North Fork Rafting

North fork rafting is a very popular section of the American River in California.

This 9.5 whitewater stretch goes from the Iowa Hill Bridge to Ponderosa and gives the rafter numerous options for thrilling class IV - V rapids and some of the most popular among the river rats are Chamberlain Falls, Staircase Rapids, and Bogus Thunder.

You can usually run this river in about a day and it is important to remember that north fork rafting takes a solid understanding of rafting.

Not just the skills it takes to float down a river.

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Boaters on the North Fork need to be able to read the rapids and make good decisions. if you are not a vererialn river rat be sure you book the trip with someone that is and ask how experienced their guides are.

The channel characteristics have been know to change quickly depending of the flow levels. A desirable flow level for the river is about 1,500 - 3,000 cfs. When the flows are to large it reduces preparatory time in between rapids and if they are too low it presents several dangerous mishaps such as sieves of boulders and strainers that have killed folks in the past. If your as scared as a long tailed cat around rocking chairs by now about North Fork rafting check with your guide and outfitter before you go.

Thousands of people run this river every year not every weekend so many are a bit unexperienced but make sure the guide steering the raft is and be very cautious of allowing children to run the rapids. Typically if it is too dangerous then the outfitter will not run the river. There is great camping on the north fork but it is restricted only to specific areas.

Be sure and get a camping permit before you go and make extra certain that you are not on private property before setting up camp. A typical price you can expect to pay is around $100 - $250 per day and the river runs about 9 - 14 miles. The season for north fork rafting in California is between April to June with river sections ranging from Chamberlain Falls and Giant Gap. Good nearby towns to visit after or before your trip include Auburn, Placerville, Foresthill, and Iowa Hill. Expect it to take you about 1.5 to 3 hours to drive here from Sacramento California. Be sure and plan your trip wisely and you’ll have a great time north fork rafting.

Looking for Rafting On American River

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