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American River Recreation
Category: Active Life Rafting/Kayaking Rafting/Kayaking [Edit]
6770 Marshall RdLotus, CA 95651
(530) 622-6802
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- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 am - 6 pm
Sat-Sun 7 am - 6 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
22 reviews for American River Recreation
22 reviews in English
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Review from Becca F.
Sacramento, CA
9/26/2011
My first whitewater rafting experience. My friends and I were glad we went with ARR! -- go pirates! :) -- and Anna was our guide on the day-long Middle Fork run. FYI - you can do a half-day run. It featured Class 3 rapids, which is moderately adventurous for a novice like me. Overall, the trip is relaxing ... but your core / back & abs will get a niiice workout from those periodic rapids.
First, it has a great location -- a 1 hr drive from downtown Sacramento that is fabulous for same day rafting, or a super-convenient night of camping. Site is clean and sociable. We have a neighbor (a guide from Rock N Water) join our s'möre-gåsbord :) campfire. We also met a few international ARR guides -- very cool to have a multicultural experience! -- who spoke fluent English. (what heavy accent?)
Raft seat 8 people: Our co-ed party of 7 picked-up someone who was travelling stag, plus our guide. On land, our guide strongly advised us to wear the helmets. Life jackets are mandatory. She also showed us how to safely grip our paddles, to minimize any knocked-out teeth. She also instructed us on how to hang onto the ropes and to pull somebody into the raft! It seriously takes your whole body -- like judo! The guide also led drills (on land and initially in the water) to evaluate our teamwork and coordination.
Anna re-evaluated weight and collaboration throughout the day, when our group wanted to rearrange ourselves. On a few occasions, she asked us to wait after a particular rapid before doing so. In addition she encouraged us to jump out and enjoy the water and currents.
My only complaint is the expensive photo services, but I can't really complain b/c we didn't have a waterproof digital camera or tripods in strategic places! :l
The river was crowded on the day we rafted. We did not appreciate other rafters who tried to instigate water fights. While we did have two dudes -- no betties -- fall out of the raft :) I'm glad ARR didn't have any upside-down rafts entering the rapids like one of the other companies.
BONUS: relatively clean bathrooms with running water :) and warm water in the sinks -
Review from Christy M.
Sacramento, CA
9/19/2011
This really depends on your guide and the kind of day s/he is having! We did a 1 day Middle Fork run. Now I will disclose this information: I'd never been white water rafting before, and yet I ended up doing the most intense fork of the river on the first weekend they had opened it (the water was too high/fast/cold from the crazy late snow this year, so they had only opened the river days before we went). Obviously, this was pretty intense for a first-timer. However, we had a large group (split over 2 boats) and there were a couple of newbies in the other boat as well. And yes, the guide knew I was a first-timer. He did not tell us where to sit, or make any attempt to re-arrange the boat, as the other guide did with our friends' raft. We all stayed in the same places throughout the day. He gave no suggestions on how to sync up correctly, or how to distribute weight, or any of that. Our first big rapid was Tunnel Chute. We hit it at the wrong angle, went slamming into a rock head first, and 4 of 7 people on the raft were thrown out, including me. I ended up dislocating my shoulder, losing my shoes, and had to scramble up wet rocks in the middle of a rapid (barefoot and with only one working arm) to keep from getting repeatedly slammed into them. Then another raft threw me the life bag and I had to jump BACK into the freezing water and get thrown around again when I couldn't find the rope in the rapid. Luckily, my life jacket had been secured VERY tightly before we left and I was able to float through the rapid and get rescued by a different company's raft. Obviously, that being my first rapid experience, I was pretty shaken. I thought it was just the way things work sometimes! Then I started talking to the other boats, who said that their guides had been testing out different seating and paddling arrangements for weight distribution, and really coordinating the whole thing....and they all got through every rapid perfectly. THEN we went online to get our photos (which really are epic, I must admit, the pain in the shoulder was worth the hilarious and crazy pics), and we found out that the next day, that guide's boat AGAIN was the only one to smash into the SAME ROCK. Gee, thanks.
