Had a great time on the river with my family (two adults and three kids aged 10,12, and 16). Other than my experience 30 years prior, neither my wife or kids had gone before. Can't say enough good things about our guide Noah. Beyond all the physical work he did to row us down the river, he expertly guided us safely through the rapids and even positioned the raft to make sure everyone got to enjoy all aspects of the rapids. His instructions were simple and clear. He made sure we were prepared for each section of the river and even explained some of the natural phenomenons that we were experiencing. We did the day long South Fork trip. Both the morning and afternoon sessions were well balanced with easy to moderate rapids. Lunch was surprisingly good. Both the burgers and chicken were delicious. Kids had an amazing time, my youngest is already making plans for future trips. It is an experience that I'm sure they will remember for a long time. Highly recommend. read more

Tributary Whitewater Tours - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Truckee, California

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We were excited for the adventure part of my birthday trip with some thrilling outdoor activities. There was a lot of people split between three rafts and we got the instructor who was somewhat new to these rapids. Our raft had two wipeouts, the first one wasn't so bad but the second one took everyone out pretty hard and left some battle scars. Of course we signed a waiver so any injuries etc. are our responsibility. But my biggest concern after we got home to talk about the experience is when my culturally innocent partner described seeing the guide pull out a white bag and stick his nose in it. I told him what that usually means and that made sense why the guide started yelling more aggressively than usual. We signed a waiver taking responsibility for our lives but that does not include having a high tour guide leading us into danger.... read more

This was our fourth rafting trip with Tributary, and up until now we had always felt confident and safe with the company. Unfortunately, our recent experience on the Middle Fork of the American River was very different and extremely unsettling. Right from the start, we noticed that the safety briefing from this particular crew felt less thorough than on our previous three trips. Still given our experience, we trusted that we were in good hands. Our raft flipped at the entrance of the Tunnel Chute which is famous for being quite challenging. We understand and accept the inherent risks of whitewater rafting and this is why we sign waivers. What made this experience unacceptable was not the flip itself, but how the crew responded afterward. My husband sustained a serious injury to his leg and ankle, another member of our group had a deep cut in his leg, and I personally came dangerously close to drowning. This was the most terrifying moment of my life. Yet the crew's response was shockingly dismissive. No one noticed my husband was bleeding until we pointed it out and asked for the first aid kit to clean his bleeding leg. When my husband told one of the guides - named Sergio- that his leg was in pain, the response was: "That's not possible, there are no rocks under there." As of today we are still wondering if Sergio was trying to be funny, or if he really believed what he was saying... Dismissing someone's visible injury without even checking is beyond unprofessional. As for me, I was clearly in shock. Only our guide asked if I was okay. Sergio dismissed it and the other two guides didn't check in with me at all. I did not see any group-wide check to assess how we were doing physically or emotionally after this traumatic incident. The three of us who were injured and shaken up decided to end our day early. As for my husband and I, the reason why we decided to end the day was not just because of the injuries and fear, but because we were disturbed by the crew's lack of empathy and their inability to take the situation seriously. After being taken back to our car, we went straight to urgent care to address the physical injuries. The mental trauma from that day will never fully go away. To this day, no one from Tributary has followed up with us since the incident. Not an email, not a phone call. After such a serious event involving injuries and near-drowning, some form of outreach or concern from the company should be expected. The silence speaks volumes. We returned to Tributary because of three previously positive experiences. But after this incident, and the company's failure to respond to it with basic care or professionalism, I cannot recommend rafting with them again. read more

Nacho was amazing. Was an amazing guide. Nate was great he is the life of the party. The crew all was amazing. I would definitely go and recommend to do this run. Such a good time. read more

I've been white water rafting for 30 years and this is by far the absolute worst experience I've ever had. Our guide, Joe Walsh, was extremely unqualified. In addition to being unqualified, he made our trip downright boring. This section of the Truckee is very mild up until the last few rapids. The last two rapidss are challenging technically. Joe did not have the expertise to navigate these safely. He did not engage the rafters to safely participate and be able to keep their balance inside the boat during the more challenging rapids. Additionally, when another boat was in distress, he had no smart knowledge on how to help support them. His idea would have surely landed more people in the water and an additional boat downriver. Without getting into the details, I cannot encourage you enough to skip this company and above all.. avoid Joe Walsh! read more

The trip would be a 5 star. Nate was a good guide, friendly, explained things well, etc. However, I reduced the rating because he was going to send photos of the trip (which is why I didn't take my own) and, long story short, he made it an arduous process to get them. That's the polite way to describe the situation. Ultimately, he did ultimately send them. Either take your phone and don't be stupid enough to not secure it to your body or they sell photos taken from the bank. read more

