We had an amazing experience on the south fork of the American river. Our guide was knowledgeable and 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. read more

OARS American River Outpost - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

We had a magnificent trip with our very knowledgeable guide Gem. We had a blast on our 21 mile trip on the American River. Such a gorgeous place to spend an afternoon!! I highly recommend read more

OARS American River Outpost - Some float time on the 21 mile American trip - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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My family of 3 booked a 2-day South Fork trip and it was absolutely fantastic. Alec, our guide, was informative, 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! read more

OARS American River Outpost - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

This was my second time rafting with OARS; it was my wife's third, and my son has gone a few times as well. So, I can compare the service my family and I received previously with what we experienced yesterday (June 13, 2026). I'll start with the positives: Our guide, Ms. Reason, was extremely professional, attentive, and safety-conscious--prioritizing safety above all--as well as pleasant and very friendly. The staff is very attentive, helpful, and professional. However, some things have changed for the worse, and these issues were quite inconvenient and unpleasant: - They delayed the departure time by an hour and a half. - The tasty, high-quality snack--which remains excellent--used to be served halfway through the trip, when we were actually hungry from the exertion of paddling to the stop; now it's served right at the beginning, when we aren't hungry yet. - The restrooms no longer have signs indicating men's or women's facilities; my wife went to use what was supposed to be the women-only restroom and encountered a man inside, and the toilet seat and floor were covered in urine--simply unacceptable. If they want to have a restroom that caters to the gay community, that's fine by me, but there need to be specific facilities for heterosexuals as well. read more

This was an incredible experience. We did a half day rafting trip of the South Fork. We were a party of 5 teenage boys and 3 women. Our guide Serkan (SY) was amazing! His technique is on point and he involved himself in our crazy energy. He taught us well, was funny and very encouraging. We would definitely do this again! read more

We did the 1 day American River Gorge. Amazing!!! Top notch crew. I have been on about 8 or 9 river trips. Oars is an outfit that always delivers every time. Anna our boat guide is the GOAT!! Made the experience even better. Mireille and Enzo read more

This is my third OARS trip, and I will keep going back because it's just perfect. Guides are knowledgeable and kind and determined to make things fun. Lunch was great, rapids were amazing on the Middle Fork. Our guide Mike was full of good info and a generally fun guy. I'm 63 and relatively fit. I would say I'm about at the limit of who could do this trip. Some over rocks hiking and the boat "get downs" (you squat down in the boat going over big rapids) are tough on the old knees. No criticism to OARS on this - just info for other folks. Otherwise - GO! read more

Been rafting with these guys for years, both 1-day and multi day. Always a great time! Friendly guides, solid equipment, safety focused & well trained. Also they serve delicious, healthy food. Highly recommend! read more

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Went on a 1 day rafting trip on the Middle Fork of the American River with me and my friends. One of them fell out and lost a shoe, but it's all good. Alex did a great job of directing us and making the experience fun. read more

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This is our ninth river run with OARS. We've never had a bad experience. We met a lot of guides and are grateful for each one. Bible was our guide and made our experience on the Middle Fork a river run we'll never forget. His description of each rapid was helpful in knowing what was ahead. Bible's explicit instructions gave us the confidence that we'll make it through each rapid. His sense of humor was interesting and fun, it helped us relax between rapids We camped three nights at OARS American River Outpost. There are outdoor showers that can be hot or cold. The men and women washrooms were clean. I highly recommend walking to Sierra Rizing for fresh baked goods and coffee. read more

OARS American River Outpost - Tunnel Chute! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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The best guides around. Excellent rafting. Campground is really nice too. Five stars.

