Our Premier 2-Day Whitewater Rafting Trip!
Relax, Unwind, and Unplug with River Runners South Fork 2-Day overnight rafting trip!
This whitewater rafting adventure combines the Chili Bar and Gorge rafting sections of the South Fork of the American River to give you a memorable and inspiring California whitewater rafting experience.
Two-day whitewater rafting trips with River Runners include two nights of camping at our private campsite within Camp Lotus, tent rentals, five meals prepared with love and fresh ingredients, and two days of rafting.
The South Fork 2-Day trip is our specialty. It's much more than riding the boat downstream.
We are excited to show you all of the special places on the river – the places where you can drift in the currents, the places where the turtles rest, the places you can jump off of rocks, the places where you can stick your face out the front of the raft like a giant human hood ornament.
This is where river time takes over, and all you have to worry about is whether you can fit in seconds at dinner and still have room for dessert.
South Fork 2-Day Trip Itinerary
You'll arrive the night before the first day of your 2-Day rafting trip and set up your camp. As prearranged, one tent per two people will be provided and set up for you before your arrival. Settle in and enjoy our riverside setting in comfort.
After the river lulls you to sleep, you'll wake up in the morning to a coffee call and your guides will be whipping up a storm in the kitchen to serve you a fresh, hot breakfast before your first day on the river.
Your first morning, you'll take some time to chill out and get river ready while the guides take care of cleaning up. Once they are done, the river will begin to call.
The first day of rafting begins with a fun class II stretch, giving you time to relax, play, swim, or experience adventurous antics depending on your tastes.
We then stop for lunch at our private site, where your guides will prepare a fresh deli-style lunch that will leave you satisfied and ready for the adventure ahead.
After lunch, you will have time to digest before hitting the class III rapids. The Gorge is an exciting and beautiful place where the river has carved through rock deep below the chaparral-covered hill sides, forming incredibly fun rapids.
If you are lucky on a quiet day, you may see a great blue heron, a bald eagle, a deer or three, and sometimes even a mink, beaver, or river otter.
After a long day on the river, a 20-minute bus ride will take you back to camp, and your tireless guides will prepare an epic dinner to follow up an epic day.
The next morning, your guides re-enact their breakfast performance, mixing it up for variety. Then you will hop in a van or bus to take you nine miles upstream of our camp to the launching point.
After you slide your boat into the water at Chili Bar on the second day of your South Fork Two-Day trip, it is not long before you drop down into the wilderness.
Steep canyon walls loom high above as you crash through the class II and III rapids that begin almost immediately. With great scenery, rapids, and fascinating gold rush history, this section has something for everyone.
The rapids mellow out in the Coloma valley before you reach Camp Lotus, where a delicious and well-deserved BBQ lunch is served.
Quick Facts
Difficulty: Class II-III
- Minimum Age: 6 years old
- Season: May - September
- River Miles/Distance: 21 miles
- Trip Duration: Two days, two nights
- For 1-day / 2-night trips, click here.
- Location: South Fork American River, Lotus, CA
- 5 meals included
- All taxes & fees included
- Guide gratuity is not included
- Trip Cost: $375 per person
Booking Notes
- Check In: 4 PM the day before your trip at Camp Lotus
- Check Out: 3:30 PM on your last day at Camp Lotus
- We love to accommodate large groups. Please contact us to discuss your needs.
- You can book online by paying the full amount or a deposit.
- Deposits are not refundable or eligible for trip credit, but you can transfer deposits to another member of your group who has not yet paid a deposit if you are unable to attend.
- Full payment is due 30 days before your trip date.
River Runners is a boutique whitewater rafting company. It's the sort of place where the person who set up your tent and welcomed you into camp may be the same person who cooks you breakfast and takes you down the river the next morning. It's personal, it's intimate, and it's local.
2-Day Trip Camping Accomodations
On our 2-Day trip, we approach the camping experience in the same way we approach our one-day river trips, with a dedication to personal service and a commitment to quality.
Our campsite is lush, green, and right next to the river. There are flush toilets and free hot showers. We have a lighted seating area where we serve your meals. Roomy tents are provided with your reservation. There is access to power to charge your phone in our dining room. For more questions about Camp Lotus, check out our FAQ Page.
Take off your shoes. Shed your worries. Have some cold drinks. Gaze at the stars. Go swimming. Go berry picking. Sit in the front of the raft and forget everything. Sit in the back of the raft and watch everyone else forget everything. Skip a rock. Skip a phone call, or five of them.
Are you ready to book this trip today?
View our calendar and check availability.