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River & Rock Adventures
Category: Active Life Rafting/Kayaking Rafting/Kayaking [Edit]
6400 Hwy 49Lotus, CA 95651
(866) 748-7625
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 am - 5 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
17 reviews for River & Rock Adventures
17 reviews in English
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Review from Angelo T.
Alameda, CA
7/31/2011
River & Rock Adventures, thanks for a great time on the river! Colby, you are a beast and I couldn't have asked for a better guide to take us down our first level IV rafting trip. My friends and I all had a blast and I'm sure we all agree that our raft was the most adventurous of the three that we rafted with that day. I never felt like we were in any (serious) danger thanks to your experience and knowledge of the river and lunch was delicious.
I will definitely look to your company next time I'm looking for another level IV adventure down the middle fork river. -
Review from Sandra W.
Oakland, CA
7/21/2011
This year my friends and I wanted to try something more thrilling and decided to do a class III/IV middle fork rafting. Of course the groupon deal helped make that decision as well. I scheduled it in mid july thinking it would be warm enough, but little did i know mother nature was being emo and wouldn't let the sun come out until the afternoon. And this was no ordinary day either, the middle fork river just opened up because the water levels were too high the weeks before. The river is also ICE cold. However, no matter how paralyzing cold the water was, this experience was breathtakingly awesome. The rushing river, scenic views, and being one with nature made you feel like you were literally on the edge of GLORY! lol
Our river & rock guide, Cody, was also being awesome. Very entertaining and spirited the whole way, making sure we got our education on the river, dos and donts, and thrillcitement! Him and his team from another rafting company made the whole trip active and safe. This really was a workout: i mean we were paddling like no other, and during a rest break, we hiked! The hike was very short and well worth it because of a pot of gold at the end. JK, its another type of treasure only rafters can find! Our lunch was also very healthy! All in all, I'm not sure if I could top this rafting experience without endangering my own life on another rafting trip. Much gratitude to river & rock guide cody, groupon, and ultimately mother nature. -
Review from Jay S.
San Francisco, CA
6/17/2010
Went rafting with this company last summer and it was AWESOME! Our tour guide (I think his name was Tom?!) was very fun and professional at the same time. Everytime we hit a rock or went through a huge rapid, I thought we would DIE but Tom made sure that regardless of how crazy it got, everything turned out well. We were safe! Hahah.
The rates were competitive and the service was superior. It seems like these folks really love what they're doing. There is a lot of rafting companies in this small town so finding them can be confusing but def. go with River and Rock Adventures.
Just be sure to bring some chapstick and obviously be willing to get wet. Thinking about this place a year later is just making me grin ear to ear. -
Review from Stephanie E.
Antioch, CA
6/5/2009 4 photos
Last summer (I'll update when I go again this summer) our group did the South Fork at American River. It's was Class III (beginner/intermediate) and it was a full day (8am-4pm).
I'm thrilled to say we were devirginized by the best guide ever and we had a fantastic time!!!
The safety demo is a little informal but certainly informative. In our case, we were asked to repeat and he gave us a mini quiz at the end to make sure we were awake and listening. It is short and quick so pay attention. I actually prefer it this way because I wanted to get on that river...just give me a few vital pieces of info and the rest I'll learn as I go. Yes, I'm a enough of the yappin', let's get crackin' type of girl.
You are sharing the river with several other companies as stated by the others but we were head of the line so for the most part we only saw two other rafts from our group and about three other rafts from another group. We saw a few more later in the trip once we broke for lunch (I'll get in to that in a moment) and when we had to chill and wait on the water. General safety rule is for everyone to stop and sit tight if anyone falls out of a raft. We did have a few casualties...happy to say none from our raft. While it can slow you down waiting , it's nice to know all the companies work together on this. I damn sure would want everyone around to assist if my crazy ass should take a fall.
As far as the lunch goes, don't expect a gourmet cooked meal. The guides have to pack and transport what you are being served on your raft. We parked our rafts midday and they set up station and proceeded to make our lunch. Fresh turkey avocado wraps, chips, fresh fruit, and oreos for dessert. They also made a damn good guacamole. Overall, I thought the food was pretty good and more than adequate. I would also like to add that our guide did provide bottle water throughout our entire trip. He even had snacks so we were well taken care of.
Now on to the river and rafting. South fork is pretty tame and I can see why it's perfect for beginners. It has two decent rapids and some mini rapids in between. When the waters were still, we were able to jump out of the raft to swim around and cool off. It was scorching out and the water was very cold.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and knew the river very well. He didn't miss a bump. We were impressed with him and he was equally impressed with us. He couldn't believe we were newbies and thought we could have easily started on Class IV doing the middle fork (keep that in mind if you are already pretty active and adventurous). Sensing we were way too comfortable for this class, he asked if we would like him to show us some tricks. Seriously, do you even have to ask.