Also, that day, there was only 1 guide who was a native English speaker. At first I thought that was awesome. We got to meet guys from Brazil, Central America, Africa, etc. But when you're on the water and they are barking out instructions in a heavy accent, it's really hard to understand them! It was also very difficult to understand the safety briefing before we got in the rafts. I might use this company again, but I had a much better experience with Mariah, because out guide there was so awesome! -
Review from Jon-Ana Z.
Monrovia, CA
8/16/2011
TOP NOTCH CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! Well worth every penny! =D
From Regina who took our reservation to the guides (Danny & Karsten) who really made our trip such an adventure... the guides prepared our breakfast, lunch & dinner for 2 day trips... even the other guides and bus drivers were very friendly and helpful!
Will give you the low down and update this review as soon as we get the chance...
WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM and WILL MOS DEF COME BACK!
**Thanks ARR for an awesome adventure! Our hats off to the excellent service that your staff provided! -
Review from B M.
San Rafael, CA
7/24/2011
CRAZY AWESOME!
Wanted to have an outdoor Bachelor get away with a few of my friends and went with ARR after checking out some of the competitors. We could not have made a better choice!
The reservation/phone operators were top notch. Always had the answers I needed and were very polite and helpful.
But the icing on the cake were the guides. Every guide from ARR we met looked experienced and were very friendly, some of the other companies we saw looked like a group of local high school kids, who did this in their free time. You could tell ARR Guides love and live for river rafting.
Our guide Carsten had a tough challenge with my group of six, 200 plus pound dudes who have never rafted a day in our lives. Carsten was able to teach us the ways of the raft and the river quickly and made us feel comfortable with whatever rapids were ahead. A few miles into the trip Carsten was not just our guide, but part of the group and shared tons of adventure stories with us about his past runs in various parts of the US.
The guides alone justify a 5 Star rating.
I will be using ARR again in a few weeks for the Merced River in Yosemite. -
Review from Helen B.
San Mateo, CA
7/20/2011
AWESOME trip!! These guys are so safe and knowlegeable. I have been rafting for six years now and have experienced a lot of the American River. The jouney this past weekend was on the middle fork. Our guide was Danny - awesome adventure, very safe, knowledgeable and absolutely hilarious :D Love this company and will definitely book the exact same for our next adventure!!!
WooHoo! As good as it gets! For Sure :) -
Review from Karen L.
Santa Clarita, CA
6/30/2011
Not sure why there aren't more reviews and raves for this company.
From the phone operator to the guides, to the people pointing us back to the parking lot, everyone were wonderful, engaging and helpful.
They have the "Family Float" for those with younger children. It was very safe and fun. Then the 10 y.o. and the hubby finish the day with level III Gorge Run. They had an blast!
I think their prices were the most reasonable with what they provided. The service is what won us over.
Will definitely go with them again and again. -
Review from Kristine D.
Mountain View, CA
6/13/2010
This was a great experience for all in our family! American River Recreation was able to accommodate even the smallest most nervous member our family with a package that included what they call a "Family Float." Rafters were bused to another location a few minutes away where we put in the water and enjoyed mild rapids for about 90 minutes to two hours before getting out for lunch.
The family float time allowed our 5-year-old to enjoy a little of the wet action but not more than his nervous tendencies could handle or that his young age would allow. Our lunch place happened to be back where our car was parked which made it easy for the little guy and me to not rejoin the rafting excursion after wards. While my husband and our 8-year-old daughter had a fantastic time navigating the rougher rapids in the Gorge Run, our son and I visited an old gold mining town down the road, something American River Recreation suggested we do. A very, very accommodating bunch indeed! Later in the afternoon, we met back up at our lunch place to retrieve the other half of our little foursome who were bused back to us.