Honestly this was such an amazing adventure. Nate was a fantastic guide he made sure we were all safe and having fun. The whole team was so awesome and fun. Highly recommend if you are in the area. read more

Tributary Whitewater Tours - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Truckee, California

Went on the afternoon tour for a bachelor party with a big party of 10. We all had a blast, the guides were all fun to hang with and did a great job guiding us safely, providing great company and conversation. Ask for Cowabunga Dan! read more

our experience with this adventure was awesome! we had to separate into two boats and of course our children decided to send mom my and dad off so they can sit together . Nacho! was the tour guide to my husbands and i boat we sat with another couple cool. Our children guide was Bubba... i think the bus driver / photographer was great! our chilly boat capsized on the 2nd to last drop scared the crap out of me thank God we all lived to laugh and talk about it. i do not recommend for any small children and teens depending on their comfortable water and swimming skills. God was in the midst as a mom i was terrified At the end i was proud how they handled and reacted. One tour guide jumped in the raging rivers to help my sons girlfriend, she was stuck on a rock terrified to even attempt to swim to the raft. I don't blame her that water is very intimidating. Shout out to All the guides! josh or shawn the bus driver so sorry mad with names but i do want to call you out as a well . Appreciate you all! stay safe, take care & God bless you! read more

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We went on our first whitewater rafting and had an amazing experience. Our guide was Maddy and he was awesome. Super knowledgeable and was great at point out wildlife and answering all our questions. We can't wait to book another trip with this company. Totally worth every penny. read more

Had an incredible experience last Thursday on the Truckee. Had Joe Walsh, from the Eagles, guide my family down the river. Joe was nice, professional and caring of our group. I had my 2 young boys in the raft with my wife and father. My oldest (8) has a medical condition and wears a medical device. Joe made sure to understand what the device was and if it was able to be submerged if my son fell in. We brought dry bag for the last mile when we hit Class 3 rapids and Joe gave use more than ample time to remove the device and stow it safely. My brother and his family had Nate as their guide and even tho I wasn't on their raft I can assure you they all had a blast too. Nate was our main safety guide. He communicated well, made it fun and had a great sense of humor while also he being serious when needed. All around our family had a great 1/2 day and wouldn't hesitate coming back and booking another rafting trip with these 2 guide. read more

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ive tried 3 different rafting companies down this exact river and this was one of the best. my friends and I had an awesome guide, roman, who was super straightforward, engaging and responsive when we said we wanted to get more involved, make it more exciting, take time to jump in the water, etc. with this kind of activity, you need to have enough humor to not take it too seriously while also be humble enough to know that your guide probably knows best. it was such a good time and my whole group agreed that we totally would return. highly recommend, and ask for roman! read more

This was soo much fun. Ran Raft California, I felt the entire team was just so professional. The entire day was just awesome. I did the morning run meeting at 9 am at the Truckee RV store right off of I80 at the Boca exit. The trip is about 7 miles going down to the Floristian exit off I80. The last mile, our guide referred to it as the Miracle Mike's of white water rapids. One of the rapids is called Pin Ball, and it's your raft is what is thrown around like a pin ball. Crazy fun. Oh my gosh fabulous morning. Our guide Liz took time to get to know each of us. So by the time we got to the Miracle Mile we acted as a team. Wow, incredible. Good times. It was exciting and just incredible fun. The way all the guides worked together I never felt intimidated. Just had one of the best days of the summer. Yes I'd highly recommend this super fun cruise read more

Tributary Whitewater Tours - Exited to try this coming Wednesday; yippie - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Truckee, California

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Had an awesome time with my brother here. All of the guides are super friendly and very knowledgeable, so if you're on the fence of committing to this, don't hold back! They are very vocal and will teach you absolutely everything you need to know on the spot to enjoy your time. The Truckee river itself has a nice mix of calm straights to slightly more intricate rapids, to full-on focused rapids- as a first timer, i'd say it was the perfect flavor, and honestly want to try something even more intense next time! Shout out to Josh for getting us in last minute and being extra helpful! Would recommend to anyone looking for a day activity in the area. Bring sunscreen! read more

Fun trip on the Truckee. Excellent guides who focus on safety. Our guide Nacho was terrific. Perfect thing to do on a hot day in Truckee. Definitely major step up from drifting out of Tahoe City to River Ranch. read more

