What a great time. A full day of rafting on class 2 to 4 rapids with some floating in between the rapids. Our guide was knowledgeable and somewhat funny with his "dad jokes". Lunch was good and the ride to and from the river was comfortable. Booking the trip online was easy with followup communication on what you need and what to expect on the river. it was such a fun time with my son. I will be back next year with my younger son. read more

H2O Adventures has been my go-to rafting company for several years. Today I went with a small group down the South Fork American River (Chili Bar section) and was yet again impressed by the skill and expertise of the guides, how well everything was handled, concern for rafting safety by giving us important tips at the start of the trip, and how fun and enjoyable they made the experience for each of us. The cost is reasonable, too. This was my 9th trip with this company over the last several years, and I'll keep coming back with small and large groups of friends. The people that work for this company have a deep passion for rafting which is infectious! read more

We had a great time with our kids, age 10 and 12. Marina was very friendly and pointed out all the landmarks and sights.

What a fun and amazing day on the water. Our guide Ethan was awesome ensuring our safety while giving us a great experience. High recommend! read more

H2O Adventures - Girl fun! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

Riding the rapids with H2O exceeded our expectation. For families I would highly recommend these folks. We did a trip with our 6 and 8 year old and our guide , Steph was so great. Steph made sure our kids were safe, she definitely made the trip! Thanks H2O and the guide team. Trevor, Steph and ... (can't remember her name) thanks again!! read more

Wonderful float in high water. Excellent instruction, steering from our guide Jeremy. H20 provided a splendid time for our 1/2 trip from Lotus to Folsom lake. read more

We went rafting down the middle fork of the American with H2O. We also camped the night before in their campground. For you private pilots: We flew in to Auburn. ,You will need to rent a car. Do NOT depend on local taxis, Uber or Lyft. Getting to the campsite with Uber is not an issue. Getting back from the river to the airport most definitely is a problem! No one wants to drive out there to get you. Plus once at the campground you will need a car to get food, ice etc. The store is absolutely NOT WALKABLE! You would have to walk on a winding, no shoulder road for miles with cars zooming past at 60mph in 100 degree heat. On to the review: The campground: Beautiful, clean and right on the river. there are communal propane BBQs to use in well lit areas with running water and deep sinks. There are showers that actually have strong water pressure and nice hot water. That is a welcome luxury after swimming in the snow melt waters of the river. I would highly recommend bringing your own lifejackets so that you can safely swim and float down the fast moving waters at the campground. I am an extremely strong swimmer and I still wore one. Its just more fun anyways. The Guide: We were told by several guides from a competing company that if we were lucky, we would get Blake as our guide. Jackpot! We got Blake! We did a bunch of things that none of the other rafts even tried doing. ( All after Blake asking us if we wanted to or not first of course) If you do get lucky and have Blake (OR BETTER YET, REQUEST HIM UPON BOOKING!) don't pass up anything he suggests. It made the rafting so much fun! Blake is also one of those guides that don't just guide the boat and direct the crew from arms length but become part of your group. He was in the water fights, he threw overboard my 14 yr old son when he wasn't paddling hard, he was in on the jokes and bantering and even sang an epic song about rafting that he wrote. Seriously! We thought it was going to be a joke with all the singing skills of your drunk neighbor in the shower but it was legit! Thank you Blake for an amazing time!! Lunch: Lunch was standard for rafting except for one major difference. Almost all raft trips have lunch provided. The guides set up, prep, and clean up. Thank you to all of you! But what was a standout was that I have been on trips where there wasn't enough food for everyone. By a long shot. This was not the case here. H2O provided more than enough for everyone and then enough for anyone who wanted to get seconds. Thank you H2O!! The company (h2O): And lastly, after doing 20+ rafting trips worldwide, I need to acknowledge the mostly overlooked aspects of rafting. Usually you get picked up by a driver that looks like they are working through a rough night in a bus that is held together with duct tape and transported on a winding road that's inches from a cliff. The whole time you are praying that the brakes will hold or a wheel doesn't fly off. H2O picked us up in well maintained vans by the most pleasant and professional drivers. They were great!! And when you look at the top notch rafts, the well organized and great quality and condition of all the safety equipment, and the mindset of the guides, it is very clear that H2O puts a priority on safety. If you haven't rafted much, I can assure you that this is a big deal. Not just for safety but when your rafting trip is cut short or you have to wait for another bus to rescue the broken one or the trip is simply not as good because of equipment failures, trust me...it sucks!! This is where its the owners choice to do what's right and safe or do whatever it takes to make a few extra bucks by skimping here and there. So a BIG thank you to H2O for this "behind the scenes" and all-too-often overlooked aspect of rafting!!! So camp with H2O, raft with H2O and request Blake!! Cheers and happy rafting!! read more

