Rafting with mother lode river center was awesome!! A very professional outfit. Our guides Cameron and Isaac were informative, personable and made you feel extremely comfortable. Our lunch on the chili bar was a nice break and tasted great. I would definitely recommend them for a great trip!! read more

Summer gets away so quickly, but we made sure that we were able to get up to Mother Lode again for another camping/rafting trip! It was so much fun! We love staying in the cabin tents for one night, rafting, having dinner at the property and then staying in the cabin tents again. It's the perfect 2 night get-away/adventure. The owners/staff are wonderful, friendly and helpful and the property is beautiful and well maintained. It was another great experience and we look forward to visiting again next summer! read more

Such an amazing all day experience using a Groupon! We did the South Fork/Chili Bar adventure and it was exciting, so fun, and just the right amount of scary! ;) Nice lunch served about mid-way through. All the guides were so nice and knowledgeable. Would HIGHLY recommend!! read more

I can't say enough good things about this rafting company. We've rafted with them twice and both experiences were amazing. They have a beautiful location right on the American River with large grassy areas to camp on. It's luxury compared to some of the other companies in the area. For the non tent campers out there, the owner, Scott, added some tent cabins this year that have beds and chairs in them. We had the privilege to stay in the largest one for a night and it was the most comfortable "camping" night I've ever had. All the river guides are professional, experienced, trustworthy, and laid back. Emily, Lindsay and Scotty are three you could request. They know the river incredibly well and make the rafting trip fun and safe. If you're lucky enough to stay for dinner after rafting, they'll bring you appetizers and grill up a delicious meal. I can't wait to go back next year. read more

Our company did a trip with Mother Lode yesterday and had a great time! These guys are great and a lot of fun! We saw other rafting companies out on the river and they were not having as much fun as we were having! We jumped in an swam some of the rapids (feet first of course), awesome! Sarah was our guide, she was professional, knowledgable, and hilarious! Definitely request her as a guide! read more

My "sisters" and a friend and I came on a two day trip because of the living social deal we found on-line. We had a blast and was convinced to forgo the ropes activity and upgrade to a second day instead on the more challenging middle fork. We never were so glad we did...it was a fun, wild ride! Umesh and Bepe were incredibly skilled guides and Bree too was very knowledgeable about the river. Chris aka "lumpy"was great also! He was very passionate about this place, he kept us updated on things going on and convinced us to change our minds and go for the second day rafting. All of the staff was very nice and seemed genuinely happy that we were there and made sure we had the best experience possible. We will definitely come back and do it again with more family and friends soon! read more

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I've been wanting to go river rafting for a while, And finally did it this weekend. .. I had the best adventure here at Mother Lode. I say this because the people (Awsome staff, Huge shout out to Isaac!!!) That said, every one is on the same page, and are in it to allow you to have an unforgettable time. I also stayed and camped, I had purchased an online deal and I definitely recommend to upgrade from the regular tents to the Glamour Cabins.... Totally Worth it.... I will definitely do this again... The South Fork "Done," now I want to check out the Middle Fork..... read more

Mother Lode River Center - A couple Pics from The Mother Lode!!! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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The perfect trip. Three generations went. Some were a little apprehensive. Everyone was amazed. It was a fantastic trip and we can't wait to do it again. Thank you Mother Lode River Rafting for making this a fun family affair. Thanks Devon for your skills and introducing us to our local river. Until next time.....stay safe and enjoy. read more

This was one of the most exciting yet comfortable family trips bar none, that my family and i have been on. From the great and knowledgable guides on the rafting experience, to the included cooked meals, the personal cottage, the rope games and ziplining with the incredibly friendly and helpful staff, this is definitely an awesome experience for everyone. And to find out they have more advanced levels rafting, this will be an absolute mark for a vacation weekend every summer with probably more family and friends to experience. Never thought you could put fun and peaceful in the same place as adventure but thats what Mother Load brings. A place you will definitely enjoy... read more

What a great experience!! Ryan was our guide, he was great! He did a great job explaining what to do and how to do it. He did an awesome job with my dad he is a 76 year old and a bit skeptical of the adventure. He enjoyed it a lot.. thank you for everything! We will be back!! read more

