

Went on an overnight trip last weekend. I purchased it via Groupon quite a while ago, but could not schedule due to medical issues with the other participants in my group. This year we were able to commit and they honored our voucher. Easy to find (huge sign BEFORE the turn so you don't miss it). The entire crew was so welcoming and hospitable. They were the nicest and friendliest group I've encountered in quite a while. Their main concern was safety and then comfort and excitement. We left for our trip around 1pm, after they served a delicious lunch. The instructors were fantastic. They checked each and every participant for helmet and floatation device proper fitness. They gave a brief but entertaining safety demonstration and then reiterated those points when we got in the raft. The water was amazing this season and we had the time of our lives. The wait to be towed in was maybe 15 min so we got to sunbathe and swim. The bus was clean and prompt. They provided snacks and drinks. Upon returning to camp, we were provided with dinner and then used their hot showers to clean up. The tents were spacious and clean. The fire pits were perfect and were far enough apart that we couldn't even hear our neighbors. It was very quiet and peaceful. Next morning, we were served hot breakfast before we left the camp. The photographer was amazing so the pics came out fantastic and they were very reasonably priced as opposed to similar packages. I highly recommend this company for any river trips you may take. They care about their guests and it shows. I will absolutely go back! read more

Mother Lode River Center - Beach near where we embarked - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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Rafting was amazing. The view of the river below the mountains and pines is majestic. Flipping over in our raft was terrifying for 5 minutes, but we were thankful to have experienced guides in our pod to help us get back in the rafts. When looking at the other rafting companies nearby, we were pleased we chose Mother Lode. The guides did a good job balancing the 6 rafts in our group with experienced guides to match the level of difficulty with the course. I was nervous about bringing our 9-year-old once I saw we had the only kids in the group on the day we went (we had a 9 year-old, 13 year-old, and 14 year-old with us). When we called ahead, we were told that kids as young as 6 had done the course without an issue. In hindsight, I wouldn't bring kids any younger than 9-10 (because they need upper body strength and some emotional maturity in case you flip), but it was an amazing time. We didn't camp, but the facility was inviting. If we ever raft again, we will choose this company. read more

Mother Lode River Center - Rafting was amazing. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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All in all, a great experience, but a couple minor gripes. I'll just start with the negative to get it out of the way (there's a good amount of ranting about it, but there's still many positives! :). Firstly, it should be noted I came here with a school group, which may have slightly impacted our experience. In addition, the school waited until pretty late to schedule - less than 2 weeks or so before our actual date. With that said, there are still a few small things that SHOULDN'T have been issues. Firstly, the tent arrangements were a bit messed up, so one person ended up in the same tent as that of the school's director, rather than being placed with a specific person as had been requested. This led to major headaches for said person. Next, when we arrived, we were directed at first to the wrong parking area. This meant that we had to do a bit of "off-roading" in our vans to get to the correct location. Although this wasn't a major deal, it still led to disorientation nonetheless. Furthermore, at the end of our rafting session (which was supposed to end at 4:00), a person on a jet ski was supposed to come pull us to the dock. However, they messed up the timing, and didn't actually arrive until 4:30. This meant we had to stay and wait in the middle of nowhere (in a rocky area), and a bunch of kids started to act a bit "rambunctious" as a result. Finally, I can safely say it makes sense that there were suggestions posted for meal improvements. For one, they WAY underestimated how much food they'd need for breakfast. While dinner and lunch portions were good (except for running out of tortillas), breakfast left a LOT to be desired. For example, only one small pancake could be taken per person, and "seconds" still didn't quite cut it (when they finally did allow people to go up). +The "dishwashing" situation was unsanitary at best. While I know it's a camping scenario, they should REALLY still have the kitchen staff do a "final wash," as it is disgusting that people simply rinse their dishes in the same dirty water bucket, and then they're put on a rack. Sometimes food will even be left behind on some items. God only knows what kind of bacteria festers once those still-wet dishes are stacked back together. -For the rafting itself, it was AMAZING. Our guide was super knowledgeable, patient, and gave clear direction. Any confusion was instantly cleared up, and we had an awesome time. It was also great to have actual "facilities" - hot showers, flushing toilets, etc. Yes, it was a bit of a hike, however, to reach them from the bottom of the hill. Sleeping by the river was really peaceful (with the exception of dealing with yelling kids in our group!) With those few negatives brushed aside, I would definitely return! read more