Staffed by a fun group of guys, the only suggestion I would like to make to them is to allow rafters a little opportunity to just enjoy the nature around them. Our raft guide was an endless font of corny jokes and testosterone filled rafting adventures which means he would not stop talking!! At first I thought he was simply trying to make conversation so I started responding accordingly ----- when the guy ignored me I realized he simply liked hearing himself talk (and I did mention that he talked ENDLESSLY!) At one point I found myself wishing for a big rapid to drown him out. He was nice, he was knowledgeable but, I just wanted him to talk a little less. OK, a lot less!
Other things we appreciated:
- the kids were outfitted with water proof suits and helmets
- the safety talk made sense for all ages
- lunch was tasty and my kids were more than happy to help with the "no one leaves until all of the cookies are gone" rule.
Make sure you wear plenty of sunscreen, closed toe shoes and bring a sun hat!
Fun! Fun! Fun! -
Review from Ben S.
Sunnyvale, CA
9/25/2010
First time rafting. Absolute fun!
Went with my department at work. We did the South Fork as none of us had any experience. Our guide was amazing and I will definitely be requesting him when I hit the river next year (no homo). He had us working as a team so it took very little effort hitting the Class II and III's. I'm not in the best of shape and my muscles never tightened or even breathed hard. I believe we hit almost all the flat faced rocks and got used to using each other as airbags. (That was actually intentional! Helped with our team work and listening to instructions.)
If there was ANYTHING bad I can say about the trip was that the water was kind low, the rapids were not as big as I hoped they would be, and I wanted more of a challenge. But that was more our fault for scheduling a trip at the end of the season. Since this was my first time, I'll consider it a test drive.
Next year: Middle Fork. Working our way up to the real big stuff.
And I'm torn with telling you who our guide was. On one hand, he deserves the tips. (Tip your guides well please!). On the other hand, I'd like to make sure he isn't booked when we take our next trip. If you want to know, just message me and I'll tell you who to request. -
Review from Zake S.
Burlingame, CA
7/10/2010
Had a great time on the Middle Fork of the American River the end of June 2010. Our group was thinking about going again, with the same guide, on the Merced.
This might be a good thing as it means they're a little old school and out-doorsey, but don't try to do too much online, or to do anything by email. Just use the phone. They're all about the phone.
Perhaps a bit pricey? Maybe not though, due to the safety. Professional, experienced, fun. Know some of the history of the places, know the river. They kick all the various logistics nicely - buses, vans, gear, spacing with other tour groups, photos, lunch, dry-bag, portage, etc..
It would be nice to see more wildlife, but it's absence is not the fault of the guides; more our noise, it being mid-day, etc..
The only real downside was getting up hella early to get there. Also the meeting spot was not marked at all, the directions said it was a Caltrain park and ride lot, but it was not even marked as such. No biggie though. -
Review from Albert W.
5/30/2009 1 photo
I went last week on middle fork american river. I found out that AR Rafting was one of the first rafting companies for american river (30+ years) and that it's still family owned. Being on the first entry on google for "american river rafting", I gave them a call and they told me that there was a spot available and that there was a web special (saved $10). I told her that I was sold. After going on the trip, I found our guide was very professional and overall great guide. Highly recommended.
Famous for: American River rafting. -
Review from Marie W.
Los Angeles, CA
9/4/2009
Absolutely wonderful experience! Went on my neighbor's recommendation of the company and was very impressed with the professional manner and knowledge of these people.
We went on the Gorge Run in the South Fork of the American River. Our guide was extraordinarily experienced and knowledgeable. So nice and helpful in pointing out cool things along the river. Felt really safe yet also had such fun.
The lunch they serve is really good for a rafting trip. Sandwich bar with all kinds of options, chips, pasta salad and fresh made guac that they do right in front of you. Also fresh fruit that it just cut up right in front of you and freshly baked cookies. Wayyyy better than expected.
I was overall very impressed. Very happy with this company and will 100 percent be booking with them again! -
Review from Kristina W.
San Jose, CA
8/23/2009
I went rafting with ARR this past weekend and had a great time. Upon arrival, we were almost immediately checked-in and put on a bus to the starting point. Our guide was knowledgable and lots of fun. The South Fork of the river provides a good variety of rapids. The provided lunch was good and overall, I was impressed with the organization and the professionalism of the company.