This place is the best! I've been for both adult trips and a trip with a huge group of elementary school kids. In both cases the staff was super friendly and the river guides were top notch. The camping set-up is right next to the river, which is very picturesque. The staff cooks delicious meals so all you have to do is enjoy yourself! read more

Two years ago we were at Mother Lode for wildwater rafting, we stayed two nights in a tent cabin on their camping grounds. The setting is beautiful, right by the river. We had a delicious dinner one night at the camping site, and sat on beach chairs for hours with our feet in the river, cooling down. The wild water rafting was great, our guide, I think his name was Remy, was fun, engaging and patient. Highly recommended, we would do it again! read more

We had a great experience and loved every minute of the journey. We booked it last min the day of. We ordered the disk of photo because it's a trip you will remember! I recommend everyone to try rafting at least once. They all had very knowledgeable staff and tour guides. We want to co e back for the up river rafting experience! read more

Pretty simple. Two families with kids went up there for 3 day weekend. Camping, rafting, high ropes activities, eating. Camping space, great and comfortable, with fire pit and grills to use. We were walking distance to nice little river beach. Water was freezing, however, but kids roughed it. Rafting lower part of American River was fantastic. Our guide, Ryan B (Ryan A is rad, as well, as are all the staff), was excellent. He was a great guide and leader and interacted with our kids with humor and kindness and sincerity. The trip was perfect length of time and difficulty. You definitely encounter white water and get soaked and are on the edge of getting dumped, but you are not scared shitless for kids or inexperienced swimmers in the crowd. It's also really beautiful. Ryan directed us to a great rest spot where one could jump of a rock into the frigid river. He was quite creative in what he did with us, like having us close our eyes before big rapids, which caused our 7 year old to ask Ryan 78 times after that if it was ok to close his eyes again. Fun, lots of laughing. The pace is perfect - Mother Lode was not trying to zoom down the river as fast as possible - they allow for some cool and mellow cruising with discussion and gazing at the beauty. At night, we got to witness the musicality of the one of the guide, Remy, and learned the phrase "cuddle puddle." A free bonus. The ropes and team-building stuff on Sunday was also terrific. The kids and adults overcame some mild fears and went for it, in large part because the staff, led by Gina, was so competent and awesome at gently nudging people to go for it. The vibe at this place is perfect - no macho, over-exuberant life coaches or yahoos here, just mellow, nature-loving, smart, fun, down-to-earth folks. Good and caring people, basically. The food was solid, fresh and healthy. Thanks to Amber and company for cooking it up. Only suggestion would be stronger coffee. The grounds are clean and well-maintained, without being overbuilt, cheesy and corporate. This is a really beautiful and peaceful property. Staff is so friendly (on phone and in person), helpful, efficient, organized, etc. They have their s&*( together when it comes to love for what their doing, love for their clientele, safety, having fun, competence, etc. In all, a memorable experience for our families - very special. Thanks Mother Lode for doing what you do, the way you do it. read more

Had a great adventure with my girlfriends. Devon was our guide and he was a lot of fun and made the day even better. I would recommend him to anyone. read more

I've been on two trips now with Mother Lode. One last year and one this year. Let me say that having a great guide is essential to having a great trip. Both times we did a day trip down the middle fork. The guides with Mother Lode are super amazing. Some of the most down to earth, laid back and fun guides I've had the pleasure to lead me on my many adventures. Super knowledgeable and definitely experts at what they do. You could tell they really enjoyed what they did. I had a blast on both trips and would without a doubt recommend the company to anyone looking to spend a day or two down the american river. Definitely an experience worth having! read more