H2O Adventures - H2O campground on the river. Awesome!! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

My friends and I had an amazing experience with H2O Adventures last weekend. Tyler, Zara, and their crew make us really enjoy the tour! They even prepared brownies after rafting which is the tastiest brownie I ever had on the world! Tyler and Zara really enjoy their job which makes our day even wonderful. Most importantly, you don't have to pay extra for the pictures they took for us which is really sweet! Definitely, recommend rafting with them, you will have an amazing time with your friends and family! read more

We had an amazing day on the river with Devin. The whole operation was so professional and well run. Devin was the perfect balance of personable, fun, and serious when needed. The equipment was if great shape and having Marina on the boat was a great addition. Thank you for a great day. read more

Had an amazing experience while taking my grandson on his first rafting trip down the south fork of the American River. Ethan was our guide and he expertly coached us throughout the day. I do not hesitate to highly recommend this company for their professionalism, instruction and because they all are just great folks. read more

My friend and I went with our 16 yr. old sons. First time for ALL of us, and us mom's were nervous!! My friend had a moment of peaked anxiety prior to beginning, and I have to say that the staff there (I apologize I can't recall their names) were so kind, patient, caring and professional in the manner they approached all of us and helped to ease her worries quickly. I was SO impressed!! Once on the raft we had the pleasure of having Cypress as our guide. We had great conversations again, she too was so kind and professional and gave us a great ride! We were all talking about planning our next rafting experience 1/2 way through our trip!! I highly recommend H20. They are a mom and pop sort of organization and delivered the personal touch from beginning to end!! THANK YOU ALL so much for a wonderful experience!! read more

Spend the day on the Middle Fork with Keegan and had a blast! Such good energy all day. Can't wait to come back next year!

Had a blast doing the South fork of the American River. Lunch was great, fresh fruit and deli quality sandwiches. We had two full boats, one with the kids and one with the adults. The guides were fantastic, even though the guide on the adult boat managed to get himself ejected on one of the tougher rapids, no names Blake. He did manage to get himself back into the boat and retain his paddle. The kids loved their guide, Ben. We have done several trips on different rivers with H20 Adventures, always a great time. Check out the photo and you can just make out the Blakes absence from the boat, good times! read more

H2O Adventures - Man Overboard! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

Mike was an outstanding guide! Been coming for past 6 years and always have great guides and good time. H2O does things differently than other rafting companies I used to go to and is why I have continued to only use them. MOST IMPORTANTLY H2O HAS WORLDS BEST BROWNIES AT THE END OF EVERY RAFT TRIP!!! THANK YOU TO THE WOMAN THAT MAKES THEM!! read more

We hada group of 9 and this river rafting trip was SO FANTASTIC! We felt safe and our guide was so energetic and informative. Our group ranged from 10-49 and everyone loved it. Highly recommend! read more

H2O Adventures - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

We had a blast with H2O! Our guide Nate is super experienced and shared stories of rafting in the class V rapids in the North fork of American River to keep us entertained throughout the trip. We took several side trips, one of which my daughter took advantage to jump off a overhanging rock to take a swim in the river. One of our group actually manufactured a boat overturn in a calm section of the river and we all had fun helping them fishing for their belongings. Highly recommended! read more