I too believe the guides can make or beak your trip. Ours def delivered. Besides the two bigger rapids the other highlights were:
- parking our rafts to climb and jump off a large rock in to a mini rapid.
- Standing up on our raft leaning in on our oars while going down a mini rapid.
- Water fights with the other rafters.
- Chillaxin' with the r & r crew at their campsite later that night to watch the slide show of all our rafting pics (yes they have photographers shooting you on the river, yes I got sucked in, and yes we all laughed each others pics).
Thanks Kiwi and the rest of the River & Rock crew. I look forward to seeing you again this summer! -
Review from Sylwia S.
Walnut Creek, CA
9/28/2009
We were feeling adventurous and decided to try rafting.
I wasn't sure what we were getting ourselves into, but hey... I'm a thrill seaker, so I just went along with the ride. We did the Class III (beginner/intermediate) for 1/2 day, in the South Fork of the American River. Our instructor, Amy, super cool.... she can raft in her sleep, she's that good. She went over the safety demo with is, threw in a few jokes here and there and took us out into the water after we strapped ourselves into some floaties. Ha, kidding... We strapped on our life vests and helmets and we were off!
The whole experience within itself was awesome, a must try. As far as the River & Rock Adventures, they are dialed in, they know what they are doing, these people are professionals and they want you to have fun and also be safe at the same time. Which in my book it's a big plus. -
Review from She-Ra ..
San Francisco, CA
8/24/2008
Joyce and I had a different experience.
My group did the middle fork of the American River. I found the guides went out of their way to be accommodating, kept us in giggles with their jokes, handled the routes well, and prepared an excellent lunch. (Way to go with the avocados)! There were a lot of other companies on the river, but 90% of the time, the only boats I saw were those in our group. I felt safe and secure the entire time! -
Review from Jennie J.
San Francisco, CA
5/31/2009
I went rafting yesterday on the Middle Fork and had a great time. I had such a fun and seamless experience I am coming out of yelp review writing semi-retirement to write this review. Here are somethings that I observed and appreciated about the trip.
1. At the "put in" we geared up, and were offered the option of splash jackets. I have never been offered these before on any rafting trip - but at 9 am being drenched in cold river water I was SO happy that they offered these as an option. Those opted out where shivering like wet cats. Being offered that option made my experience so much more enjoyable, and we were able to take them off later when it was too warm.
2. Our guide (who had 8+ years of river guiding experience which I was pleased to hear) was super nice, and not as cheesy as other guides. I hate when your guide has a comedy schtick and sounds like they are reading from a script. She was totally personable and I felt like she was really going through the experience with us. Not to mention that she was really nice normal person and a total river rafting badass. After hearing other guides on the river screeching at their boats I was SO happy that I had Amy to listen to all day.
3. Amenities! We had one morning break for ganola bars and an optional hike, and then a larger lunch break. I was expecting something mediocre and probably soggy, but we had make your own sandwich wraps, with a variety of fresh vegetable fixings (including lots of avocado which is key for my veggie sandwiches), cheese and meats (if your into that sort of thing), chips and salsa, lemonade and cookies. Totally hit the spot. Lets just say the lifejacket was a little tighter on the second half of the day. Also at the very end we were met with a cooler full of ice cold sodas and waters which made the bus ride back to camp so much more enjoyable.
4. It kind ruins it for me when I sign up for some type of adventure activity and during the "safety briefing" they totally scare the bejesus out of you with everything that could go wrong. Not necessary - I am perfectly nervous all on my own thank you. I felt RRA clearly explained what to do if you fell out of the boat and what to expect when that happens (from a real persons perspective and not a crazy river guide who jumps off cliffs perspective), and what the procedures would be. They also explained all our gear, and what the purpose of it was. Perfect amount of information that it was all digestible and I remembered it all throughout the trip. It felt like they were more concerned about how much fun we were having, and that it was safe for us, instead of being concerned about their insurance premiums.
5. It was fun yet relaxing too. On other trips I feel like you just paddle and paddle and paddle till your arms are going to fall off in the slow parts. Amy rarely had us paddle for more then 30 seconds, she knew exactly where to hit the current and we able to use our short bursts as momentum to coast through. We got to see a lot of wildlife and cool rock formations and trees that I don't remember having time to notice on other trips. At the end of the day I felt like I got a good workout, but not like I had been run over by a truck. A definite plus when you have a 2.5 hour drive back to SF and have to go to work the next day.