If there were 10 stars that's what I would rate this place!! I was given a gift for Father's day, a weekend at the Mother Lode River Center/ Camping and I couldn't have known how much of a gift this was going to be. From the time my kids and I walked into the Mother Load we were greeted by Scott and Reme and we were made to feel like part of their extended family. The camp grounds were pristine and Penny got us a tent right by the river. After settling in and making our own, handmade dough pizzas, we hunkered down in our tents and talked into the night about our days ahead. I woke up early to the sound of the running river and made my way up to the camps outdoor kitchen. I was meet by a adorable girl named Emily and asked her if I could get some hot water for the coffee I brought? She grabbed a huge old school kettle and started the water a bubbling. Emily was a doll, and her vivacious personality and cute as hell little laughs made her so much fun to chat with. After the kids staggered their way to the kitchen we had a great breakfast and explored the camp. We meet a wonderful family who we bonded with quickly and started off on the days lower gorge rafting experience. Our guide, Christy, was AWSOME! With years of experience and enthusiasm it was looking like we were going to have a great day. From the level 1's and 2's to the exhilarating level 3's my kids and I were hooked on rafting! My son is a bit afraid of heights as well as other things and I was worried that the rafting might be to much for him... But as we pulled off the river to watch some rafters climb a HUGE rock and jump off into the water below, I turned to him and surprisingly he was already off the raft and climbing up the Rock!? I followed behind him and my daughter up to the top of the rock and without hesitation.... He yelled YOLO, and Jumped! I had to do a double take to make sure it was MY son? I could go on and on about this place and the supportive caring staff at the Mother Lode, from Reme, Bree, Chris, Emily, Christy and on and on we only hope the staff will be there next year because the Roberts family has found a new place to call our summer vacation spot. Thank you all for making my father's day one I will never forget. Scott Roberts Meoooooow! read more

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WOW - What an amazing time we had here. I cannot recommend these guys enough. It was obvious on many levels that we had picked the best rafting experience. How do I know? 1) While all the other boats were just rushing to the bottom of the river, we were jumping off rocks, picking berries and really enjoying the river. 2) We jumped out of the boat and floated down the river many many times. Ryan our guide was super cool. Definitely made the trip so much more fun. 3) We swam in an awesome whirlpool part of the river that was just amazing. 4) After finding out we needed a Gluten Free meal they went out of their way to make a GF pizza crust from scratch. They wanted EVERYONE to join in on the pizza party. It was DELICIOUS! 5) Everyone was super helpful, always checking in with me. Making sure I was going to the right place. Definitely felt super welcome. 6) The canvas tents were amazing. Super comfortable, very clean. Left my tent in the truck. 7) The location is just gorgeous. Camp fires next to the river. 8) Very chill atmosphere. Not in a rush. 9) Super accommodating to my 8 year old son. Ryan was talking to him and including him in the fun. I really appreciated that. 10) The staff are like personal cheer leaders, really positive and encouraging. We are definitely coming back again and staying longer with more rafting and the ropes course again. Here's a short 2 minute action packed video showing some of the action. This was shot during 2015 even in the middle of our terrible draught. https://youtu.be/_KudGv9M8uQ read more

