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Raft California

4.8 (675 reviews)
Closed 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

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Staff setting up the rafts.
John N.

We did a half day beginner class II with some class III rapids which was good for my 11yo. Due to the local mosquito fire the class IV area was closed. Check-in was easy. We drove down a gravel road and the friendly staff fitted us with a wet suit for the cooler weather, finally! Everything was provided, helmets with gopro mounts, life vests, and rain jackets. Our car keys were locked up safely and our water bottles placed in a bag on the raft. We were transported by van and given an educational tour of the local mining area that had such a rich and interesting history. Our rafting instructors prepped us with safety instructions prior to getting in. This was probably my most favorite outdoor experience thanks to our instructor Farrel. She was very calm and concise when giving various cues getting us to paddle in unison in all directions. We had so much fun attempting to surf multiple times, and she let us explore the more exciting sections of the river! Ferrel was very encouraging, easy and fun to converse with, answered all the questions we had, and we all want to come back for more!!!

Kaweah River
Tinah Y.

My friends and I had a blast going down Kaweah River, white water rafting, class IV, with these guys! Tigra, Corey, Emily, and Jake were great. There were two other girls but I forgot their names... they were all great. Thank you Tigra for guiding us safely down the river with no fish out of the water. These guys were super professional and I felt 100% safe the whole time. They went over all the safety rules and what to/not to dos. The instructions were very clear. We did luck out as we got 3 guides for the price of one! Just so happened, it was a low booking weekend so the other guides rode along. This is my second time going white water rafting and the one difference that I noticed right away was the teamwork. There were multiple companies there but they all worked as a team. If there were issues with another raft (e.g. someone fell out, stuck on a rock), we all waited and the closest guide would do what they can to help. It wasn't like, oh, not my company, not my problem. I was very impressed with that. That was one of the things that made me feel safe about the whole experience. Everyone on the river were super nice and fun. The meeting place is in Three Rivers, about 70 miles from Fresno, 240 miles from Sacramento, or 200 miles from LA. We drove down from Sacramento, none of use wanted to wake up at 4am to drive there so we actually found an Airbnb for the night close to there. We raft for about two hours, mostly because we made multiple stops to make sure everyone was ok from either falling in the water or being stuck in a current/rock. If you are afraid of falling in, then this is not for you. After rafting, we changed (they have changing tents for you) and was served a delicious tri-tip sandwich, including chips, fruit, and a drink for lunch. Also, if you book with them, any trips that you book with them for the rest of the season is half off. They only thing that I was disappointed with was that there were no pictures of us on the river. I can't really blame them because I had checked Yelp! prior to going so I just assumed there will be someone taking pictures...I never actually asked them. So, if you want pictures, be sure to ask first. Trip was fun and definitely will do it again!

Danyn C.

can't say enough about how awesome this place was!!!! for starters we had MATT as a guide and he was beyond amazing! he helped us through every rapid and made us feel super safe... besides the fact that he makes amazing food! I felt like I was at an all exclusive resort with the care that he gave me and my family... if I could give more then 5 stars I would! i'm telling u guys.. the food was absolutely delicious and the whole staff there was so friendly and kind!!! if ur thinking about booking a trip.BOOK IT.. u will have so much fun.. an experience like no other... have fun on the rapids!!!

Our campsite. Clean and well situated to enjoy sleeping by the river.
Derek T.

Great adventure and even greater service. So glad we chose this raffling company. It was so easy camping at their site where we left to enjoy 21 miles of rafting. The new bathrooms they just built made camping feel like we were staying in a hotel. I always sleep well in hotels or tents. The lunch spread was fabulous with their campsite exactly at the halfway point made it a nice land break. Will definitely book another trip with Raft California at some point.

Sans, Briana, Tessa, Casey, Corey, aubriana
Santina M.

Tessa and Casey are the best guides ever. This was our first trip and we can't thank them enough. Seriously the best time ever.

Lakeisha W.