Not sure if our experience was out of the norm, or if we had unrealistically high expectactions from the great yelp reviews, but we felt the company was a bit unorganized, especially in the beginning of our trip. We purchased a "deal" a few months ago from myPerks that claimed that our trip was 65% off the usual price ($185 for 9am check-in, ropes course, ziplining, rafting, 3 meals, and a tent-cabin included). One member of our group purchased the same package for the same exact price 4 days before our trip directly from the company. I felt a little tricked, but meh, it was a reasonable price for everything we were getting. A week before the trip, I received a confirmation e-mail with information about our trip, check-in time would actually be 4-5 pm (instead of 9am) and it came with a list of recommended things we should bring, including an OPTIONAL additional sleeping bag and pillow because it can get chilly at night. The pictures in the website showed tents with two actual beds in them each complete with sheets, blankets, and pillows. We arrived at the site at 5:00 and there was no one at the check-in office. Someone showed us around the campsite and told us a mystery person named Austin was in charge of us (who we never found or met until the next day). We wandered around for about an hour all the while wondering if we really were supposed to have checked in at 9am that morning before someone pointed at 2 tents and told us that the 8 of us would be sleeping there for the night. Inside the tents there were two sets of stacked up hammock/cots each with no padding, pillow, or sleeping bags. Needless to say, not all of us brought sleeping bags as they were "optional" and so some in our group had to sleep huddled together, 2 to a bunk, with towels. And it was FREEZING that night. I was freezing and I brought a pretty thick REI sleeping bag and slept with a hoodie on, I don't think the other two slept at all that night. Other than that, the trip was great. The food was delicious as mentioned in previous reviews, and our rafting guide (Sarah) was amazing and did really fun things with the raft down the rapids. Ziplining wasn't anything amazing (about 10 seconds long) but nice. The ropes courses were also pretty fun to do, especially with a group of friends. Out of all the activities, the rafting was definitely the best and the most worth it. Everyone was also very friendly. I think had we been given accurate information and were better prepared (with adequate bedding especially) this would have been a great trip. Also, smores materials were not included, so bring your own! read more

My fiance and I were looking for something fun and adventurous to do for our first night away from our nearly one-year-old son...and we were not disappointed with our choice! We found a great deal for the whitewater rafting/challenge ropes course, dinner/breakfast and canvas tent with cots, so we thought, why the heck not! I emailed with someone in their office and was always replied to promptly even for what I thought were stupid questions, i.e. if there was cell service in case of emergency with our son (FYI...for AT&T customers there is not). Upon arrival at noon, our rafting meeting time wasn't scheduled until 1 p.m., we were a little confused as to where to go and quite frankly no one even tried to help or ask if we needed anything for nearly ten minutes when we finally asked. (This would garner a 4.5 rating but I didn't find it significant enough to note in the star rating) The rafting guides were extremely knowledgeable, informative and helpful. We split up into groups and were assigned PFDs, helmets and paddles. I have to say, I'm pretty sure our guide, Kyler, was perfect for our group! He was funny and friendly, but was also an AMAZING guide! Our group even had to rescue some folks that had flipped over and were floating helplessly down the rapids!! After our rafting trip, which included classes 1, 2 and 3 rapids, we had some down time before dinner. (Before I forget to include this...the center has heated, private showers, private bathrooms and separate changing rooms as well!) We retreated to our canvas tent, with cots, to relax for a few and explore. Dinner was at 7:30 and it was so very satisfying! Pulled pork, baked potatoes, scalloped sweet potatoes, grilled green beans and carrots, cole slaw, apple and blue cheese salad, with a chocolate berry bread pudding! We were surprised at the quality and quantity to say the least. We chose to hang with some new friends (Hi Aussies and Kiwis!) around one of a few campfires before retiring for the night. Coffee was ready and available at 7 a.m. which is great for early risers like us. Breakfast was at 8, complete with stuffed french toast, eggs, bacon and fresh fruit. Following breakfast we had the ropes course. The staff made every effort to make us feel comfortable climbing 45ft tall trees, scaling a very thin wire cable and climbing rock walls. That's some scary stuff if you ask me!! Anywho, now that I've basically detailed our trip, I'd just like to encourage you to give Mother Lode River Center a try! It was so worth every penny and we'd do it again in a heartbeat!!! Thanks again to Kyler and the entire staff for creating a wonderful weekend!! read more