6. They advertise on their website that they are a family owned business, and that was obvious in working with them, and that definitely made a difference for me. It seemed like all the moving parts were well thought out and had been done a hundred times. . . but it wasn't like we were just part of the machine. For example the van was there for us at the end with no waiting and somebody to load all the gear for us, the procedures and itinerary were well thought out and communicated, but they were totally laid back and easy going and didn't take themselves too seriously. They also paid attention to us - when they saw that I left my water at the "take out" (which I was lamenting in silence about ) - the guide produced another icy cold water without me even having to ask for one.
Overall I just had a pleasant experience. I feel like they were aware that we had spent some dough to go on this trip (even though I think their rates are competitive) and that they cared if we had a good experience, made it through safety and had some good memories to take with us. All the other people on the trip with us were direct referrals or return customers - which as a small business practitioner myself - I know speaks volumes about how the company operates, rather then advertising budget.
I will definitely be going again with this company - on the South Fork, although I think I would like to do the Middle Fork again as well. Its a great way to spend the day (or you can camp overnight in their site too) and escape from the SF summer fog! -
Review from Michelle S.
Sacramento, CA
5/27/2009
I went on the american river middle fork (class IV/V) raft a couple of weekends ago and it was so much fun! I appreciated that the guides were kind, funny, amusing, knowledgeable and weren't in a rush to finish the river by 4pm. Here's the story why...
Last year, I had a white water rafting trip with another company and I felt like we were pushed to finish as fast as possible. Trying to beat the crowds, but with River and Rock Adventures, it was more of a relaxing trip. They even took us on small little hikes to waterfalls!! That was exciting! We weren't rushed and went at our own pace.
This company is definitely more about the quality of the trip rather than just the trip itself. They are definitely a team that is all about customer service.
I will definitely go with them again on our next trip! -
Review from Brian Y.
Redwood City, CA
4/17/2011
I've been rafting with River & Rock Adventures since the first year they've been in business and I've been rafting with them on the American River every year since then. Zach (one of the owners) and his partners run a tight ship (pardon the pun). They are very punctual, all their gear is in good condition, and they take care of their customers. You'll also be pleasantly surprised by their lunch spread.
Whenever I want to go whitewater rafting, RRA is the only company that I go with. -
Review from Joyce L.
6/25/2008
The good;
- Rafting on a 100F+ day!
- Small shop, personalized service
- Good, well maintained equipment
- Friendly staff, but lack personality
- Well priced trips
The bad;
- Small shop, not sure if there's such a thing as 'system and procedures' (so who am I supposed to ask? What to do next?)
- Safety demo was very informal... raft guide didn't even ask us to repeat/ show that we've listened. I've rafted before at other places in the world and thought it was pretty standard procedure to get the crew to repeat/ demonstrate
- My raft guide was very new to this river... she missed all the bumps
- There were 30+ rafts from other companies doing the same stretch of river... traffic jam!
The ordinary;
- Forgot to bring water for their rafting guests (esp when they suggest we don't bring our own drink bottles)
- The river was labeled 'class III'... rating's a bit stretched when total of 2 rapids were that class (yet it maybe b/c of the guide missing every bump)
Conclusion;
I didn't have a bad time, but it wasn't a great time either. At first I thought it was just the river... but after rafting with their competitor (see review from Aug-08) I really think its due to the inexperience of my guide and the lack of procedures of this operation.
My biggest gripe about this trip, till this day, is the lack of drinking water. They had none for guests. I was so thirsty (not good on a 100F+ day) that I drank a little river water to bridge me over. I did not get sick, so probably the American River is cleaner than I thought.
This operation will not be my first choice for rafting the American River - they maybe around $10 cheaper than their larger counterparts, but its insignificant price to pay for a more experienced operation. -
Review from Trina A.
Hayward, CA
10/19/2009
So, I wasn't too thrilled about this seeing as I am allergic to the cold (Yes, I really am...gooogle Acuired Cold Urticaria). But I am SO glad I did this! My fellow yelpers, this was an amazing experience and you should all try this sometime in your lives!
I was a little sketchy meeting behind Raleys Grocery Store at 7:45, and entering this giganitc blue van that couldn't be opened from the inside. But I soon found we meet and caravan because the ride to the river is crazy windy. Once we got to the river, we got a quick how to, and then we were off! Five seconds into it, you'll get soaked, and it wasnt the best feeling at 9 am seeing as the water comes from Sugar Bowl in Tahoe, but nonetheless it was awesome. Midday, you stop and have an awesome lunch provided by River Rock, and the second half is so much better!