We had an amazing trip with Oars! Everything was perfect... from beginning to end. Every staff member was so friendly and helpful, and I appreciated how smoothly everything ran. Lunch was put together nicely as well. Our guide Elliot was PHENOMENAL! He was so personable, sweet and experienced. My family and I had a blast and having Elliot as our guide made the experience even better. We felt very safe in his ability to command us and get us through the river with ease while keeping big smiles on our faces the whole time. Thank you Oars and even bigger thanks to our rock star guide Elliot!! We all cannot wait to come back and have another amazing trip down the river! read more

My girlfriends and I did the half-day event with Lizbeth as our guide. She was fully capable, knowledgeable, and provided plenty of humor along the way. Mike was the head guide, and he too was such a pleasure for our experience. Highly recommend this to anyone! Thank you Mike and Lizbeth. read more

OARS American River Outpost - Amazing day with Lizbeth! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

Alex and Christian were AMAZING! We had such an amazing time and our guides really made the experience. We felt safe and cared for, and most of all we had so much fun. Lunch was perfect. Alex helped a person in our group with their fear of not being able to swim and it was overall such a good experience. They made sure to make everyone feel cared for and supported. HUGE shoutout to Alex and Christian. read more

OARS American River Outpost - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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Such a great trip with super qualified and laid back guides. We had a huge group of about 70 with 12-14 year olds and adults and everything was handled so wonderfully! The river was amazing. I highly recommend and can't wait to come ride again!! read more

We had a fun filled family adventure on the American River! Our guide, Adam, was professional and fun. I always felt safe and that is important to me because our kids range from ages 11-15. I highly recommend as a day trip and honestly I would do the 2 day trip next time. They followed all the protocols and everyone wore helmets and PFDs. The lunch was a delicious and had something for all of us, one vegan, one vegetarian, one non dairy and 2 with no restrictions. This was a memorable Labor Day weekend! read more

First time booking with OARS. First time rafting for our 14 year old daughter. We had a fantastic time! The South Fork American River 2-Day trip was perfect for all of us. The staff was incredible, fun and very knowledgeable. We camped at their site and it was very nice. Flat, sandy campgrounds with picnic tables, under shaded trees. The bathroom and showers were clean. The food was delicious. Ryan our guide made us feel comfortable and confident in the raft as well as sharing local history and nature information. We all walked away super happy. Highly recommend this outfit. We can't wait to book our next trip! read more

Amazing experience through and through My company does a retreat each year and this was the second time back, though my first time. I was a little intimidated heading into it, but our guide Jose did fantastic explaining scenarios that could arise, what to do, and how to communicate. He set great expectations and I felt way safe going into it, not to mention all the fun our team had along the river! Garrett also brought a lot of fun energy that livened the experience. End of august was a beautiful time of year to go too--it was hot (~90 or so) and the water was gorgeously refreshing. Water levels were low but made for some extra rapids towards the end. Halfway through we stopped for lunch and they set up everything for us and were very accommodating to dietary needs and allergies. They also do 2-day trips where they'll cook for you at the campsite too. Highly highly highly recommend read more

OARS American River Outpost - Pre-rafting orientation - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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Went with our two daughters on the full day South Fork adventure with Sam as our guide. We had a great time and the kids are already asking when we can go back. Sam's instructions were always audible/clear, she had a fun vibe in the raft and she answered the many questions my 11yr old had throughout the day. Would highly recommend Sam / OARS. read more

Came here on a family rafting trip. Both of my parents are teachers so we were drawn in by the teacher discount they provided for the summer. It was my first time on the water and our experience was amazing. The entire day was filled with fun. The guides were well-educated on the route and gave us constant safety tips. I felt confident in our ability to row through the rapids. My ten-year-old sister had no trouble getting used to the water. Definitely a great family day-trip. read more

OARS, and especially our guide, Bible, were fantastic. We felt safe while having an absolute blast! Our best whitewater rafting adventure so far. read more

Great experience! Sam did an amazing job at guiding our boat and all the staff were very nice and helpful!

