Whitewater rafting trips and inflatable kayak trips for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Venture Scouts
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”
Hey all you adventurous Scouts! Come enjoy the great outdoors with us. Get away from your smart phone and out into nature. Come get some Facetime with the river. Let us introduce you to our friends list: beaver, otter, eagle, goose, merganser, willow, and alder. Let the birds give you something to tweet about.
We know Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are looking for more than just the average whitewater adventure. You want to participate, and we can get you involved. You seek an opportunity to learn leadership. You seek education in the wilderness. You seek practical skills and a beautiful place to learn them. We have that venue for you.
Scouts BSA Whitewater Merit badge and Kayaking Merit Badge
Two Day/Two Night Adventure
If you want to earn the Scouts BSA Whitewater Merit Badge and/or the Kayaking Merit Badge, you will need to sign up for a 2-day river trip. This program is also well-suited for Girl Scouts and Venture Scouts.
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 your Scout troop out onto the Gorge section of South Fork of the American River and teach them some of the skills we use daily to safely enjoy the river environment. 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 guide. It is a lot of fun!
On the second day, we bring you even closer to the whitewater experience. You will control your own crafts as you run Class I and II rapids. Scouts will float in one and two-person inflatable kayaks (we often call them duckies). Your guides will float with you in their own crafts and will instruct you on how to use your craft. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate what you know.
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
River Runners provides a supportive environment for your Scouts and 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. We provide tents, meals, firewood, and smores. We serve plentiful and healthy meals with beverages and dessert too and don't worry we know when to say "no more sweets!". You can see our menu here. Our Camp is right on the South Fork of the American River. It is green and grassy and has flush toilets and showers.
You also have the option to take care of your own camping and meals by booking a site directly through Camp Lotus. This is is a great option if your troop is on a budget and doesn’t mind the extra work.
Please call (530) 622 5110 or email info@riverrunnersusa.com.
OR
Whitewater Rafting BSA
One Day Adventure (Camping packages are also available)
If you are just looking to get out with your troop and have a great time but also learn a little about whitewater rafting then this is the trip for you. Participants will be eligible for the Whitewater Rafting BSA emblem by meeting the requirements found here.
It’s challenge by choice out there. We will give your scouts the opportunity to swim rapids, jump off of rocks, and skip stones. At some point we will eat a fresh and healthy lunch. With any luck, we will see some wildlife and if the season is right, there are loads of blackberries and wild grapes to eat. Your guide will know a fair bit about the local flora and fauna, and maybe even the wealth of history on the river corridor. It’s a really fun day out on the river with a little bit of education for good measure!
You can choose either the Chili Bar or Gorge trip for your adventure with the Gorge being the longer day. Group discounts do apply, please contact us for more information, call (530) 622 5110 or email info@riverrunnersusa.com.