I have been coming to this place for a little bit now and I love it they have so many different…read moretrails you can do around this area. The trails are marked and well paved so many different views of the river. Some of the trial can get dusty and muddy. I have been going to the one called the Gerle Loop trail it is pretty easy going loop trail kids can do it to. Part of the trial is shaded and some aren't. People are also can bring their dogs, horses, and bikes. Where I park you don't have to pay for parking and there is a bathroom you can use. The days I have come there is plenty of parking I haven't had no issues. They also have a picnic table you can use. They have small areas and you walk down and chill by the river. I love coming here to go a walk and to get outside with nature.

Came for my third visit during a dry spell in January. Very nice! So green and cool. Did the…read moreDown and Up trail. Came in the afternoon on a Saturday. I thought the parking lot would be full, but there were som spots.

BRIAN!! Brian was the best tour guide I have ever had hands down. He is a skilled rafter who knows…read morehow to entertain the raft while maintaining professionalism. The river was amazing but Brian who made the trip 100/10! I would recommend anyone coming to American River to request Brian as their guide. Well worth the time & costs and for all ages!! I flew here all the way from LA and would fly again just to experience the river with Brian again!

We camped at the American River Resort and took part in the river rafting. It's $120/person for 4…read morehours session. The first two hours were kind of boring, we were just floating around the river, the last 45 minutes were really fun with lot of adrenaline. Our captain Luke from South Africa was fun and he even brought his speaker to entertain us with songs. The pictures taken by the prof were amazing, we're having fun.

I went with my class this weekend and I made so many great memories. My guide was amazing she was…read moreso helpful, funny, kind, and made my experience so much better. Laurel you're the best!!

I decided I wanted to take the kids I nanny (11 & 13) to do something fun and unique and thought…read morewhy not finally cross off whitewater rafting from my bucket list?! We were gifted a beautiful day on the river with multiple sightings of wildlife including fish jumping, ducklings, geese, and even a bald eagle! The best part was getting to see the kids do something, get scared, have a blast doing it, and then ask to come back for more intensity next time. I really appreciated the guides for their hospitality, humor, and kindness. However my main piece of feedback would be a friendly reminder that nature and outdoor recreational activities are a form of escape and respite from our every day life, so being more mindful of the topics of conversation brought up during the ride is very important to the atmosphere.

We had a fantastic experience on a 1 day trip on the South Fork American River. We had three 11…read moreyear old kids in our boat and the guide (Parker) was so patient and friendly to them! The trip was just the right balance of excitement and feeling safe. Our guide was awesome and clearly an expert at navigating the river. Also highly recommend the campsite - nice flat sites and clean showers/bathrooms.

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!

Had an awesome first time rafting experience with the kids (13 & 11). Took the South Fork 1/2 day…read moretrip and experienced the swimming rapid and all that was down stream. Couldn't have asked for anything better. Our guide, Mike, was great! He kept the boat lively, relaxed, and safe. He was filled with knowledge of the river and local history. Shout out to Ann as well. Super-friendly and comforting team to be around! Already looking forward to a full day trip next summer and will definitely book with H2O.

I can't recommend this tour company enough!! Amazing experience, knowledge, and fun. We were a…read moregroup 7 and thoroughly enjoyed our guide, Ann, and the beautiful memories.

Awesome 1/2 day with Robert and John to close out their 2026 season!…read more We went as a group of 2 and shared a raft with another two groups of 2, and a group of 5 took the other. We were fitted with life jackets, helmets, and they had a box to store keys plus a bag for water bottles. They did a safety briefing before we headed out on the water. Robert was very patient with our group as we needed to get synced with paddling lol we got there eventually! I appreciated that he rattled off the rapid names as we went through. There were 2 photo ops but it's a separate company and price for photos. Felt very safe and Robert was really knowledgeable! They also navigated us past slower groups and there were a couple spots we had the option to jump out and swim briefly. We had a good 3ish hours on the water, and it's about a 15-20 min drive in the van back to the main meetup point where you park. Overall, great company and looking forward to our next trip!

Amazing experience with this company! My group and I went twice this summer season. We went to a…read moreclass 3 South Fork American | Gorge 1/2 Day with Amy and a class 4 Middle Fork American 1 Day trip with Shane. They were both super helpful and safe guides, but more importantly, they were fun and took us on side quests. Going twice in one season also gave us a nice return rider discount. Will definitely be back next season for more!

Fun and amazing trip! Our guide is very friendly and very professional in answering all sort of…read moredumb questions we have about rafting. Will def come back!

This past July we got together with a few friends and family for my 49th and booked a half day trip…read moredown the American river. The guide was amazing! He gave us history as we passed by areas of interest. He gave us clear direction and communicated in an easy way to understand so that we could all paddle in sync. The river experience is amazing! Would definitely do it again!