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It sucks that I'm posting a new review that is the opposite of my first experience :/ I've been trying to get in contact with them for 2 weeks regarding my experience but to no avail. We did the Gorge Run on Saturday 7/29 at 11:00AM for a group of 13 people. There were three main things that made our experience lackluster; our group being separated without our consent, late start/arrival times, and a missed reservation as a result. I planned this trip 2 months in advance and prior to the event I was assured that our large group would be split among two rafts. On the day of during check-in I was also assured that our group would be split between 2 rafts holding 7 people in one and 6 people in the other. However, right as we were getting our gear I was surprised that there was a last minute change splitting our group among 3 different rafts with 2 groups of 4 people and another of 5 people to be split among 3 other groups. This was done without asking our consent if this was alright. I understand that a group did not show up which is why arrangements had to be changed, however I do not see why our group was the only group to be separated, especially when it was assured that we would be placed together. We drove 2.5 hours to get to Mother Lode and if we would have known that this was going to be our situation we would have moved it to another date where we could be together, but being day of we were never given the option to even do so. Furthermore the trip was advertised to start at 11AM and end by 5PM but we did not start until 1PM and did not arrive back to the Mother Lode campsite until 6PM. Additionally, on the website it was not stated that the trip would end at 5PM and we would need another 20 mins to get back to the campsite. Seeing that it looked like it was going to start late as well we asked Mother Lode employees if we this would affect when we got back drastically but were assured that we would get back no later than 5:30PM. As a result of this, our group of 13 people ended up missing our reservation at a restaurant for a birthday that I had left 1+ hour to get to after the said end time. With a group of 13, I hope you can imagine how difficult it was to find other places to accommodate us without having to wait 1.5 hours for a table which we had to end up doing afterwards. It is unfortunate to write this because I had a wonderful experience on my last rafting trip with the company this time last year and was expecting to have the same level. Because of this i'll definitely be trying a new company next year. read more

We organized a large group of friends to go down the Gorge with MotherLode and we had an amazing time. The guides (Madison, Erin, Alex, and Annsley) were so awesome. They were friendly, experienced, had incredible energy, let us have water wars, and kept us safe. I would definitely recommend this group. We are planning on making it an annual trip. read more

I had the best time at my school. We went on the ropes course and whitewater rafting. Our instructor Shawn was absolutely amazing and I had the best time of my life. I would highly recommend for families and groups. read more

Had an awesome time on the river with Mother Lode River Center. We did the Chili Bar Run. Shawn our guide was very thorough explaining all the "what ifs" so that the first timers on our trip felt very comfortable. We never felt rushed on our trip and were given amble opportunity to stop and explore when we wanted. Thanks for a fantastic day! read more

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When we went to check in, my name wasn't on the check-in board but then I called your # & I forgot the nice lady's name, but she came out to greet us & she told us where our tent was, where to park, where to meet for lunch, etc. Also, when we went to our tent, there were some wasps so I forgot the nice young man's name, but he moved us to a tent without wasps. Loved the food! Everyone was very nice & helpful. Rafting was fun & high ropes course was too! I can't believe I did the rock wall, balance beam, pipe dream & leap of faith! I just wish the zipline was available! All the people who work there are super nice & helpful! I definitely recommend it as long as you don't mind roughing it. I'm kind of a Princess so I'm not really into the camping part of it even though the canvas tents with cots were nice. Next time I go, I'm glamping it or staying in the family cottage! I need to be closer to the bathrooms at night. read more

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We were not sure what to expect. My stepmom is not a strong swimmer and she had some anxiety about coming. We had Devon as our guide and we had a great time! My husband and I can't stop talking about how we want to go again. Our kids 12 and 14 loved it and they even made it special for my daughters birthday. My Dad had a great time and my stepmom even liked it and said she would go again. The pictures we got from Sierra Nevada photos got a play by play of my husband falling out of boat and proves I didn't push him out . ;). Thanks to everyone at Mother Lode!!! Til next time!!! read more

Mother Lode River Center - Devon was a great guide even tho my husband let the rapids take him down the river... - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

I came here on Monday, April 25th, 2016 with 9 friends. We decide to go down the Class 4 White Water Rafting on the north fork of the American River. It was so much fun to run down the rapids, my favorite was "Bogus Thunder." Our guide Scott knowledge/experience of the river features put my mind at ease because we had some beginners in our group. I would highly recommended the north fork of the American River run with Mother Lode. Even with beginners in our group, everyone was comfortable with the difficulty level, at the end they were wanting even bigger rapids. This will be our friends annual must do trip. Booking with Mother Lode was nice because Penny was very accommodating even when my group size changed last minute, thanks Penny. I like exploring this part of the American River I have not seen before, I have been down the middle fork with Mother Lode a few years ago, but this ride is my favorite. The gold miner camps and steep canyons makes for a awesome backdrop. read more