H20 Adventures have 414 five star reviews and here is the 415th one! The entire trip from start to finish was extremely well organized and ran like a well oiled machine. We started the day by arriving at the parking lot behind Raley's in Auburn and got on a van for pleasant 45 min ride to the rafting point on the Middle River. The guide in our van, Ann regaled us with jokes and stories from her 40+ years of rafting experience..impressive! I suggest taking minimal items as they mention in pdf that they share. Car keys, a wallet or a phone is stashed in a dry box. Medication and water bottles are put away securely in a waterproof bag on the boat. The crew gave us water resistant jackets to wear under the flotation jackets. They were thorough in checking and outfitting us into our safety gear. The guides on all the boats had tons of experience between them and were very professional. The boats, equipment and other gear was of very good quality. Our raft guide DEVIN was the simply outstanding and made sure he coached us on the required techniques to keep us safe. He ensured that we got it right and I appreciated learning the right way to paddle, sit on the boat and stay stable, etc. He was patient, attentive and watchful, making sure to guide us safely through some exciting Class 3 and 4 rapids. He was engaging and pointed out historical artifacts, wildlife and features on each rapid. He concisely explained what we were expected to do at each rapid ahead of time and put our group at ease. Gold Star *!! The guides put out an unbelievable lunch spread for us, including enough fare for the vegetarians. Our guide told us about the preparation that goes into each trip. The insight into that background work, makes me appreciate the hardwork put in by the guides to make the trip perfect for everyone. Gratitude to be able to participate in such activities thanks to them_/\__/\__/\_ The trip was a gift to my daughter on her birthday and we all had had a beautiful and fulfilling day on the river today. Thank you H2O Adventures, we will be back :))!! read more

We booked a full day rafting trip with H2O and had the pleasure of getting Ann as our guide. We have been rafting several times before with different companies and different guides, but Ann has thus far been the best. She is extremely knowledgeable about the history surrounding the river, the rock formations, and plant life. Ann was really funny and highly engaging. She got to know us on a personal level and always kept the conversation going which we appreciated. Plus, she kept our raft steady and we never flipped! Thank you for an awesome time! read more

My 13 yr old daughter and I went up for a day trip to the middle fork of the American River. What an adventure! H2O did a great job. Not only was our captain Ann highly experienced and the raddest, but the whole crew was a wonderful collection of highly qualified characters. The lunch was all you could want but obviously the highlights were the beautiful surroundings and phenomenal rapids. I would recommend this company to anyone. read more

Lyndsey and the entire team at H2O were awesome! Incredible day on the South Fork of the American River. Lyndsey was an incredibly conscientious and skilled guide. As a retired career firefighter, trained and experienced in swift water rescue, I was impressed with our guides knowledge of river hazards and overall situational awareness while on the river. Excellent day of wet fun!! read more

H2O is the best rafting service on the American River. Their guides are not only incredibly knowledgeable and experienced, but they are also so much fun. For them it's not about how fast they get you down the river. It's about the experience you had while on the river. I would 100% recommend them to anyone who wants to have an incredible rafting experience! read more

Top-notch outfit all the way around. We were a group of 5, 3 adults and 9 year-old girls. Most of us were first-timers. Anyone that has kids knows you want a new experience to be as positive and fun as possible. We could not be happier with our experience with H20 Adventures. Ann was the best guide. She's been doing this for a very long time, and she is cool, calm, steady and confident. She has endless stories and kept us entertained the whole day. We chose the full day American River South Fork trip, so we started early in the morning. She wisely recommended the girls get in wetsuits and made sure the adults put on neoprene socks and splash jackets. The adults ended up in wetsuits after lunch. It was a cold morning and the day stayed cool and a little windy but everyone stayed comfortable. I am really glad we chose to go with a smaller company. It's a much more personal vibe. Tyler, the owner, was our driver, he helped prep us in the morning, he grilled the burgers for our lunch, and his mom baked the bomb brownies at the end of the day. We also got to know the other guides and see how they each look out for each other along the way. We look forward to rafting next summer and we will definitely be booking with H20 Adventures. They are the SH*T. read more

I had a great time. I was nervous about the cool weather and falling out, but H2O had plenty of wetsuits and fleece jackets to keep us warm. Our guide, Ben, was great. Super simple instructions, kept us safe and in the boat, and let us try fun extras like surfing and bull riding. Great lunch with fresh berries and pineapple included. read more

