BSA Scouting Whitewater and Kayaking Merit Badge
This trip has a strong educational focus. The first day is a mini whitewater guide school and is a fully immersive experience. Our guides will take the Scout troop out onto the Gorge section of the South Fork of the American River and teach them some of the skills we use daily to enjoy the river environment safely. The scouts will have the opportunity to guide class I and class II rapids while under the supervision of their guide. All Class III rapids are navigated by the professional river guide. It is a lot of fun!
On the second day, we will bring the Scouts even closer to the whitewater experience. They will control their own crafts while running Class I and II rapids. The Scouts will float in one and two-person inflatable kayaks (we often call them duckies). Their instructors will float along in their own crafts and teach the Scouts how to use their crafts in a fun and safe manner. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate what they know, and is required in the Merit Badge curriculum.
After these two days, your scouts will have met the requirements for both the Kayaking Merit Badge and the Whitewater Merit Badge.
You can see those requirements here:
scouting.org/filestore/Merit_Badge_ReqandRes/Whitewater.pdf
scouting.org/filestore/Merit_Badge_ReqandRes/Kayaking.pdf
Practical skills and a beautiful place to learn them.
River Runners provides a supportive environment for your Scouts. Our guides will exemplify the traits necessary to be a successful outdoor leader! But it won’t all be education as Scouts will also have time to play in the river, jump off rocks if they want to, skip rocks, and just experience the simple joy of being on the river.
Because the focus of the trip is on whitewater education and outdoor leadership, we encourage you to let us take care of all the camping and meals for you. Our Camp is right on the South Fork of the American River. For more information about Camp Lotus, check out our FAQ!
Family members and friends as young as 6-years-old are welcome to book alongside your merit badge-seekers. Reservations for those in your group that are not seeking merit badges will follow our classic two-day itinerary.
Quick Facts
- Season: May - September
- River Miles/Distance: 16-21 miles
- Trip Duration: Two Days, Two Nights
- Check In: 4 PM the day before your trip at Camp Lotus
- Check Out: 3:30 PM day two at Camp Lotus
- Trip Cost: $375 per person
- Taxes and fees are included
- Guide gratuity is not included
Booking Notes
- Weekends from late June through early August are generally not available for this activity
- River Runners offers two options for this package:
- Bring your own tents, and cook your own food: from $240 per person
- Book the full service two day trip: $375 per person
- Family members and friends as young as 6-years-old are welcome to pay and join the trip. They will follow our standard rafting itinerary
- Please be sure to contact us to confirm the details of this activity before planning with your Scout troop