Samora was a great camp host. I realized after the fact that she'd left a voicemail asking about our check-in time so she could be ready. When we arrived, our tent and sleeping pads were set-up for us. Later that night, she started a campfire and had ingredients for s'mores laid out for us to make. There seemed to be a snafu with dinner. It wasn't really communicated well to us, but Samora was friendly, apologetic, and tried to problem solve. Rumor had it that a big group the night before us had meals catered, so the Mother Lode chef got mixed up and wasn't prepping us dinner. So the staff ordered pizza. Dinner was supposed to be at 6p, but pizza arrived at 7p. It was really good - perhaps waiting an hour added to the yumminess factor. French toast breakfast was also good (although lacking hot chocolate, which I like when camping). The campsite was great. We heard it's one of the best in the area. Good bathroom and (hot) shower facilities. Drinking water and outlets available. Cushy sleeping mats. Big tents. Rushing river sounds all night. (Good Verizon reception, but apparently not for other carriers). We rafted Chili Bar the next morning. Mother Lode requires helmets (other companies do not). Christie was a great rafting guide. Super knowledgeable about rafting and the environment and eager to share her PASSION with us. Very safety conscious. The rapids were class II and III. I didn't want to jump in the water (too cold for my taste) but secretly wish Christie had flipped us for some added adrenaline. Lunch was decent, although they mentioned Oreos but had forgotten them. Appreciated the quick goldrush tour while lunch was being set-up, and also the mini speech about Mother Lode's history and values and the staff's conservation/political efforts. When I booked, I asked about full day rafting and was advised that it would feel like a long day, so that if we wanted to do both sections of the river, we should consider splitting it over two days. After sitting on the raft for several hours, I was glad she hadn't "upsold" me the full day! I LOVED that we ended the rafting right at camp, so we didn't have to load up a truck/van and drive back to our starting spot! FYI - coming from Auburn, our GPS did not announce that we were supposed to turn right on highway 49 (near the confluence) so study your map in advance to avoid circling back up to Auburn. read more

This is my first and maybe only Yelp review. Mother Lode was so awesome I had to give them a shout out! A buddy and I found a great deal through LivingSocial. We were psyched for this trip knowing it was going to be a great time. We didn't know much about Mother Lode and didn't have high expectations. The entire time we were amazed with the organization, professionalism , cleanliness and quality of food we were being served. Shortly after we arrived we were having a blast, starting with the high ropes course, then to zip lining, balance beam and rock climbing wall. We were able to pick any course we wanted in any order. I did the balance beam and rock climbing wall a few times before heading to lunch. While waiting for lunch to start we munched on the appetizers provided at each table. Things like Wheat Thins and pineapple. I try not to eat junk food so I was happy they offered pineapple. Lunch was surprisingly good. You may think "how can you go wrong with a sandwich", but you should be thinking "how can I make a sandwich better". Mother Lode had that covered. Pesto sauce??? Seriously! Four different mustard's?? Seriously! Turkey and salami! Pepper jack!! Red peppers, cucumbers, pickles and so on. They practically had a full deli and it was delicious! Great meal before hitting the river. After lunch we split into groups. We made friends early on so this was an easy pairing. Austin (the comedian) introduced each guide as if they were entering a WWE match, with each guide dressed in some kind or funky outfit. Our guide was Willie! He had all kinds of great stories and pointers. He did an awesome job of guiding us through each rapid, although, four of us fell out of the boat at one point. This wasn't Willie's fault, we all stopped paddling before hitting the rapid - don't know why. After the (FUN) chaos was over we settled in and charged the river. It was a great experience! When we got back to camp we had a couple hours to unwind, take showers, set up camp and enjoy a beer (bring your own beer - there's a Shell gas station 2 miles away but it closes early and if you run out of ice one of the guides will happily fill your cooler). Mother Lode pitched tents which were ready for us to move in, about 50 yards from the river. There were ample picnic tables near each camp site so there was no need to bring chairs. The showers and bathrooms were over-the-top clean. I couldn't believe it!! Then there was dinner. They had a small dance off before serving dinner...I should have won! Again, we weren't expecting a delicious meal, just hot dogs and hamburgers. Nope! Delicious steak and chicken, mashed potatoes, salad and fruit. It was the kind of dinner I would bbq in my own backyard. After dinner we were free to do whatever we want...no curfew, just "don't be that guy"! LivingSocial and Mother Lode provided s'mores by the campfire. Along the main paths were motion censored lights which was a nice convenience for those without flashlights. Most of the night we hung out by the river. The cove/beach we launch from is a great place to hang out and enjoy some beers. We were there for a few hours before heading to bed. The morning came and coffee was available early (7am early). Then breakfast was served around 8. Even breakfast was better than expected. Chocolate chip pancakes!! There was also eggs, sausage and fruit. Looking back at this trip there is no doubt in my mind I will do this again!! AND bring new people to share the Mother Lode experience. Thank you Mother Lode and LivingSocial for an epic time! read more