Sometimes you have an experience that you know will stick with you for the rest of your life. This…read morewas one of those times. We did a two day south fork trip, with a stop for the night on the river bank. Our guide Cryin' Bryan(just kidding Brian!!) and bonus gear guy Gator, were absolutely amazing. The were kind, helpful, had the best stories and cooked the best food. We did 21 miles of river over two days and it was unbelievable. Things we learned on this trip... -Gator taught me how to make a camping mocha(more like chocolate coffee when I made it!) with instant cocoa mix, coffee, creamer and water. -A tortilla wrap with PB&J and trail mix is the thing of dreams. -The front right seat of the raft is the 'hot' seat(or wet seat) and you will get hammered repeatedly. Haha. -Camping on the side of the river is magic. Pure. Magic. -Hospital bar has its name for a reason. -Composting toilets in the woods smell like a gerbil cage. -Brian's love of Star Wars and pineapple fried rice lead me to believe we could be real life friends. -You can make lifelong friends out of strangers you meet on a rafting trip. The meals they provided were amazing. Well beyond normal camping fare. For sure a perk with the trip. With things like chicken salad pitas, pancakes, sandwich wraps and fajitas, we were never hungry. We upgraded to the canvas tent they have at the campground for the first night and it was wonderful. The little front porch and getting to hear the river while we slept was magic. The newly upgraded bathrooms were probably the nicest I've seen at a rustic camp ground. The shower stalls are outside, but each one has a locking door with the shower stall and a little changing area with hooks and a bench(and the rain shower heads were great, but know the water pressure isn't the hardest, but not the worst either). When the 'Boss Man' picked us up from the river on the last day, it was really neat to get to chat with him. He asked for anything we think would add to the trip, and the only thing we can think of would be to bring along a yard game for the overnight trips, like ladder-ball or something for on the river. But there is absolutely nothing we would change. Enjoy my million pictures. I really couldn't pick and choose what to show, so I showed it all! We can't wait to go back!!

We enjoyed the half day class II-III+ trip. Everything went smoothly from start to end. There were…read morechill about people being late: I think they might leave a buffer because people are always a bit late. I really appreciated they had a page linked after you book of all the things to know before the trip. Getting ready was smooth, and the guide was helpful on the way with paddling instructions and questions. We dropped into the water at two points and also got to switch seats so everyone tried being at the front. The water is extremely cold. There are two photo spots where they took pictures you can purchase. Lastly the bus to get back went great, but they kind of left us alone right after we got back to camp, even though we had some questions and were going to leave a tip (we left our wallets in the cars).

I did Current Adventures' Accelerated Beginner Camp program last year, and had a truly amazing…read moreexperience. My instructor, Jason, was incredibly patient and effective. I felt 100% safe with him at all times, and by the end of the 4 days, I was kayaking confidently in what felt like huge rapids. They even spent some time teaching us the sweep roll, which I managed to pull off a few times, though never in a rapid. Next time! I HIGHLY recommend this business. Dan and his team all clearly love what they do, and it shows. Thank you Jason, Dan, and the CA team!

You 100% must take a lesson from here. If you have never taken a lesson you should. You never know…read morewhat you will learn. I had an amazing 4 days of instruction with Jason and Dom. They were very good at teaching the fundamentals and breaking it down to understand each movement on the river. I will definitely be taking ALOT more classes with current adventures! AMAZING!

Had an absolute blast with Whitewater Connection for our trip down the South Fork!…read more Parking is $2 for the day, cash only. Drive straight until you see someone who will take the cash and point you to where you should park. The day started out with lunch, which was burgers and hot dogs cooked backyard barbecue style. Other toppings were provided, and I thought it tasted simple but great! (Was expecting plain old possibly stale sandwiches.) We were scheduled to embark at 12:15, but due to CHP closing the bus route, many guides from the last trip were not able to make it back on time. I didn't have my phone or watch on me, but I think we ended up leaving around 1:00. Ann kept us updated the entire time, while scrambling to make the best out of a messy situation. Our boat guide was Gonzo, and he did a fantastic job! The entire trip was fun, and he would often advise us when we could go out into the water for a swim, or sit at the front edge of the raft at a rapid to get the full experience (some rapids are more shallow, for example, so sitting there can result in falling out of the raft and cutting yourself on rocks). Very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. Total trip time on the river was 3 hours, 45 minutes, plus about a 15~20 minutes ride down to the buses (a boat is pulling you along, so you can sit/lay in your boat and relax). Then about a 25 minute bus ride back to the parking spot. On the bus ride back, one of the tires fell off. Ann told us that they just changed the wheels the week before (in a lighthearted manner)! We ended up stranded for about 30 minutes, but Ann again patiently went about finding a solution. A kind lady drove a back-up bus to come pick us up, and she and Ann kept us entertained and engaged with facts and jokes the entire time! Overall, the transportation on this day was not in our favor. It was not Whitewater Connection's fault at all! However, Ann decided that since we had been through so many delays that day, all of the groups on this trip would get free photos. I thought it was an extremely kind gesture! Her demeanor and attitude in the face of issues tells a lot about how much she cares about her clients. We ended up receiving a link to download the photos the same day, despite having such a long day. Overall, I would highly recommend a trip with Whitewater Connection. The customer service does not fail to impress, and the guides are all knowledgeable and have the right personality to make the trip fun! Shout out to Ann and Gonzo (and the kind lady who drove the back-up bus...my memory is failing me here) - cheers! BRING / DO NOT BRING: - Lots of sunscreen - Water shoes (they also sell some for $15 at the site, which is reasonable) with socks - Tennis shoes w/o socks worked perfectly for me as well - No shirt (guys) - I had no issues with the life jacket scratching me! - Cheap sunglasses (so you don't have to be afraid of doing the fun parts!) - Bathing suit for guys, probably shorts for girls - Change of clothes, or at least shoes for the drive back home

I was in a vehicle behind Whitewater Connection bus and it was emitting a lot of filthy diesel…read moresmoke. Not only that, the driver was not pulling over to let the line of cars behind it go ahead even when there were many big and wide pullovers. I won't go rafting with them nor recommend them to my friends. Picture was taken July 25, 9am towards Chili Bar put-in. Their drivers consistently lacking driving etiquette that I decided to post this review.