"Cowabunga Dan" was top notch!! Sitting in the back watching him navigate our full raft for our half day trip was a true demonstration of how knowledgeable and skills he is. We enjoyed learning his "S" manuever and paddling "pinball" and "jaws." Dan is a true historian, with 12 years of professional experience with the Truckee River. He was a ball of energy and instilled the confidence we needed for our first rafting experience. He described all the points of interest, dating back to the 1800s, including the wildlife and geological changes. We felt safe, with his great personality.The Aire rafts were pristine, clean and well maintained. You have to ride with Cowabunga Dan and the Tributary Team. read more

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We had a blast!! Dan was our guide and was knowledgeable and fun! Even during a pandemic they kept us safe and separated. Thanks for a blast!! read more

We had a horrible time doing this specific Whitewater tour. Joe who was our guide was horrible we went into a rapid sideways and he was very unprepared. In the beginning there were some class 1 rapids and we weren't allowed to paddle. But it got worse as we went into the class 3 rapids. We weren't allowed to paddle and paddling is how you keep your balance without falling in. As a guide, Joe should steer (like all the other guides did) and have the passengers paddle. Because he refused to let us participate, we fell into the rapid and ejected everyone from the raft. Joe was very unprofessional and yelled at somebody trying to paddle to try and keep our balance so we didn't fall in two times. At the end at the last Rapid one of the guides fell in and landed on a rock two of his group members kept on floating down the river without a guide. We ended up grabbing them but our guide (Joe) was being very unprofessional and almost caused us to fall in a second time because we weren't paddling after receiving the lost two people. We finished up the river rafting trip but our guide almost tossed us when we were pulling up to the exit. Once we got back to the area where we put on life jackets and helmets we got into our car and the guide came over to us and said don't come back if you're going to be dangerous, but he was the one being dangerous because he wasn't letting us paddle almost making us fall in! If given the choice I would go with Tahoe white water. it's a better option by far. read more

Worst rafting guide in 20 years. Unfriendly, talked constantly for two hours, never asked 6 rafters names, was not a happy guy, and doesn not seem right for the job. Can't remember name today, august 13,sunday but he's about 25 yrs old, skinny, beard and mustache, and never smles. we all agreed....Yikes. He made a beautiful trip down the truckee a drag and little fun. Honest and true. Your guide can make your trip fun or a boring drag. read more

Booked a trip on the Truckee River mid August. Overall, great scenery and good experience, however we have no recollection of the events and sites of that day! Our guide, "Boofie," was awesome; very knowledgeable about the River and the sites to look out for. However we were advised by and told NOT to bring personal items except sunglasses, hat, sunblock, and water, so we listened due to their reassurance that photos will be taken throughout our 4hr journey. I didn't bring my phone, which I know the potential risks of bringing it in the first place. We were told that "pictures were taken and will be uploaded by the next business day." When we had check to see if images were published (a week later), they were not. I have tried contacting, with no avail. In which the first response was "no pictures were taken" (when we literally posed for pictures) and then a follow up (we had to reach out AGAIN) and was told that someone would be in contact with us... no one did. Overall would give the business a 2.5 stars. read more

Both my kids, ages 12 & 15 asked "Mom, when can we do this again?", it was like music to my ears. Tagen, our raft guide is indeed the BEST! She was so passionate about the Truckee River as well as the beautiful land & wildlife that surrounds it. She had endless fun facts to share and answered every question we had, including what the name of the ducks with the funny beaks were called (Merganser, folks). I HIGHLY recommend Raft California for your next family adventure. It was super exciting, family-friendly and affordable! Oh yeah, the rapids were awesome too...I cannot wait to do it again!! Cindy read more

We had an amazing time. Our guide Nick and the crew were all great. Had us laughing all the way. Looking forward to doing it again read more

Tributary Whitewater Tours - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Truckee, California

I had an amazing time, especially with this being my first time whitewater rafting! Jon Anderson there as an amazing guide (and the other guides seemed amazing as well)! He was very directive and provided us with very early instructions and really just made sure we had an amazing time! 100% recommend this whether this would be your first time or if you're a veteran whitewater rafting! read more

Well THAT was an epic adventure and unlike anything I could have imagined. Cowabunga Dan was super enthusiastic about his job and obvious loves what he does. His energy makes the experience that much more fun. Our guide was Nate, who wins best laugh! His laugh was truly infectious. Our boat did lose it's occupants, but the quick action of all the guides resulted in a quick plucking out of the river. Highly recommend! Thanks all for the insane memories! read more

Amazing 2-Day overnight white water trip on the North Yuba. Kevin, Tom & Kelbie kept this trip interesting and were super proficient guides. I never questioned their choices and felt like I was in the best hands. The white water was epic - super fun. Too awesome to describe, but will be back. Doing the overnight camping was great too. Good food, great people, and an amazing bonfire. Not having to do any of the cooking or cleaning myself was especially nice. Expect to put a little more work into your tip outside of rafting, carrying your boats to and from put in and take out will be required. I would deduct a star for the seeming lack of organization, but it was just too great of a trip to validate doing so. Awesome trip Tributary. read more

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Fun, exciting, and safe experience. Our guide, Jo, was great. Entertaining and informative 1/2 day on the Truckee.