Best Experience Ever!! The guides Scotty And Alec were great!! Scotty has about 14 years of experience of rafting these rivers, Alec was supposed to get his check off on our session to become a full pledge guide but we got tossed off our raft. LOL Sorry Alec hope you get it soon. Although you did manage to help save the raft in front of us stuck on Fowlers rock. We paid the extra and got a cottage which was well worth it. There was no TV just a wall of books in the living room and our group of 6 had no problem being "unplugged" for the 2 nights we were there and it was great. Also there was no reception with AT&T carriers only Verizon. So definitely make sure you're and AT&T customer and just leave your cell phone in the car. We started our adventure at noon and took the beginners course because none of us have rafted ever in our lives and wanted to take it easy the first time. We started at the camp and went on a couple of class 2 runs and just enjoyed the scenery, we were a bit disappointed in the beginning of our session thinking we were going to get more excitement but we spoke too soon once we hit the class 3 rapids. On our first class 3 (I believe fowlers rock) 4 of us went sideways off the raft and ended up downstream and other rafts picked us up. It was an amazing experience and will never take advantage of mother nature ever. Luckily we had our guides telling us what to do and where to swim in the event we do end up in the water before we hit the rapids. They were very knowledgeable and experienced of how to take care of us so we don't die...lol. We all had great piece of mind that Scotty had been doing this for 14 years and had a Seasoned Veteran in our midst plus 2 other guides who were just about at the end of their training. They made it very fun and exhilarating we would definitely come back and take on the class 4 runs, well maybe few more times on class 3...haha. Afterwards a lot of the staff came by our cottage to hang out with us and they were all great, we had many laughs and we had a great night to cap off our adventure. The whole trip was an amazing experience especially if you live in the city like us. It was great spending some time away and spending it with some great people, will be back soon. Thanks guys! read more

Our guide Christy was knowledgeable, personable and funable. Beautiful river sights, fun people, and great beginner rapids on the south fork. Great way to spend our 5 year anniversary. Hope to get back there soon. read more

What an amazing time rafting down the South Fork of the American River with Mother Load River Center. Our guide, Heather Drakeley, was so much fun. I've done quite a few white water adventures with various companies, but Mother Load gets highest marks and my 100% personal recommendation! Start to finish, everything on this 2 day river rafting adventure and ropes course challenges was perfect. Well done Mother Load! read more

Great family day on the South Fork with laughs, adventure, and our informative raft guide Merrick lead us safely down the South Fork!!

My only regret is that I cannot give Mother Lode more than five stars! The family and close friends went rafting down the south fork on Saturday, September 5th....what an amazing day! The staff is exceptional from the reservations to the trip. Sarah and Fish were extremely helpful when my first choice date was unavailable. Then the day itself is something we will be talking about for a very long time! All of the guides including Davido, Liz, Collin and Chris were outstanding but it was our guide, Bree, that made the trip perfect. At all times she was professional and extremely concerned about our safety. She was also very knowledgeable about the scenery and the river itself. I was blown away how she could anticipate and direct our raft around every rock and wave. But what made her so exceptional is that she was also so much fun! Whether it was with those in our raft or those in other rafts, we did not stop smiling the entire trip! I would definitely recommend Bree, Mother Lode and all of the other guides for a day that you will not soon to forget. While it is the end of the season now, I have every intention of planning a trip for my entire law firm and their families in the summer of 2016. I also have several friends that I have recommended to embark on this adventure! Thank you Mother Lode - I cannot wait until next summer! read more

Great, friendly, and informational guides and host. However, I was not told about the additional $9 per person fee when originally inquiring about cost of trip and reservations. Great camping on the island the night before the trip with clean showers and bathrooms. read more

I had a fantastic time water rafting with Mother Lode River Center! Never has a vacation day been so exhilarating and so relaxing. Our guide told us what to expect with each rapid and he provided entertainment all day long (there were lots of playful antics and the guides occasionally tackled one another into the water). We also enjoyed a sandwich lunch and got a mini-tour of a local historic park. It was a great value, especially if you use Groupon! read more

Thank you Mother Lode for such a great rafting experience! My company did a teambuilding event white-water rafting down the river with Mother Lode. My raft's guide, Austin, was fun, funny, and most importantly in my opinion, competent on the water! We went down some great rapids, tried some fun adventurous stuff, and had an all around good time. Definitely recommend it over those other raft guides up the river who lack river manners... read more

