The Complete River Experience: Multi-Day Rafting Trips

I recently escaped the four walls of my office, shut down the computer, locked the door and headed to the river:

Girls trip to the Tuolumne! The car was brimming with bottles of sunscreen, sleeping bags escaping their stuff sacks, wrinkled shorts, salty snacks passed around, and anticipation mixed with fear–some of the girls got confused and thought we were headed to Cherry Creek! We got it all sorted out by the time we got to the river, brushed the chips out of our hair, and put in for our three day river trip.

It’s difficult to capture what’s so special about a multi-day river trip precisely because they are so personal–our trip was a chance to re-connect with old friends, laugh with new ones, tighten the distance between the lives we lead for a few days. It was rocking out on the river bank to Guns n’ Roses and Gnarls Barkley, french braiding of hair, and watching baby ducks taking a ride on their mom’s feathery back. It was also a trip about solitude, reading in the shade after lunch, watching the stars shift above the canyon, and feeling the water sliding silently past the boats.

You might think–baby ducks!? I want to charge through walls of whitewater, hike the canyon’s creek beds and play frisbee! The cool thing is that on a multi-day trip you can craft your own experience, so if you want to carve out time to hang with friends you can do that–but you can be alone too. You can explore the canyon or take a nap, swim in calm pools, play cards, snooze until dinner. Our guides take care of the details so you can just enjoy the fullness of the experience: the water, the canyon, your companions, your own thoughts.

We offer multi-day trips on several rivers: For the most ameneties and convinience choose the car camping option on the South Fork American, where hot showers, a small deli, and easy access make a quick adventure simple and comfortable. For more wilderness, more excitement, and more solitude, the Middle Fork of the American delivers just an hour outside of Sacramento. Steep and thickly-forested canyon walls get you far away from your Blackberry, emails from your boss, and whatever else you got goin’ on. If the Middle Fork still isn’t far enough away for you head to the Tuolumne River, whose Wild and Scenic status provides a home for wildlife and plenty opportunities for exploration and reflection. You might see a Blue Heron, like we did–it flew along the river bank with us for a half an hour before it turned and flapped slowly upstream. Or maybe you’ll see wild ducks, birds of prey, fish, a rattler, or a deer scrambling through the brush. You will certainly see lots of your friends–and yourself.