Great experience and hilarious instructor that made the experience even more fun! We were running a little late and they were very accommodating and helpful. Great staff, great memory! read more

We just finished our tour with Roman and it was truly gnarly! Roman was extremely knowledgeable, welcoming and made the ride just that much better. From answering all of our nervous questions to telling jokes and informing us of unique landmarks and wildlife, Roman killed it. When we come back for another outdoor adventure, requesting Roman will be our first step. #RomanEmpire #RAD read more

My family bought us a rafting trip for my birthday, and we chose Tributary based on an internet search. I am so glad we went with them! Our guide's name is Brian, and he was fantastic. Having a great guide makes all the difference, in my opinion. The balance of safe vs. fun is so tricky with something like this - you want the adrenaline rush, but you don't want to fall overboard and get injured. Brian gave us the most exhilarating-but-safe ride we all wanted. My kids (14yo, 12yo, and 10yo) had never been rafting before, and my wife and I hadn't been for many years. We all want to go again, and we will go with Tributary. I would definitely recommend Tributary, and ask for Brian! read more

What an awesome experience, our guide Tigra was so good and knowledgeable of the river. She was able to guide a bunch of first timers through the river with ease. Highly recommend them if you are ever in Tahoe. read more

Great and competent staff with a great regard for safety! Our guides were fun but also made us feel safe even when it got a bit scary on the water. The experience was so much fun and I definitely felt this experience was well worth our money. read more

We would definitely come back! The staff was friendly. They made you feel comfortable and safe. Our guide, Josh was very smart, funny, calm and an awesome instructor! I was the only one who fell out of the raft. He remained calm and quickly got me back on while still giving my kids instructions. I would definitely recommend this rafting company to my friends and family. We had a great time!! read more

Had an amazing time! Matt was hilarious and our guide Tegan was the best! She engaged the whole time, was very knowledgeable of the rapids and surroundings, and made sure we all got back safely. She was awesome. Amazing views and calmer waters at the beginning but then we hit some Level 2 and 3 rapids which were awesome. We all had a blast. read more

Our first time white water rafting, and it was everything I hoped it would be! It was an awesome experience, Matt was a great guide who gave us solid direction throughout. I will definitely have to come back! read more

We had a great time with our kids! This was the end of the season and weather promised to be very cold, but I'm glad that we didn't cancel the trip and took the risk :) Our guide Maddy (I'm not sure if I spelled the name right) was very fun and kept our kids and ourselves engaged. We would love to come back in June! read more

This whole process was seamless! I registered my group of 5 online. Then I received several emails with all the details I could need including registration, waivers, information about what to bring and where to park. A few days before, I got a call where they clarified any questions. We stayed at Northstar, drove to the meeting spot, changed into athletic shorts, bathing suits, and chacos. **Locked up our keys and phones. This was our first time rafting, and we chose the class 3 Truckee river half day trip. Our tour guide Josh made sure we were very prepared, and confident. He answered all of our questions, giving us information and history of the area, and training on rafting. The first 2/3 of the trip is a beautiful scenic float down the Truckee River, and the last 1/3 is class 2 and 3 rapids. The swim was delightful, it was clear skies and 80 degrees. read more

Our guide Tigre was fantastic! Super knowledgeable and experienced in the ways of white water river rafting. Very organized company. The kids and I had a fantastic time! read more

I haven't had this much fun in a while! Great place to raft. We went to Truckee River rafting. Our guide was awesome and all staff made it a fun and safe experience. Our boat flipped though but the guide quickly got everyone back on the boat. Loved it and do recommend this company to everyone who loves thrill and adventure! read more

My family had so much fun white water rafting with RaftCalifornia! Our guide, Chris, was super funny and expertly weaved is through the rapids. I would recommend rafting with this group to anyone! read more

I can't say enough good things about this rafting experience. The staff is incredibly friendly, helpful & fun. We got lucky enough to be paired with Klondike Joe as our guide. He was AWESOME!! We definitely had THE funnest boat on the river today. We did the 1/2 day trip & were wishing it was longer. Joe was very knowledgable & easy going but when my daughter & I fell in the water he was VERY quick to respond & get us back in the boat. We had so much fun, we were thinking about doing it again the next day. If you go, & are able to, request Klondike Joe as your guide. The whole crew was great! read more

Tributary Whitewater Tours - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Truckee, California