This is a great activity for families, groups, and something to do when you have out of town visitors. The terrain is beautiful!! -
Review from Linnie K.
Fremont, CA
6/23/2009
ARR helping me plan my first rafting group trip and making it such a blast! My friends and I could not believe how much fun we had at the Middle Fork American River.
Our guides were amazing and professional...totally AWESOME! -
Review from Lana C.
INCLINE VLG, NV
8/17/2011
Excellent excellent excellent.... There are not enough stars on this review to give this company and guides credit for what they deserve... This was a trip of a lifetime... Middle Fork of the American River... I can't wait to go back... Again and again... These guides are the best... The drivers excellent.... And the booking staff amazing... This company is the only way to go...
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Review from Drew B.
Folsom, CA
8/20/2010
Our group of six booked the middle fork of the American River. After seeing the you-tube videos, we thought it was going to be rough ride. Our guide, Kobya, (not sure about spelling) was awesome. He knew how to manage the rapids and keep everyone in the boat. Even on the famed Tunnel Chute he made it look like a walk in the park. On the flat parts he told us about himself and his experiences in life. You could tell he is just a good guy. Both guides impressed us as they rode the boats through Ruck-a-Chucky falls while other companies had their guides ghost them down and then jump into them. All in all the company was easy to deal with, the guides were great and we had a blast. we are looking forward to the North Fork next spring.
Comment from Don H. of American River Recreation 8/24/2010
His name is Kabaya, he's from Zambia. Geat guide and good… More » -
Review from Irene C.
San Mateo, CA
9/21/2009
i've been rafting a couple times before like 10 years ago with whitewater excitement, but this time we tried ARR, came out very happy.
half day gorge, starts at 12:30pm, come back to where you started around 4:30pm. no breaks, just a straight shot, sodas/water provided at the end. This company runs like a well oiled machine. they send you a PDF upon reservation which has pretty much everything you need to know/bring on the trip. Employees are friendly, knowledgeable, and most seem to be like locals who practically grew up around these parts rafting (well, our guide was). Felt well informed and safe the whole time, guides are good at gauging the group that they're hosting, and meeting needs/expectations. I was told that the guides hired by this company usually have at least 3 yrs experience working in this industry, so you can trust that the guide knows what they're doing.
if you want to have fun on your trip, i highly recommend Zack, Zach? our guide, will definitely be returning next year, this time for class 4!!!!! -
Review from Wala kang P.
San Jose, CA
8/3/2010
Maybe my review is biased because I went with amazing people and that is why I had so much fun. Maybe rafting here was awesome and totally worth it AND that is why I'm writing this review. I can't swim and I thought I was gonna be holding on for dear life but the river is pretty calm and I didn't drink that much so I felt pretty safe. Water is pretty shallow and only some parts call for shutting your eyes and grabbing hold of the closest thing near you. I'm joking. But this river is awesome. We had the 12 seater floating thing. I am definitely going again some time soon.
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Review from Tiffany M.
San Francisco, CA
9/11/2007
The last time I ventured to the American River was when my family and I went kayaking through the South Fork's rapids known as "Satan's Cespool" and "Hospital Bar". It was quite the memorable trip that I suppose one would call "adventurous", but I think it more so bordered psychotic/suicidal seeing as how I had felt like my life was flashing before my eyes on many-a-occassion throughout the trip.
Fast forward 4 years to me, braving my old friend, The American River. This time I decided to go for a more low-key route and gave river rafting a go since my bf's b-day was approaching & he had always expressed an interest in trying it out.