Awesome 2 day trip on the Middle Fork! Guides were incredibly knowledgeable and cool to hang out with. Shout out to Steve, Marina, Dave, Pierce, and Kevin! Thank you for all the work you guys put in to make this an epic trip for our group. Would highly recommend H2O adventures to anyone looking for a rad raft guide company! read more

We had a fantastic day on the "gorge" south fork today. Loved our guide Kate! The whole company crew was amazing. Excitement all the way through- thanks H2O read more

Had a peak life moment kind of day with H20. I was a little nervous as we got started, particularly as the Class II/III rapids trip we did on the South Fork of the American were predicted to be a little "spicy," closer to a Class IV in some spots. But Janae, our experienced guide, was an excellent instructor, serious but fun, who gave us a clear sense of what was coming at every turn and how to manage it. Our little crew (ages 12-middle age) had a great adventure--lots of wild fun, no sense of danger. I'll definitely go back--and may even level up! H20 is apparently one of the smaller companies on the river, and service and execution was great from start to finish. I love to support smaller companies with loyal, cherished employees who are more like friends to the owners. read more

Family friendly!!!!! HUGE shout out to our raft guide BEN!!!!!! Thank you BEN for being exceptionally engaging and patient with our VERY talkative/active son. We felt so welcomed, safe, and happy. We had the BEST experience with the entire crew from beginning to end. We brought our 6 year old son and our grandmother, the American fork caters to a wide age range. It was perfect balance of adventurous and relaxing. Thank you!!!!! read more

Third time with H2O Adventures.. . Our group of 13 did the South Fork of the American River, 1/2 day in the afternoon, camp and 1/2 in the morning. It was simply awesome from check in to finish. All the guides were super and went out of their way to make the trip memorable, splashy and lots of fun. We love the 1/2 day trips and enjoyed the break at the beautiful campgrounds. Needless to say, we will be back again for more :) read more

Incredible time. I am quite the scaredy-cat but Kevin our guide made us feel safe and in control the whole time. We had a blast. Would recommend this company and for anyone a little nervous definitely ask for Kevin; he's very calming and confident! read more

First time rafter doing Class 5, staff was very friendly, helpful, and fun! They made sure safety was the priority at all times while keeping the atmosphere light and fun! read more

We had a wonderful afternoon on the South Fork AR. It was a hot day at 115F, so I was worried about the heat. This being my 3rd whitewater trip I kinda had some expectations. Well H2O & our amazing guide Jeremy took us on an adventure filled afternoon. I brought family members to their first rafting trip. We had so much fun filled with excitement and laughter. I jumped out if the raft floating in the cool water. Jeremy had so much patience, he gave us a great rafting experience full of surprises and waterway information. I highly recommend H2O and ask for Jeremy! We plan to try it again with all my cousins next spring with the higher flows. Bring extra water and sunscreen. read more

This was a second trip with H2O Adventures; our first trip was down the south fork of the American River. We had a great trip at the beginning of September on the American River's middle fork. Tunnel Chute...wow!! Our guide was great and seemed to really enjoy his job. Plenty of food and drinks for lunch. We highly recommend H2O Adventures. read more

What a great experience! H2O staff was knowledgeable, comforting, and a lot of fun. Which is a good example of why I enjoy doing business with a family owned companies. Ethan was our guide and made sure us fearful ones were comfortable and our adventurous ones had the thrills they were hoping for. ( Thank you Ethan for being patient with us. Your kindness made us feel you were more of a friend than a guide) Everyone in our party of 7 laughed, screamed, and were in silent awe of the beauty we experienced during our trip. What a perfect day. read more

Ann, our guide, was perhaps the best guide I have ever had in anything outdoor related in my life. She was super helpful, kind and kept us entertained the entire way. Extremely knowledgeable - I am super happy my family got to spend our day with her. Please ask for her! read more

Best day ever! Couldn't recommend this company more and especially the guide Brandon, super safe and they know how to make it more fun if your group is up for it! I went for my birthday and couldn't have had a better day! read more

