SOUTH FORK AMERICAN RIVER
BOOK NOW• South Fork of the American River
• Class III
• Good for first time rafters
• Children (min age 7)
• Location – Coloma, CA
Located in the Coloma / Lotus River Valley is a 22-mile, Class II-III river. Chosen and rafted by thousands annually for its convenient location, easy access, great whitewater, one and two-day rafting options as well as the rich history and beautiful environment. Whitewater Connection offers you the best experiences to be had on the river: best staff, best gear, best meals. We’re always very excited to share the river’s beauty, challenges, and history with our amazing guests. The South Fork American River is 22-miles long and is ran as 3 different rafting excursions. On this river we offer a half day, a full day, or you can even break it down into a 2 day experience with camping and meals at our beautiful campground.
CHILI BAR SECTION
Chili Bar (Upper Section) is a half day, 8-mile, 2-hour section with Class II-III rapids. This section starts off with a bang, within minutes you are navigating classic Class III rapids like Meatgrinder, Maya, and 1st Threat, then you finish off this section with the largest rapid on the river: Trouble Maker. After the excitement of running Trouble Maker it’s a nice mellow float through Coloma’s Gold History park back to camp. Once in camp we spoil you with a hot BBQ lunch (cheese burgers, hot dogs, chips and salsa, the works.) Photos and souvenirs are available at our camp store, before and after your trip.
(Minimum age of 7 years old or 50lbs and over. Actual time spent on the river can differ due to fluctuating water flows).
Chili Bar Prices:
Monday-Friday $129.00 per person, Add $20.00 per person to upgrade to a Wild-Side Trip.
Saturday-Sunday $149.00 per person, Add $20.00 per person to upgrade to a Wild-Side Trip.
THE GORGE
Gorge (Lower Section) is a 14-mile, 3.5-hour section with Class II-III rapids. This is our most popular section, excellent for kids and families. This section begins at our beautiful campground, it’s a nice pleasant float, with some splashy Class II rapids to keep everyone laughing and cool until we arrive at our wilderness lunch spot. There you will have the pleasure of eating our gourmet deli lunch with options on different lunch meats, cheeses and breads. Not to mention the different types of veggies and toppings available for you to enjoy. After lunch we raft the canyon that names this section and that’s when we hit all the big Class III Rapids, Fowlers Rock, Satan’s Cesspool, Bouncing Rock, Hospital Bar, and many more. Photos and souvenirs are available at our camp store, before and after your trip.
(Minimum age of 7 years old or 50lbs and over, times can differ to the trip being longer or shorter due to changing water levels, lunch options are subject to change).
Gorge Prices:
Monday-Friday $159.00 per person, Add $20.00 per person to upgrade to a Wild-Side Trip.
Saturday-Sunday $169.00 per person, Add $20.00 per person to upgrade to a Wild-Side Trip.
FULL RIVER
Full River (Upper and Lower Section Combined) is an all day, 22-mile, 6-hour section with Class II-III rapids. This is the best of everything we do on the South Fork of the American River, combining both the Chili Bar and Gorge section into one full day on the river. This trip includes a hot BBQ lunch! Photos and souvenirs are available at our camp store, before and after your trip.
(Minimum age of 7 years old or 50 lbs and over, times can differ to the trip being longer or shorter due to changing water levels).
Full River Prices:
Monday-Friday $179.00 per person, Add $20.00 per person to upgrade to a Wild-Side Trip.
Saturday-Sunday $199.00 per person, Add $20.00 per person to upgrade to a Wild-Side Trip.
Wild Side Trips!
Wild Side (available as an upgrade to any South Fork trip) We save the Wild Side trip for the more adventurous spirits.
With this option we use smaller, 12ft, 4 passengers rafts. This smaller sized boat is more maneuverable which means you’ll have the option to run this amazing river like nobody else is! For your day with us we’ll give you one of our top-rated, gold medalist raft guides and your own private boat. He or she will customize this adventure any way you’d like. You want flips and spills; you got it! You want to hit the waves hard and get soaked; no problem. Our top tier, world champion guides have no shortage of trick they’d love to show you!
Family Whitewater Rafting Trips and Youth Groups in California
Action Whitewater Adventures & Whitewater Connection enjoys making the river experience available to youth groups of all types. YMCA, Boy scouts of America, and League Sports Organizations are provided additional savings as we firmly believe in supporting and mentoring youth recreation. These trips are generally low-cost and require the active participation of group leaders and/or organizers.
Prices vary and are based on the needs and resources of the participating group.
Many organizations find our river trips provide a superb atmosphere for group outings. We hope you will consider us for your upcoming summer activities.
Group Whitewater River Rafting Trips
Group discounts and value trips for group organizers are available on Action Whitewater Adventure / Whitewater Connection trips. See individual river descriptions for more details as each river is different due to varied restrictions and logistics.
Organizing a trip for your group or club is easy. Simply call our office and choose a river trip & date, we will provide you with organizational materials, promotional flyers and information to help you arrange your trip.