I had a great experience here. My sister's and I took our mom here for Mother's Day this year and it was awesome. We did the rope course, which consisted of rock climbing, a balance beam, pipe course, trapeze, and zip-lining. It was a lot of fun and we had to work together as a team for a lot of it so it brought us closer together as well. Then we did rafting, which was also a lot of fun. There were a lot of great views and we got to see a fair amount of wildlife as well. read more

Amazing trip! I purchased for my son and husband for some bonding! They enjoyed every minute of it.. Their only complaint was they would love bigger drops & longer bonfires. They said it was beautiful, fun and can't wait till next year!! Food was ok.. Breakfast was better then lunch and dinner - wish drinks were cold not just warm sodas sitting on the table..with that being said they can't wait for next year!! Still 5 star rating. And if that's the complaints they are doing pretty dam good!! Tour guide was awesome and fun!! Thank goodness they had a good group to go along with- read more

They have the BEST staff. My daughter went here on her 8th grade field trip with my husband as a chaperone, all the way from San Diego, and I heard great things about the trip. Therefore, we decided to book our family rafting trip here. We stayed 2 nights in a riverside glamping tent, had some meals there and did a 1/2 day afternoon trip on the South fork. The young adults that work there were enthusiastic, knowledgeable and made us feel like valued guests at the campsite, during meals and on our rafting trip. A special shout out to our river guide, Devin, whose vigilance and immediate action when I fell out of the boat on a class III rapid probably spared me some serious injury. Yes, their guides are super fun and personable but, at the end of the day, they do not take lightly the real challenge of keeping a boat full of novices safe! I send my other daughter off Mother Lode next spring feeling more comfortable that she will be safe and have a great time. I cannot recommend them highly enough. read more

What a great facility! Our guides Lydia and Takoda were knowledgeable, helpful, and fun!

Awesome day rafting! Big thanks to everyone at Mother Lode and to Austin, our awesome guide. Tons of fun, got super wet, and hilarious and professional staff. Highly recommended! read more

This week we took a river trip with Laura Kay on the Chili Bar section of the American River. Our guide really shared her enthusiasm for river rafting even though she has been rafting this river since she was a little girl. Seems she never tires of the fun of the trip. Safety was always foremost and the day was fun throughout the adventure. Hope to go back for an extended trip in the spring. read more

My nine year old and 16 year old and myself all enjoyed our Chili Bar Run!! This was my second time on the American River and it was great for the family! There were some parts of the class III rapids that made my nine year old nervous, however after the rapids she was ready to do it again. Our guide Isaac was great. He handled every situation with a positive attitude and I will do it again next summer. Thank you Mother Lode and Thank You ISAAC!! read more

Me and my wife had a fantastic time. Fun, personable, yet professional staff. Our raft guide, Laura, was excellent. My criticisms would be mediocre lunch and being paired up with some too casual fellow rafters -- not the end of the world, but it made our trip less adventurous. Really 4.5 stars. read more

It was our first time at mother lode river center,we had an amazing time. Our white water rafting guide Scotty is awesome. He exceeded our expectation. We can't wait to come back. I would definitely recommend this place to everybody. We stayed in the river cottage and it was very nice and comfortable. read more

We had a fantastic time at this picturesque spot. I highly recommend it. We stayed overnight in one of their tents and had an afternoon of rafting with meals. It was such an easy overnight! The staff was friendly with a laid back flair that puts everyone at ease. the river was a great experience our guide Cas was really knowledgable and her rowing skills were supurb! She guided our merry band of beginners through the rapids and taught us all some new tricks. My son was grinning ear to ear the whole time. We had a ball and if you have teenagers like we do, you cannot beat the experience. read more

Such a friendly but competently professional as well. The guides we much more knowledgeable about the area then I expected. I was expecting information about the river and navigating the rapids, but the guides went into depth about the history and culture of the area and the people who lived there. I was blown away by their guides. read more

My names Jonathan, and i went river rafting for the first time and i LOVED LOVED LOVED IT !!! my guide person robert was amazing and was able to tell us what to do without making it seem complicated, the river is amazing, everything there was just fantastic, i really do hope to come here again next summer read more