Raft California was an amazing experience. They gave my fiancé an epic birthday to remember. We were initially scheduled for the Truckee River, but due to the wildfires, my group of 12 was offered the chance to ride on the American River for the same price. This saved me as a white water rafting trip was one of his birthday gifts. The management team even contacted all my guests individually to ensure this was the option for them, something I truly appreciated. Chris, our River Guide, was AMAZING and put a non-swimmer like myself at ease. Thank you all for the experience, we will definitely be back for another adventure!

At the bottom of the Tunnel Chute!
Justine P.

Raft California hosted an unforgettable two day adventure on the Middle Fork for our girl scout troop. Big thank you to Tigra, Sara, and Tessa! These inspiring women guided our all female adventure and were great role models for our girls! The food prepped by our guides was delicious and took into account our varying dietary needs. The side hikes to visit waterfalls were awe-inspiring, though you will be doing more rock scrambling than you think. I wore Tevas but I think next time I'd rather wear lightweight, quick dry hiking shoes for more grip. Thanks to being a dam-controlled segment of the river, we were able to enjoy big Class IV rapids in August. Tunnel Chute and Kanaka were our favorites. One thing to note. Look carefully at the packing list and do not pack a single thing more. When it says you only need one dry outfit, you only need one dry outfit. Don't bring a ton of toiletries, you won't be doing your daily skincare regimen on this trip. Toothbrush, hairbrush, meds, and feminine supplies are enough. When we were picked up, we had to pare down our bags to be able to fit on the gear boat. It was a little jarring at first, but it makes a lot of sense given how much needs to be packed to be able to put on this adventure. The provided sleeping pads worked well for the teenagers, but the moms universally agreed we would pack our own next time. We will definitely go on more adventures with Raft California.

The Crew! Before the trip
Lisa H.

First off thanks to "Will" our guide, 8-10-19 we had the most Bad Ass rafting adventure ever! He was super chill and funnier than hell...He has a GREAT personality! He knew that river and water like no other, Will had that raft under control at all times, he was a killer guide. We did the 1st 10.5 Miles then had lunch, this Company does it up, Burgers with all the fixings, chips, 5 bean salad, grapes and watermelon and cookies yummm! The last 10.5 Miles was probably our favorite part. Satan's Cesspool and Hospital Bar were some wild rapids and we got some great photos thanx to Hot Shot. (Yes we bought them all) Kraig and I will definitely be back, our next trip will be the Wine Tasting and Raft 2 day trip. Thanks again Will for one hell of a fun and wild time! PS that Joke was friggin Hilarious Thanks again, Kraig and Lisa Hawkins

Victoria S.

River rafting the Truckee River was a blast! From the moment you arrive the fun begins. Everyone in our group had a fantastic time. Cowabunga Dan was an amazing guide. We all felt so comfortable and safe the entire trip.This was my first time down rapids and I was not disappointed! After "Jaws", " Rock Garden", " Pinball" and " Bronco" I felt like a well seasoned rafter. We wish we could have gone all day. The river is beautiful and the wildlife will surprise you. Thank you to the entire staff for a wonderful family outing! We look forward to seeing you again.

Leo C.

I booked last minute (the week of) and was able to get a small raft where everyone was carrying their load. Everyone was an adult and we didn't have to worry about playing games and just enjoy the river. Tegan was a great guide and constantly gave us a line of what to expect and getting us to go the way she tell us. The middle fork have a great start and a pretty good end. There was a bit of nature watching in the middle. It was a fun trip and would be doing it again if I live closer to this part of the country. Would highly recommend this.

Tesa L.

Had the most AWESOME time with Raft California. The experience was phenomenal and our guide JEREMY was STELLAR! Jeremy is very experienced and always made us live our rafting experience to the upmost adventure! Our camping experience was great! We were able to camp on the property and the staff welcomed us with open arms. They provided lunch with the rafting adventure and breakfast for us campers the next morning. There are clean bathrooms and showers as well. VERY IMPORTANT! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU TRY THIS COMPANY.