Had one of the best days EVER! The whole experience from the in depth safety briefing to lunch on the river from the guides, to the professionalism from not only our guides was top of the line and made the experience a great one. Our guide was Andrew and his ability to tell us when we needed to paddle helped us get down the river perfectly. Also he's a total goofball along with the rest of the guides, was constantly laughing and my face still hurts from grinning the whole time. Definitely recommend this company for a fun time getting gnarly on the river! read more

OARS American River Outpost - Our groups action shops sending it through a rapid - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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Took my 12 year old on the gorge full day route, it was beautiful and so fun we had great guides with Alec and Kays who got us through with expertise. They shared some about the surrounding area, importance of water level, and had all of us feeling comfortable and safe. Kate gave an excellent safety meeting ahead of the trip and somehow made it the most entertaining safety talk I've had the pleasure of attending. It was a great trip for newbies and I'm sure more experienced would also enjoy. read more

OARS American River Outpost - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

Amazing experience from start to finish! We felt safe, well-guided, and taken care of. The guides are all so sweet and fun. Also, the team accommodated my very strict dietary restriction for lunch. Had a blast! read more

Merced river day trip at Yosemite was amazing. our guides Casey, Kendal, John and Bible were amazing. felt safe with their knowledge and quick thinking as we went thru class 4 rapids. went with my husband and 2 college age sons. Oars have a goldmine with their location and awesome guides. read more

My Wife and I had an amazing time white water rafting on the middle fork of the American River on Sunday. The trip included 16 miles on the river enjoying beautiful views of nature with some pretty exciting class 4 rapids along the way. At the start of the day, our first class 4 rapid called Tunnel Chute followed by eight additional rapids during the day, with lunch provided during mid day. Garrett our guide, along with the other two guides, Garrett and Kendal were amazing sharing their knowledge of the local area, guiding us thru the river, having fun, and preparing an outstanding lunch, which included a variety of lunch meats, condiments, veggies, fruit, snacks, and cookies out in nature for a group of 20 people...Yummy and filling for the second half of the day. Good time by everyone on the trip! read more

Had a fantastic time rafting with Oars! Marisa - lead guide - and Truman (guide in training) were skilled, fun, interesting and much more than your average guide. Marisa pointed out some amazing critters (and could actually identify them - common merganser, blue heron, egret). And Truman educated us in a very entertaining way about river lore and river hydraulics... all interesting! Both of them are just real - and we felt comfortable being ourselves. Great fun was had by all. I'm not a very adventurous person, but I am hoping to do this every year until I can't! YOU WILL GET WET! Yewhaaa! Thanks Marisa, Truman and Oars. read more

OARS American River Outpost - Truman - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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Is there any more fun you can have with clothes on than whitewater rafting? Maybe whitewater rafting with experienced, enthusiastic guides, great food, excellent equipment and a beautiful day, which is what we got last Saturday on the South Fork Gorge run. On our last trip last year we'd had a spill at Satan's Cesspool, so our guide (Logan) made sure to keep us all in the boat this time. Despite slightly higher-than-usual water levels (about 2200 cfs rather than 1500), we had a perfect run. The trip has its action-packed moments, along with plenty of time to admire the scenery, check out the wildlife (the merganser ducklings are adorable this time of year!) and get to know your fellow paddlers. I can't recommend this trip highly enough! read more

Special shout out to Oars for making this adventure come together for my granddaughter and myself. I was scared but granddaughter couldn't get enough of those rapids. Special thanks to guide ADAM for really really giving more than 100%. He made my granddaughters day! He also kindly kept this gma safe. Hah. Only one complaint... Ashley is now hooked on this and wants to go again and again. read more

OARS American River Outpost - Our amazing guide Adam. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

We just came back from our 2 day trip. There were 17 of us! The moment we got there from the moment we left, everything was great. The grounds were super clean(hot showers and very clean restrooms). Our guide Alec was the best. He told us tons of history/facts while on the water. The food was delicious! We had a great time. It was a memorable experience. Thank you Stephanie, Alec, Alex, Elliot & Ryan. read more

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We took the full day trip on the South Fork of the American River and had a wonderful time! Our guide taught us everything we needed to know to raft safely and have tons of fun. We swam in the river (chilly!) and had a tasty picnic on the banks. The rapids were exciting and, with our expert guide, totally manageable for beginners. Our kids (9 & 12 years) had never been rafting before and now they are hooked! read more