SO, the search began for the perfect river rafting co. and little did I know that there wasn't much out there for me to reference (i yelped, i googled, i cried). However, the one rafting co. that I did hear of on 2 occasions was ARR, so I decided to check out their website & see what they had to offer. Their website was a little crazy w/ at least 1 million and 1 links and no clear direction as to where I should get started, but I somehow ended up choosing the Chili Bar Express. I called ARR up and spoke with Regina who was very kind & helpful, offering me $10 off and acting flexible to my scheduling needs. Since I had to call back at a later time, her husband(?) Don, assisted me and acted just as accommodating, recommending the 1/2 day trip instead of the Chili Bar which worked out much better for us (it was at a later time which was perfect after a night of drunken debauchery!). At one point he was kind enough to make an exception to the cancellation policy for the 3 additional ppl we originally had going w/ us, and refunded their money since they found out they couldn't go at the last minute. (Sidenote: if you're going to go in a large group, make sure that you collect the funds far in advance since it's required that you pre-pay before finalizing your reservations.) He definitely didn't have to do this, and I totally appreciate how far he went to satisfy this lil' ol' customer.
Once the reservation was set, we had our b-day fun in SF and then headed up to Lotus for a good 2 hour drive and were strapped up in life vests & were ready to go by 12:33 pm. We received a short safety lesson and were then broken off into 1 of 7 rafts that carried about 7 ppl/raft. We had a wonderful guide named Jim who set us up in the front & gave us all clear instructions on how to manuevar the raft & how to avoid flying overboard. He was also really good at keeping tabs on our safety (he noticed I was tightening my life vest and asked if it needed more attention and had also pulled 2 rafters out of the water at the same time! Falling out happens all the time.) and was very personable & friendly- catering to my bf and mine's needs since we were matched up w/ a raft of young kids. I was a little skeptical about how entertaining rafting would be for 3 1/2 hours straight, but our whole raft had an absolute blast getting in water fights, learning about different landmarks along the way (a lone lollipop tree, gold mining machines, rock formations), watching rafters fly overboard & lose their shoes on the infamous Satan's Cesspool rapid, and did i mention the water fights???
At the conclusion of the trip, we all grabbed a few cold drinks & snack bars that ARR provided, and piled into their big, white school bus for a 25 minute trip back to our original meeting spot.
All in all, I couldn't be more satisfied w/ the way things turned out. Judging by my bf's constant smiles/laughter, he had a great time and I couldn't have had a better time myself! I will definitely keep ARR in mind for any future rafting trips, and will up my rating a star if the quality of my next experience is just as consistent.
Boo ya Satan's Cesspool!Listed in: Work It Out
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Review from Theresa L.
Union City, CA
8/16/2009
Went on a rafting trip with this company last week and had a great time!! I was super nervous at first since it was my first time rafting and i'm not much of a swimmer, but our guide did everything he could to ease our minds. The middle fork was a great run, especially for first-timers. There was a good variety of rapids and lots of calm water areas. Definitely going back to check out the north fork during springtime. More rapids, less ponds!
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Review from Steven L.
Sacramento, CA
6/2/2010
Great experience. Don't waste time emailing these folks though. Just pick up the phone and call them for all the information. They will work with you to set up groups too. Excellent guides, equipment and fun. We got lucky and had good water from spring run off. It was cold but ARR provides 1/2 wetsuits to get you through. This was my first time doing a rafting trip. I will go back and try another river with ARR. Thanks to our guide Chris too. Good time had by all.
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Review from Eren B.
Santa Clara, CA
7/20/2009
very cool guides, makes it 3x more fun. camping ground was just next to the river (maybe we were lucky about that) and it was awesome. We went with a group of 12 and did not experience any organizational problems.
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Review from Brandon M.
Sacramento, CA
7/16/2009
From calling to find information and booking a trip, to arriving and having a friendly staff check my group in, to having a blast paddling through rapids with a fun and professional guide - this was one of the best vacations I could have ever taken in my life and it was only for a day! Thank you Don and Regina for making this possible, your company is amazing. To anyone living in or around Sacramento and Northern California: we have a wonderful recreational resource less than an hour away. Please treat yourself to a day in the sun, surrounded by the majestic beauty of the California foothills and realize how truly lucky we are to live here. American River Recreation, thank you for providing such an easily accesible, cost-effective get-away. Lord knows, I needed it!