Cannot ask for a better first experience! We took the Middle fork trip one day and it was definitely worth it. Went from 8AM and back to car by 4PM. Beautiful scenery and exhilarating rapids. Annie Ann* and Mike were outstanding guides and made the trip super fun. Book with confidence! :D read more

had a great time today on the lower fork of the American River. Our guide was Steph and she was so much fun as well as super knowledgeable. We had a blast and hope to do it again soon. Great operation, well organized and safety highlighted. read more

This is my 3rd time with H2O and I always have a great time. Their guides are always extremely fun and knowledgeable. We had Pierce as our guide and he gave us the history of the landscape as we floated pass them. He was patient with my boat cause we did not look promising in the beginning lol. Overall, great fun guides and the awesome owners kept the location in great shape. Always my go to when I want to get in my river. read more

We had a great time rafting the South Fork American River with H2O on Saturday. My husband and I have done an annual rafting & camping trip with H2O for the last 4 years. The trip has always been a blast. So much so that we are returning in 2 weeks to raft the Middle Fork with them. Tyler and Fianna are always a pleasure to work with. They are very understanding and accommodating whenever any changes are needed. When rafting, we have always felt safe and cared for on the river. Every raft guide we have had over the years has been great! Jeff took great care of us this weekend, and we look forward to requesting him in the future. If you are looking for an awesome time with people who are passionate about what they do and prioritize safety and fun, you've found it. read more

I don't even know where to start with this place. If you're looking for a solid whitewater adventure company near the Bay Area, I suggest that you go through H2o Adventures in Lotus. The owner's name is Tyler and he'll get you all taken care of. As far as your guide - ask for Jeff (more on this below). To start, making the reservation was easy as pie. I called, but there was no answer... so I texted the number (as suggested on the website) and Tyler got me and all setup for a trip that same weekend. I know there's a million + rafting companies in the area, but H20 has the best crew, great boats and a great take on customer service. The drive to the launch spot is about 2.5 hours from San Jose. They tour that we picked started at 12:45, so we got to leave the bay area around 9... stopped for lunch in El Dorado Hills and made it to the campground around 12:30. We then checked in w/ Tyler, got changed and waited happily for the tour to start. The check-in process was SO smooth and easy. Around 12:45 we got suited up into lifejackets & had our pre-adventure safety talk. The guy who went over everything was HILARIOUS, but still got all the points across that we needed to know before getting started. We then got sorted into our boats and got introduced to our tour guide. Our guide was "Jeff" and I cannot recommend him enough. Seriously, this guy is like a high class river rat (which yes, is a compliment). If you have to option to request a guide... or are interested in having the best experience possible... squeeze your ass into Jeff's boat. He's hilarious, knowledgeable and made sure that everyone had a phenomenal time. He really knows what he's doing and went above and beyond to make our trip super fun & enjoyable. The other tour guides seemed cool as well, but I think we just lucked out and had the best one. I don't know if I've ever met someone as passionate about rafting as this guy. Now for the trip... there's a ton of rapids, beautiful scenery and rocks to jump off on lining the American river. They take photos of you along the way.. And you can go and purchase those down the street after the trip. What more could you ask for? At the end of the trip (12 miles down the river) they shuttle you back on an old school bus... but before you load the bus they offer you water and homemade brownies (compliments of Tyler's mom. Shout out to Tyler's mom for being the real MVP). Then you're on the road back to the campground and parking lot. Best day ever. Other notes that may be helpful to you: bring water and sunscreen. For the love of all that is good... bring lots of sunscreen (Zinc is a great option too!) Eat before your trip since you're gone until about 5pm that day... (3-4 hours on the river). Oh yeah... & don't wear cotton clothing. (I'm sure you're thinking "no shit, Kayla" ... but some women that we got placed in the same boat with were wearing cotton and then complained how they didn't dry off really quickly. HAHA, enough said. If you're looking for a wild outdoor adventure... check out h2o adventures (you can thank me later). A big Thank you Tyler, Jeff & H2o Adventures. We're already planning the next trip... which will be a 2 day camping event. Yeehaaaw. read more

H2O Adventures - Ask for this guy to be your tour guide (Jeff)! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California