Mother Lode River Center - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

On 7/21/16, I took the kiddos on a great adventure! 10.5 miles on the South Fork of the American River, rafting the Chili Bar run. The Guides at ML were amazing. Great senses of humor, fun facts about the river shed, an informative walking tour at Sutter's Mill, an excellent lunch, and a safe and fun-packed rapids trip. I recommend this "unplugged family day" to all. A special thank you to our boat guide, Chris, who's sense of humor, sincerity, and mad river skills, made the kids and adults feel at home and part of the ML family. I wholeheartedly recommend Mother Lode River Center. We will definitely return! read more

I had a blast here this past weekend. My gf found a nice deal online for a ropes course/lunch/rafting bundle. The staff was awesome, and really friendly in general. They definitely had control over what was going on and made sure everyone understood how to participate in all these activities safely. I am so horrible with names, more so than people who always say they are. Unfortunately I can't remember the names of the staff members there that day. I met so many people that day that all of the names and faces were jumbled by the end of the day. I had never done a ropes course so I was pretty eager to get up there and try everything. I would say the hardest ones were the two-person cable balance which involved great teamwork and balance, and the trapeze jump. The trapeze jump requiring you to climb a tree 35ft up to a ledge, jump off that ledge, and try to grab a trapeze bar hanging about 6-7ft out from the ledge. At midday we took a break for lunch which was sandwiches with fresh veggies and watermelon. Nice and simple snack. At this point we had a chance to change into swimsuits if we wanted to for the rafting. Our raft guide was very friendly and made the experience very fun for everyone in the raft. She was a great guide and let us know what landmarks to lookout for. She even let us get out of the raft and go down tame rapids while she followed us in the raft, which was pretty fun. The best part was probably when we rammed a rock straight on and did this kind of 360-thing. I knew she was preparing us for something when we kept paddling for the rock but I had no idea we were gonna spin around like that. She also had us do 5-6 360s in a row down the river which was fun. When the stream slows the rafts get towed the rest the way by jet skis to a boat dock. There we got some snacks and loaded a bus headed back towards the River Center. We were soaked!! I didn't have water shoes so I thought, "heck I'll just wear a pair of shoes I don't care about". I wouldn't advise that to anyone. I learned that soaked shoes are really strange to swim in, and almost act like ankle weights. Next time I'll probably just get water shoes. also, they take you car keys and lock them up while you go rafting. Don't want to lose it out on the water. Those key fobs probably aren't water proof anyways. Fun guests and staff, I would go again!! read more

My girlfriend and I went for a half day trip this past weekend. If you are looking for a fun day of white water rafting, there are other companies that can provide as good or better experience. What I was surprised and upset about was having our rafting adventure abruptly interrupted by the guides who pulled all the groups to the side of the river to preach about legislation that would impact a river. They solicited us to write letters in support, on the spot, complete with passing out pens and paper. Expect a lot of peer pressure. In fact, since we are in jobs that do not allow us to write letters like this, we were told that we were "jaded" and that "we did not care." Wow. We spent a lot of money on the trip, at least let us feel welcomed. It got worse from there. We didn't get any understanding from the owner when we brought it to his attention. He was hostile and denied that there was anything inappropriate in having guides preach to a captive audience of paying rafters. He told us we could go elsewhere next time, and we most assuredly will. If you are trying to just have a good time, and enjoy the river, this is not the place for you. read more

