The South Fork of the American river runs from the High Sierra's near Lake Tahoe to Folsom Reservoir in the Sacramento area.  The water flows are controlled by a series of nine dams.  The dams store the water which insures that we have enough water to raft for the summer.

The two-day section of the river we raft is a 21 mile stretch with over 50 fun and exciting rapids!   It’s a Class III run which is ideal for first-time and intermediate rafters. 

One-day trips are also a Class III run on a 10 mile stretch of the river which starts at our campground.  Yes, our campground is right on the bank of the river.

By the way -- Many of the rapids you’ll ride on have been in movies and TV shows.  In fact, “Indiana Jones” himself rafted through some of those same rapids!

River Rating System

Class I:  Slow moving water with small waves.  No obstacles. 

Class II:  Moderate rapids with few obstacles.  This is good for families with small children.

Class III:  Numerous waves with obstacles, eddies and narrow passages requiring expertise in maneuvering.  This is the most popular class of river. Good for beginners.

Class IV:  Long difficult rapids with powerful waves and numerous obstacles.  Requires experienced athletic rafters with strong paddling skills.

Class V:  Difficult long and violent rapids with big drops and few calm areas.  This is extremely high risk rafting- Professional only.

Class VI:  Commercially unrunnable.  Don't even think about it.

MILE BY MILE DESCRIPTION OF SIGNIFICANT RAPIDS

 We raft the river in two sections; upper and lower sections.  For two day trips we embark from camp on the lower section.  The second day we raft the upper section.

 LOWER SECTION  11.5 Miles

Mile 9.0- Camp Lotus-  River Runners’ campsite.

 Mile 9.1- Barking Dog Rapid (Class II)   The river curves to the right, down into a hole, turns left past a rock-hole on the right.  Rapid named because the neighbor had a dog that barked at the rafts as they went by.  Later the neighbor bought geese that honked at us.

 Mile 10.6- Current Divider:  This class II+ rapid has an island that divides the rapid.  The water is not deep but the rapid is tricky with lots of boulders.

 Mile 11.1- Highway Rapid. This Class II+ rapid is near Highway 49.  It’s a mess of rocks with a small island in the middle.   The best way through is to raft to the left of the island, weave around the rocks and then exit to the right. 

Mile 11.4-  Swimmer’s Rapid (Class II)  You can swim this rapid.  There are no rocks, just a few small standing waves to crash through.  There’s a calm area after the rapid to get back into the raft.  Fun swim that builds confidence.

 Mile 11.9- Cable Car Rapid- There was a cable car that the gold miners used to cross the river at this spot.

 Mile 13.3- Lunch Site

 Mile 15.8- Fowler’s Rock (Class III)  This is the entrance to the Gorge.  The canyon walls narrow causing the river to run fast. (Like a funnel)  The river bends to the left around a gravel bar.  There is a very large rock on the right.  Fowler’s rock is right in the middle of the river.  Rafts steer to the right of this rock.  The rapid is named after Jeff Fowler whose raft wrapped around the rock in the 1970’s and was stuck there for a few days.  Jeff walked home.

 Mile 15.1- Upper Haystack Canyon (Class II+)  This rapid has big standing waves called “Haystacks”.  Fun ride with no obstacles.

 Mile 16.7- Lost Hat  (Class III)  This is the rapid that leads to the famous Satan’s Cesspool.  This rapid has big standing waves.

 Mile 16.9- Satan’s Cesspool- This Class III+ rapid has an “S” shaped turn with a sharp drop followed by a left and then a right turn into a bigger drop.  Short rapid but big drop and very noisy.  This is where the professional photographers take your picture.

Mile 16.95- Son of Satin (Class III)  Big fast rapid with a large rock wall on the right.  

Mile 17.4- Scissors (Class III)  The river makes a left turn down a chute along some big waves.

 Mile 17.6- Lower Haystack Canyon (Class II+)   Straight run of big standing waves and short drops.  The gorge is very narrow at this point so the flow of the river is fast. 