Had a phenomenal 1-day trip down the Middle Fork of the American River. OARS, as always, was incredibly organized and had everything we needed to make a great trip! Bible was our trip lead. He did a great job organizing the group, getting us to the start on time, training us, and leading a fun group. Alex was my raft guide and was beyond wonderful. Beyond being a skill rafter, she also knew a lot about the history ang geology of the area, and did a great job at engaging the group. I went on this trip alone but got to meet and hang out with some great people. I think OARS attracts great clients, as well as great guides. I will very likely be bringing a group of friends or family back on this same trip sometime in the future! read more

This was a great spot for my birthday. We all had so much fun. The rafting was amazing and our raft guide Willa was the best. This is my 3rd raft adventures and Willa was the best guide I've had. All the staff was amazing. The camp ground and amenities were very nice and super clean. Can't wait to go back. read more

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Awesome experience, just the right amount of time spent on the river. Shoutout to Alexis, she is great.

This was my first time river rafting, ever. I am not an outdoorsy person, never before have I camped, swum in a river, and I've hiked only a handful of times in my life. Naturally, I was terrified of river rafting. However I wanted to push my comfort zone, and they say river rafting is a must when living in Sacramento! After thorough research, my friend and I picked OARS, and it was the BEST decision we have ever made. River rafting with OARS was just simply an amazing, easy, safe experience. Our guide was Garret T, and oh man, he was the BEST! He was so skilled in getting us through the rapids and made us feel at ease the entire time, even when discussing the possibilities of our boat flipping or falling into the river. Needless to say, we never flipped or fell in the river. My friend and I don't have great upper body strength so we were worried about paddling, but it was a team effort and Garret did most of the guiding. He was so knowledgeable, so fun, we were grateful to have him guide us down the South Fork! Booking with OARS was super easy and painless, and check in was even easier. Garret had greeted us, checked us in quickly, and we were immediately suiting up with life vests and helmets. The shuttle was an easy 20 minute ride with masks enforced. Facilities were relatively clean, and my friend and I were able to change into dry clothes after the trip. If it's your first time river rafting, book it with OARS! It's stress free and you'll only have fun. read more

OARS American River Outpost - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

Everyone in the teqm - from the phone reservations , camping hosts, river guides work toward a single goal - best experience for the guests. Super impressed. We camped 2 nights and did 1 day middle fork with Travis and Miller. Sue shuttled us from the camp to the river and back. Guides are well experienced and they also helped unblock rafters from other companies. Thank you guys it was incredible experience. read more

OARS American River Outpost - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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Fantastic experience! We had a blast! It was our first time rafting, and it was a great beginner 1 day event. Our guides were very thorough with the safety presentation, funny and great to be with. You could tell they love what they do. Super fun! read more

Y'all what a fun day! If I lived closer I'd do this more often. River: beautiful, a little chilly (but I'm from Texas so it's expected); however it was nice and warm out so the water was refreshing. Super clean. Safety: OARS did a great job going over safety before we went to the water, once we got to the water and throughout the trip. Helmets are provided and required along with life jackets. I never once felt worried about my safety to others. Trip: we did the one that is about 5 hours and puts in right behind the buildings. It was class 1-3 rapids. We didn't have to paddle the entire time so that was nice. It was my first time but now I want to go do their other trip that starts further up the river with more rapids! Half way down you stop for lunch. They set stuff out for sandwiches and chips/cookies- of course with covid they had to do it and we had to wear masks etc but it wasn't a big deal at all and it all was great. After some rapids someone fell out of their kayak and since Austin did such a great job on the safety brief, we were able to rescue him! Guide: we had Austin and y'all he is great! He totally fit the vibe of our group. We joked with him, he joked with us but he also knew when it was time to be serious when going through rapids. He was knowledgeable and professional and definitely played a big role in making it such a fun day. read more

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This is our 4th trip with Earth Trek & Oars at the American River. This trip we graduated to Level 4 two days in a row. Bill and Garrett made it an incredible and safe time. Thrills and stories of history we will never forget! These guys are on top of every detail. Go for a great time and relax in their competent hands. read more