Early this summer I did Guide Training at Mother Lode. Although this review applies to Guide Training, I am quite sure my incredibly fun experience would apply to someone taking a one-day recreational trip. I am not planning on being a professional guide as I have another career, but I have since spent the summer doing private trips and non-profit trips and I needed the guide training to do this. My week with Mother Lode was fantastic from start to finish. It started with the fact that I had to take the train, and Scotty, (Mother Lode's manager) had no problem picking me up from the train station 30 minutes away. From then on it was perfect. I worked with 3 key training guides throughout the week. There was Aaron who is truly a Zen Guide - I think he guides mostly with his mind; Courtney who is incredible about finding things you are doing right (while you are still making stupid mistakes) and then building on those successes; and Austin, who is a good ol' boy from the South and through osmosis teaches you how to remain calm in even the most terrifying rapids. The food during the week was tasty! I have never eaten so much and still lost weight. (Might have been the 5000 calories a day I was burning during rafting.) Every meal was delectable, particularly the specialty they make known as "The Destroyer", an enchilada dish made in a dutch oven. I was also very impressed on how the handled the different ages, levels and career aspirations of the class of 10. There were 17 year olds with little rafting experience who wanted eventual summer jobs, to old guys like me with rafting experience, looking for a bit more adventure. In each case, they tailored the training to insure needs were met. Finally, I liked how training not only included rafting, but also the history of the region as well as environmental issues. One evening, the owner's daughter, who had just finished her PhD, came and spoke to us about water issues, something near and dear to the heart of the company. If you want to have a great time rafting, I highly recommend Mother Lode! read more

I went white water rafting on the South Fork of American river with this company. It was really nice they have a camp ground available. We camped there the night before and the night after rafting to make the entire trip more relaxing. Camp ground is fairly basic, with BBQ pit and benches near our camp site, volleyball court, bathrooms and hot showers (quarters not required!) a short walk away. We setup our own tents on the grass, though tents are available for rent. The entire camp group is located on the bank of American river. Some people in our group felt the river was too loud, but the roar of the river did not bother me. In fact, I like having the sound of the river coaxing me to sleep:) On the morning of the rafting trip, we met the guides and were taken to the put in point in a vegetable oil powered eco-bus. On the way there, the river guide gave us clear safety instructions. At the put in point, there were restrooms facilities available, which is nice, because after boarding the raft, the only option would be in the river:( I find the guide friendly, funny and laid back. We did not do too much flat water paddling. On all the class 3 rapids, we were guided through expertly. I never once felt we were in any danger of flipping. Warm clothing, water and granola bars were available on the raft for people who got tired from rafting. Lunch provided as part of the trip includes chips, watermelon, marinated artichoke hearts, sun dried tomato, selection of cheese and cold cut with bread. Fairly simple, but everything taste delicious after paddling all morning:) The river water is quite cold, so wet suits /spray jackets are available for anyone who asked, though on a warm May Sunday, I rather enjoy the occasional splash of cold river water than wear wet suit and be warm on most of the trip. I like to point out Mother Lode is very environmentally friendly operation. All their buses runs on vegetable oil, they use solar energy to warm the water and even have an organic farm in the camp ground. Scot, the owner, gave us a quick talk during lunch, urging us to be politically active in environment issues, without being pushy on the subject. I like that! read more

My friend and I just had such an amazing experience last weekend! His mom bought a deal from Living Social (their staff were incredibly helpful and friendly too) - worth every penny! We started off with the high ropes course, each of us trying the zipline and rock wall. Both were awesome.. The Living Social staff were walking around offering snacks and water the whole time. Then we had a lunch of sandwiches (gourmet toppings like pesto and artichoke hearts on top of your usual fare) and fresh fruit. Next, we split into groups for the rafting portion. Kyler, our guide, was really helpful and super fun! It was my first time rafting and he made me feel very comfortable. The river was pretty low but it was still an adventure! None of us lost any teeth though haha. We got back to camp to play some games, rinse off in their solar-heated showers, and then enjoy a delicious feast for dinner. They had barbecued tri-tip, chicken, sauteed summer squash & zucchini, rosemary mashed potatoes, garlic bread, and salad. It was seriously better than most restaurants. S'mores for dessert too! After dinner, we watched a slideshow with all the pictures from the river. That night, we stayed up playing catch phrase and watching the Perseid meteor shower.. The staff had already set up our tents for us so we just passed out. The next morning, we woke up to pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, and fruit for breakfast. Then we packed our bags and took off. The guides make the whole deal worthwhile - they are so friendly, knowledgeable, down-to-earth, and amazing cooks! They are just as exhausted as you by the end of the day but they still cook, clean, and set up camp without any complaints. All in all, it was an incredible experience and I met a lot of really cool people. But one word of advice - bring cycling shorts if you have them... The rafting part is pretty rough on your behind and some extra padding wouldn't be a bad idea... read more