Mile 18.2- Bouncing Rock (Class III)   The river bends to the left with a big rock on the right.  The current carries all rafts toward the rock where you “bounce’ off the rock into the hole below. 

Mile 18.4- Pre-Op (Class III)  Large standing waves with lots of rocks and holes near the river bank. 

Mile 18.6- Hospital Bar  (Class III)  Named for a medical tent set up there in the Gold Rush, this rapid starts with lots of rocks along the route followed by a large submerged rock that the raft drops over into a large hole. Photographers take your photos here too.

Mile 18.8- Recovery Room (Class III)  This is a clean run with a couple of nice standing waves.   

Mile 19.3- Surprise!  (Class II-III)  Just when you thought the trip was over your raft turns left and SURPRISE! there’s another rapid.  There is a submerged rock with a big double wave standing in the middle of the river.  

Mile 20.5- Salmon Falls Bridge- This is where we take out the rafts.  Downstream of the bridge is Folsom Reservoir.  

UPPER SECTION  9 Miles 

Mile 0- Chili Bar- Put-in is at the Chili Bar Bridge.  Chili Bar got its name because Chilean immigrants mined for gold in this area.   A smallpox epidemic wiped them out in 1886. 

Mile .6- Meatgrinder (Class III+)  This is a long run with lots of rocks, boulders, rapids, waves; appropriately named!  Towards the end of this quarter-mile long rapid is where the current takes you to Rhino Horn.  Just when you think it’s over there is a big drop and more big waves.  At the end of the rapid is Can Opener Rock. 

Mile 1.3- Racehorse Bend (Class II+)  The river curves to the left and the current forces rafts to the right where there is a drop and lots of rocks. 

Mile 1.5- Maya (Class II+) A small hole/drop on the right.  No big deal in lower water flows.  In big flows- big drop. 

Mile 1.7- Rock Garden (Class II)   The river is very shallow here with lots and lots of rocks.  Rafts weave their way between the rocks. 

Mile 2.4- African Queen (Class II+)   Fun rapid with lots of small islands in the middle of the river.  Very scenic with lots of vegetation. 

Mile 3- Triple Threat (Class II-III)   This rapid has three drops:  

First Threat (Class III)  Lots of  boulders with a nice drop at the end.

Second Threat (Class II+) A nice small sudden drop.  Fun rapid to swim.

Third Threat (Class II+)  Large drops on the right and left.

Mile 4.0- 360 Canyon (Class II+)  This rapid is in a narrow gorge with lots of waves and rapids.  This is where rafts can spin “360’s”.  Everybody gets quite wet.

Mile 4.2- Swimmer’s Rapid (Class II)  Nice waves with no obstructions or rocks. 

Mile 5.1- Troublemaker (Class IV)  This is the best rapid on the river.  The rapid starts with lots of boulders and is a small obstacle course.  The river narrows to the left where all the water is channeled into a tight “S” shaped turn with a large hole in the middle.  At the end of the last turn there is a large boulder directly in the middle of the small channel named “Gunsight”.  It’s a big noisy rapid.  If you fall out, it’s not a bad swim- maybe 15 seconds.  This rapid is where Indiana Jones rafted in “The Temple of Doom”.  Photographers take your picture here. 

Mile 5.6- Coloma Bridge- No rapid; but note that because of floods this bridge was knocked down in the 1850’s, 1860’s and 1880’s.  The current bridge was built in 1917.  Beyond the bridge is Coloma Lake.   

Mile 5.7 Sutter’s Mill- This is where gold was discovered in 1848.  This mill is a reproduction of the original mill. 

Mile 7.2- Old Scary  (Class II)   This was the most difficult rapid on the river until the flood of 1982 rearranged the rocks.  The river bends to the left with a large boulder on the right.   

Mile 8.5- Lotus Ledge- Small ledge in the river center, small drop. 

Mile 9.0- Camp Lotus- This is our campground.