Our one and two day California river trips can be customized to fit your vacation schedules and also offer Beginner/Advanced runs, private riverside camping, modern bathhouse and much more. We have a wide variety of river trips to please our river guests. Gold Rush Whitewater Rafting has been operating on the South Fork of the American River for the last 29 years with permit #2 issued by El Dorado County.

In 2006 we went "Green" with a 6,000 watt Solar System that powers our entire campground & facilities. 2007 we did significant changes to our campground facilities and expanded/improved parking areas. New in 2008 we expanded and reconfigured the lower campground w/a Day use Area and opened up riverside access. All this and future changes ensure that our guests have the best overall trip experience possible year after year.

Our in-house Chef, Jason Story returns again for another season of excellent food & service. Chef Story's background specializes w/formal training in French Cuisine, but has brought a newer & fresher style to our place for our guests to enjoy. With advance notice, he is able to "cook to order" special request meals for specific groups as well as change up our dinner options throughout the summer. We're super happy to have this guy here with us & after your stay with us, you'll say the same!

The South Fork is 21 miles in length, with many whitewater rapids, that our trained river guides will take you through. We raft the South Fork of the American River, which is a class III River, for beginner and experienced white water rafters on half day, full day, and two-day river trips. Net specials start at just $70 per person.

We also also run trips on the amazing Middle Fork of the American River (class IV) on a 1-day river trip. As a Class IV run, the Middle Fork offers a great combination of water ranging from gentle flows to challenging and technical whitewater. It is a great next step up from the South Fork Class III. Our American River trips meet at our private riverside camp in Coloma, California, which is 2 hours from San Francisco and 45 minutes from Sacramento. For Middle Fork trips, we meet in our camp on the South Fork or with special circumstances we can meet in Auburn at Foresthill road. Our Kaweah River trips meet at the Three Rivers Hideaway campground in Three Rivers, California, under our manager Dave Hammond.

Our guides are vastly experienced and have been with our company for years. Even the owner has 22 years of whitewater guiding experience to add to the leadership of the best staff around. You might even find him guiding your trip! But be forewarned…. he doesn't mind a little "swim" occasionally. The love of whitewater rafting by ALL the employees of Gold Rush is what makes our staff so unique and fun to be with, completing the experience.

We look forward to providing you with the best rafting adventure possible. Please let us know what we can do for you!

Ponderosa RV Park & Resort
7291 Hwy 49, Lotus, CA 95613 530-642-5830
Ponderosa RV Resort, on the South Fork of the American River in Northern California, is one of California's best family RV Campgrounds. Family camping in California just doesn't get better than this! RV Camping at the edge of one of California's most scenic rivers, family activities and first class facilities make this an excellent choice for your RV camping vacation. They also have available first-class rental cabins w/high-speed internet and satellite TV, perfect for those who just can't let go of the world and truly RELAX! It is a private RV resort, so be sure to call ahead to reserve a space...and definitely consider their membership...it's fully worth it!

Little River Coffee Roasting
Little River Roasting Company 460-B Marion Avenue Spartanburg, SC 29306 (864) 582-7900 info@littleriverroasting.com
Little River is a small family owned and operated coffee roasting company, where the coffee beans come directly from small farmers all over the world. They have relationships with small farmer cooperatives and estates where they pay higher than fair trade prices for their beans. To promote environmental awareness, their organic and fair trade coffee beans are grown in a way that is much more earth friendly. They are grown in mix crop environments and without the use of herbicides and pesticides. This is a much more natural process which is healthier for the consumers and the environment. Additionally they are teamed up with non-profit conservation groups in an effort to give back on a local level. We currently have signature blends for American Whitewater and Trout Unlimited. For each pound of these coffees that we sell, we donate $1.00 back to the organizations. If you know of another great environmental group, doing great things, contact them for a business for partnership. Their coffee is roasted fresh every day. You will receive the highest quality product while supporting a great cause!