Class 3 waves
Sandi T.

Unbeatable experience!! I cannot tell you enough how professional this company is. They think of every detail and make rafting as upscale as possible. When we arrived for our full day, 22 mile (7 hours) rafting tour, we were immediately greeted by a sweet, professional guide named Anna. She and her assistants Shay and Tawny geared us up, asked us for any special needs, and drove us 20 minutes to the river input site. There we received an entertaining and educational safety talk before hitting the water. As first timers on any river, we chose this Class III river and at no point in time we're we ever scared or in danger. This river (American River South Fork) is stunningly beautiful and offers many various ever-changing landscapes to enjoy along the way- all breathtaking. Anna was extremely knowledgeable about the details of the entire river and pointed out a lot of interesting facts and fiction... she was such a delight! Half way through the river and the day, we stopped off to this company's base camp for a barbecue of grilled burgers and snacks. Best homemade lemonade as well. The restrooms and showers at their base camp are EXCELLENT. It's as if they thought of spoiling their guests (because they also have overnight bungalows by the river at this location). The food was delicious and the multi-toilet bathroom/shower building at the site was as good as any new mall restroom and much appreciated! After a lunch pause and a quick dip in the water, we headed back out on the raft. The rest of the day was perfect as well with quite a lot of class 3 rapids and surprise waves to enjoy in between the swimmers rapids and slow poke mosey stretches. Our "Greenberghini" provided a wonderful 7 hour ride. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND USING RAFT CALIFORNIA FOR SMALL OR LARGE GROUPS. They are awesome!!!!

John M.

The most wonderful 2 day weekend on the American River. Our guide Jason was wonderful so knowledgeable worked very hard see we had everything we needed. The food was so unexpected so excellent. Irish's mashed potatoes were very good. The equipment is in excellent condition from the rafts to the tents. Thank you everyone for the GREAT weekend. Looking forward to the next trip.

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Page 1 of 17

Ask the Community - Raft California

Review Highlights - Raft California

We have gone with Adventure Connection twice on private trips - both times on the full South Fork 1 day trip.

Mentioned in 129 reviews

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4.9(265 reviews)
0.3 mi

friendly, chill, professional, great guides, convenient, excellent lunch. wonderful hands on ownerread more

My party of four signed up to raft the full day south fork July 31, 2025. Three of us had at least…read moresome rafting experience prior to this "beginner" course. We were assigned a guide who, once we were in the raft and on the river, announced that he had limited white water experience and was mostly familiar with float trips. This raised some red flags but we brushed it off thinking Sierra would never put someone ill equipped in a raft, alone with guests. Wrong. We made it through the first few rapids mostly unscathed. We did end up running into other rafts accidentally (the guide admitted to this). He also inadvertently took us through rapids at the same time as other rafts; this happened twice. He also mentioned that he got the raft stuck on a rock the day prior and it took multiple guides and thirty minutes to free it. About an hour in we went through a rapid that all the other rafts traversed with no issue. We slammed into a rock and I went flying out of the raft a slammed into a rock, tumbling down the rapid and hitting multiple rocks along the way. I was able to grab my paddle AND the guide's paddle and swam my way back to the raft. I had multiple scrapes on my left leg and moderate pain in my right lower leg. The guide apologized and said he "forgot there was a rock there." We made it to camp about half an hour later for lunch. I could barely put any pressure on my right leg. I hobbled to a picnic table, hoping a brief rest period would stop the pain. Wrong again. The guide alerted Sierra leadership, who was present at camp, about the incident. NOT A SINGLE REPRESENTATIVE CAME BY TO ASK HOW I WAS FEELING. I could not continue with the trip and had to use a lawn chair found at camp as a make shift walker to get back to the parking lot. Once again, no assistance was offered from Sierra. I picked up a pair of crutches in Sacramento. After flying home and visiting the orthopedist, I was scheduled for surgery a week later because it turned out that the collision with the rock fractured my tibia. I was on crutches for three months, out of work for 7 weeks, and out thousands of dollars. At this point, about four months later, I can barely walk any sort of distance and still have to attend physical therapy. We called Sierra to let them now what happened. They offered to refund my trip but did not follow through until we called back a week later. I trusted Sierra to provide us a good experience with a qualified guide. Could this have happened even with a qualified guide? Yes, but not likely especially on this beginner course. No one else on the trip even fell out of a raft. No one from Sierra ever asked how I was or if I needed assistance. In fact, one gal was rude and indifferent when my husband told her I was injured. If you choose to raft with Sierra make sure you proactively request a seasoned guide. Ask the guide about their credentials BEFORE you get on the river. Do not accept someone with limited experience! It is dangerous and you could end up with a broken leg or worse... To add insult to injury, the lunch sucked.

