A Youth Guide School Run By California Whitewater Pros
Real Rapids, Real Skills, Unforgettable Fun
RIVER KIDS Youth Guide School is a day camp built for whitewater rafting education and fun. Our junior guide school combines river time, games, and hands-on instruction with expert guides for an unforgettable experience.
Youth guides are grouped in rafts by age and comfort level, so they’re with peers who feel similar on the water. Instructors are trained to meet each child where they are, helping beginners build confidence while giving more experienced kids new skills and challenges.
Kids spend full days on the river in a fun, supportive environment backed by 50+ years of River Runners’ family and kids’ trip experience.
Age Groups
Explorers (ages 6 - 9):
Students will spend their days exploring a gentle but still exciting class II section of the South Fork American River.
They are placed in rafts with an expert instructor who will introduce them to concepts such as how to swim in the river, directing a paddle crew, identifying river features, scouting rapids, managing fear and stress in whitewater, Environmental awareness and river etiquette, Leave No Trace principles, building confidence and decision-making on the river, and much more!
Voyagers (ages 10 - 16):
These kids are voyaging into the class III world. Participants spend their days on the class II-III Gorge and Chili Bar sections of the South Fork of the American River.
They practice skills like safety gear preparation, raft rigging, paddle strokes, directing a paddle crew, identifying and navigating whitewater features, rescue fundamentals, surfing standing waves, swimming in current, and much more!
Children are separated by River Runners into Voyagers or Explorers groups based on the age indicated at registration.
How RIVER KIDS works:
Choose your desired session dates and reserve as soon as possible! Sessions fill up fast.
The RIVER KIDS junior guide school provides full days of instruction. Formal instruction typically spans 7-8 hours each day. Specific itineraries can be seen here for 2-day sessions, and here for 3-day sessions.
Students are dropped off and picked up each day at the same place -- River Runners' private site in Camp Lotus.
Parents are welcome to stay and observe the introduction of students and guides during their first day, then parents are asked to depart in order for students to focus on their learning experience.
Students are always placed in a raft with a professional whitewater instructor, in a ratio of no more than 6 students to 1 instructor. Groups spend the majority of their time on the water, swimming, splashing, and paddling their way to whitewater confidence and competence.
Students are provided with lunch and ample snacks on each day of the session. Please notify River Runners of any necessary dietary or medical accommodations.
Quick Facts
- Location: South Fork American River
- Schedule:
- Two-day sessions:
- June 22-23, 2026
- Three-day sessions:
- June 28 - 30, 2026
- July 5 - 7, 2026
- July 12 - 14, 2026
- July 19 - 21, 2026
- July 26 - 28, 2026
- Two-day sessions:
- Minimum age: 6
- Max age: 16
- Cost:
- 2-day sessions: $275 per person
- 3-day sessions: $400 per person
What's included:
- On and off-river activities
- All safety gear
- Lunch and snacks each day of instruction
- Government taxes and fees
- Day use fees at Camp Lotus
- Children may attend without adult supervision
2-Day and 3-Day Sessions Available
River Kids will have opportunities to practice a wealth of skills with expert guides in both types of sessions.
3-day sessions offer the most river time.
Explorers will spend all three days on the gentle class II rapids winding through the Coloma Valley.
Voyagers will typically spend two days on the Class III Gorge section and one day on the Class III Chili Bar section.
3-day sessions offer participants the most time building and honing their river skills and confidence.
3-day sessions run from Sunday-Tuesday.
2-day sessions are an accelerated course.
Explorers will spend both days on the class II section in the Coloma Valley.
Voyagers will typically spend one day on the class III Gorge section and one day on the Class III Chili Bar section.
Students are introduced to the same skills and experiences as the three-day camp, but with a smaller time commitment.
2-day sessions typically run Mondays-Tuesdays
Our RIVER KIDS philosophy:
Our RIVER KIDS guide school is driven by our river philosophy. Our team is dedicated to fun, safety, education, and teamwork. It's a balance, and that's what we want to share with your children.Here are some important elements of our camps that you can expect us to offer and to teach to your children:
Fun
Whitewater rafting on the South Fork of the American River is incredibly fun, especially when your kids are rafting with us. The South Fork is an adventure machine, and RIVER KIDS squeezes every drop out of it.
Each session blends rapids with play - swimming, surfing, island-hopping, blackberry picking, rock-jumping - plus games and challenges that keep the junior guides smiling while they learn.
River Runners instructors are like whitewater lifeguards. Your kids get the chance to explore the river environment together, facilitated and encouraged by expert instructors.
Students learn independence, leadership, courage, and rafting skills by guiding rapids, playing games, swimming in the river, and exploring the diverse river environment.
Safety
Whitewater rafting is fun when everyone feels safe and well cared for by our team. At River Runners, we provide industrial-strength river gear, incredibly talented guides, and a lot of personalized care.
River Runners is committed to having a low student-to-instructor ratio, so we can coach each student personally.
Our guides are highly trained professionals who continue sharpening their skills through ongoing safety certifications, river education courses, and time on new rivers - so your child is learning from experts who take safety and skills seriously.
The result: kids can explore, grow, and challenge themselves with confidence, because they’re surrounded by the right equipment, the right people, and the right level of care.
Education
The river is our classroom. Through games, exploration, and hands-on instruction, kids learn how to thrive in moving water - rigging a raft, wearing gear correctly, reading current, leading a paddle crew, and building real self-rescue fundamentals.
They’ll also learn the practical stuff that makes a great teammate (yes, even making a deli sandwich). And because we love this river, we teach conservation and stewardship - so the river can thrive right alongside the people who enjoy it.
Along the way, kids grow life skills that can’t be faked: courage, accountability, humility, resilience, situational awareness, emotional regulation, and independence - we help them build through real challenges, chosen at their pace, with expert support.
Teamwork
Good chemistry is the key to any good river trip. River rafting is a team-building activity by nature. Every day, we assemble a team that has to work together to have fun and be safe.
At River Kids, we teach kids how to become strong team leaders and teammates in a real, unengineered environment - Listening well, calling commands clearly, taking responsibility for their role, and stepping into leadership when it’s their moment.
When a crew clicks, confidence rises, challenges feel doable, and the crew builds camaraderie - one paddle stroke at a time.
We have two options for those interested in adding on a camping experience!
- Upgrade your experience! Bring the whole family for a River Runners adventure that includes meals, camping, and rafting for parents and siblings while your junior guides participate in RIVER KIDS daytime activities. Learn more...
- Book a campsite, cabin, or RV site separately with Camp Lotus.
Are you ready to book this camp today?
View our calendar and check availability.