Overall, Amazing experience, and I want to go again for sure! And that means alot coming from a gal who is allergic to the cold! Thanks River Rock for an awesome experience! -
Review from A K.
Roseville, CA
6/15/2011
We have gone rafting with River & Rock Adventures for many years and have consistently had a terrific rafting experience with them! We were celebrating a birthday and Dan, our guide, made our trip super fun for the birthday girl!! All our guides have been wonderful. The lunch served from their camp on the river bank is delicious. The equipment is in excellent shape with safety being their number one priority. We recommend River and Rock and we are already looking forward to our next rafting trip with them!!
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Review from Andy C.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
8/9/2010
My family (Mom, Dad, 4 kids 15-21) had a great time. We rafted down the lower gorge section of the South Fork of the American River. It was a 6 hr trip including lunch. Tom was a great guide and you could tell was well respected by the other guide companies on the river. Lunch was also a nice surprise (fresh fruit, Turkey wraps and guacamole boats) with plenty for the boat. At the flat windy section at the bottom, we also got a jet ski tow to save ~ 2 miles of hard work.
River and Rock are one of the smaller companies but their prices were good and we all had a great time (even Mom). -
Review from Laura B.
Martinez, CA
6/14/2010
Cannot say enough good things about RRA. My friends and I did the half day Gorge trip and could not have had a better time! The afternoon half day trip is perfect for people in the Bay Area. No getting up at the crack of dawn and we were still home before it was dark.
We were lucky enough to have Chris, one of the co-owners of the company, as our guide. He was AWESOME! This is truly a family run organization and it shows in their customer service. They had plenty of water, granola bars, and even red vines at the end of the trip to keep everyone's sugar level up. I liked the fact that their half day didn't include lunch, so we were able to pack sandwiches and save $20 over other companies. They're so accommodating and will let you set up pretty much any trip you want to suit your needs.
There were only 6 rafts out on a Saturday from RRA. I looked around and saw companies with 10-15 boats in the water. Talk about impersonal. RRA is serious about being in touch with their customers, making sure their guides are knowledgeable, and above all being safe!
We can't wait to go back and do the Middle Fork with RRA! Can't imagine using any other company! -
Review from Michael M.
Bellevue, WA
6/15/2011
We rafted with River and Rock this past weekend and were very impressed with them. The guides were intelligent and fun, and also safety conscious. We did the South Fork of the American river, though we originally planned to do the Middle Fork, the high flow rates prevented anyone from doing it. Our guide (Colby) was great and kept us entertained in the slow water and adjusted the routes through the rapids to our experience level as we went along (he just needed some time to feel us out, as some of us had been rafting before and were comfortable with getting wet and taking more adventurous...but not dangerous...routes). We also had Nick with us in as the safety kayaker and he would check out the water ahead of us, as well as tell us some jokes...luckily enough no one fell in from our raft and needed Nick's help. Finally, River and Rock provided us with wetsuits, water jackets and helmets (and apparently not all of the companies do this). We didn't need them, but the water was cold enough (especially with snow runoff) that I wouldn't want to be in the water upstream long without one, nor would I want to be without a helmet if I fell out with all of the rocks around. I wouldn't think of using another company to raft the American river and look forward to future trip back, and maybe try a different fork of the river.
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Review from Eileen C.
Salem, OR
1/28/2009
I have taken 3 trips on the South Fork with River and Rock. Each trip was unique based on water levels and guide but all had some common components. The guides were very focused on safety but not at the expense of fun! The pre-trip safety talk was thorough and humorous enough to keep everyone listening. We laughed and hollered our way through the day. The lunch was great - "guac boats" are my new favorite appetizer. My second trip was with a group of girlfriends, some of whom approached this adventure with great trepidation (we're not as young as we used to be). After the first set of rapids the fears were gone and the laughter and fun took over. I plan to make a trip with R & R a part of my annual California vacation - I don't know if I'm up for the Middle Fork but have found that the South Fork is perfect for me.
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Review from Conor N.
San Francisco, CA
1/21/2009
I was referred to this company by a good friend who has taken multiple trips with River and Rock. The process of booking our group was extremely easy and the communication from the owner to help us find the best fork, based on the skill level of our group, made all the difference. Our trip down the Middle Fork was an absolute blast. The two guides went out of their way at every step of the day to make sure everyone was having a great time. The food we were provided with for lunch was way beyond our expectations and the friendly nature of the company employees made even the time off the river a blast. We will most likely be making a trip with River and Rock an annual occasion.