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H2O Adventures - Chili bar

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5.0(761 reviews)
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I'm so glad I found H20 Adventures! We had so much fun on the half day South Fork lower gorge run…read more This is rated class 2/3 and perfect for the beginner like myself. I was really nervous at first and honestly wanted lazy river rafting with zero rapids, but after the experience with H20, I'm excited to plan another trip with them. The scenery was amazing, the late March weather was warm and as expected freezing water. We were provided with helmets, wetsuits, and splash jackets, this kept us warm and comfortable. You should bring water bottles and sunblock on the raft. Your other belongings are safely locked up prior to launch. You can also bring waterproof cameras or phones, be sure they are securely strapped to you (like chest or wrist strap, or helmet mount) they do have a professional cameraman kayaker Kevin taking amazing shots along the way so don't worry about not bringing your own camera. Nico, our tour guide was skilled, knowledgeable, and entertaining, and incredibly nice. We also had the opportunity to interact with the other tour guides Kyla and Martina who led the other two rafts on our 3 craft convoy down the river. If you are looking for something to do with your family this summer, I highly recommend H20. Get your reservations asap.

Went on a late April trip on the Yuba river and had a great time! Devin was an amazing raft guide…read moreand it was cool listening to him talk about the area and how to navigate each part of the river. The whole staff is really fun to be around and good at what they do would definitely recommend them and the Yuba trip

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Tributary Whitewater Tours - Cabins

Tributary Whitewater Tours

4.8(283 reviews)
0.1 mi

Good shit. Awesome…read moreguides, thrilling rapids, and stunning views. An unforgettable adventure! ‍

WOW WOW WOW. There are not enough ways to express how awesome this entire trip was. Audrey (the…read moreguide who's raft I stayed on), Dustin (the Team Leader), Mcclure, and Roman will forever get my praise for how they exceeded my expectations. This was my first time going both whitewater rafting and camping, and the entire time I felt taken care of, safe, and catered to in ways I hadn't even expected. I don't know how many times I shouted "Team Audrey!" as she expertly navigated difficult rapids. Roman was the guide responsible for riding ahead of us with all our cargo and setting up camp, and every time I was more and more impressed with the breathtaking set up he did with all of our tents, eating areas, and shaded spots. Dustin was a worthy team leader who made sure our trip went smoothly and on time, and was awesome to talk to and joke around with. And McClure was a thorough teacher and guide who is clearly passionate about what he does! I've noticed some reviews of people complaining about things out of Tributary's control like the bathroom quality or the heat or the other parties that would camp nearby. And even though that is technically not Tributary's juriscdiction, I still felt as if the four guides with us did everything they could to anticipate these problems and lessen their impact on our trip. Like they had a handwashing station for us, and had plenty of shaded areas for us to rest in. Not to mention they really took care of the quality of food we ate, giving gluten free and healthy options as well as snacks and drinks for us. Audrey, Dustin, Roman, and Mcclure. You four have a forever client in me. It is because of you guys I have such memorable stories that I will be telling until I am old. I can not thank you guys enough.

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

OARS American River Outpost

4.9(225 reviews)
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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!

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Raft California - rafting - Updated May 2026

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