Awesome experience! Guides were enthusiastic, helpful, kind, and made sure of everyone's safety. Highly cecommend.

Best day ever with Sierra Whitewater! All of the guides in our "Oreo formation" were fantastic, but a huge shoutout to Spencer--his skill, confidence, and outgoing personality made the whole experience unforgettable. He kept our "Big Daddy" running strong and had us girls going from a little nervous to full-on "Brave Girls" by the end of the day. Couldn't have asked for a better rafting adventure--highly recommend Sierra Whitewater! read more

My husband surprised me with a wonderful birthday and 11th anniversary celebration at this remarkable location, and the experience was truly unforgettable. Upon our arrival, we were warmly welcomed by Josh in the parking lot, whose positive energy set the tone for the day. I highly recommend arriving on an empty stomach, as they provide a generous meal before the adventure begins. We enjoyed delicious hamburgers with a variety of toppings, along with fruit, chips, and cookies. I skipped the cookies but even after eating the hamburger I didn't feel sluggish so it was perfect. After our meal, we got our safety gear and went over rules, tips, safety info etc. Zach was our lead and he was very knowledgeable on all 150 questions our team asked him lol. We took off and within 5 min we were in the water by choice, and the water felt amazing. At the end of our river adventure, a jet ski transported us to end location where we removed our gear and boarded a bus, they gave us a snack prior to loading the bus. Zach drove us back efficiently while Josh kept us entertained. The entire staff was phenomenal and it's clear why this place receives such high praise. I look forward to returning with my kids , as my birthday and anniversary celebration was nothing short of amazing. Thank you guys so much. - Bring cheap sun shades you don't care to loose - Sunscreen - towel (leave in the car) - swim clothes / water suit - change of clothes (leave in the car) - water bottle - chap stick - hair tie for after your hair will be all messed up after this trip lol You don't have to get in the water to swim but be clear you will get wet!!!! And ..... you're wearing a life vest the whole time and helmet so even if you can't swim the vest will keep you floating. I hope this info helps . My husband and I sat in the front I had an amazing experience read more

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What a great time and experience! My mother is law planned this family outing and read through several reviews on several different companies. She ultimately chose this one based off the great reviews, and she really did a great job choosing this one! What an amazing time. From the lunch at the beginning of our check in, the knowledge and safety tips, the grouping up, the guides and the trip. It was amazing. Our guide was fun, knowledgeable, whitty and well experienced in rafting. It truly was a great time, and we are already planning a trip back. read more

Sierra Whitewater - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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This business is fantastic! It was all our first time white water rafting and we had the greatest time! We chose to do the "gorge". We had burgers, salad, and watermelon for lunch before we left. We all got our ppe and listened to the rules. We met our guide Zack who was amazing! He was so personable and really knew what he was doing. It was a fantastic day. Now we all want to do it many more times! read more

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Unforgettable day on the river! We had an absolute blast on our full-day rafting trip down the 22-mile stretch of the American River! The entire team at Sierra Whitewater Rafting Company runs an incredibly well-organized operation - from check-in to the end of the day, everything flowed seamlessly. A massive shoutout to our guide, Sage Low. She was a total pro! Navigating multiple Class 2 and 3 rapids can be intimidating, but Sage's direct, clear, and confident paddling commands kept us on track and feeling completely safe the entire time. If you are looking for a thrilling, perfectly executed whitewater adventure, book this trip and ask for Sage! read more

Ask for Austin the guy is an absolute pro. He knows this river like the back of his hand. We had a great adventure. He's an excellent guide very knowledgeable. Highly recommend. read more

Sierra Whitewater - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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Sierra Whitewater is an outstanding operation. They've been running trips for decades, and it shows--they've refined every aspect of the experience. From check-in and transportation to the equipment, safety briefing, and guides, everything is organized, efficient, and thoughtfully designed. What impressed me most is that they seem genuinely committed to maximizing your time on the river. Every detail has been considered to make the day as enjoyable and seamless as possible, with unnecessary hassles removed so you can simply relax and focus on having fun. It's a company that's clearly passionate about delivering a first-class rafting experience. I will definitely go back! read more

Zach was great. Obviously very experienced and informative. Awesome time with the family with perfect weather to be on the river. First time doing the lower fork. Good fun. We will be back. The lunch crew needs to work on their customer skills...a bit on the sulky side..Everyone else was very pleasant. read more

My experience with Sierra Whitewater was fantastic from start to finish. We had gotten to the parking lot about 15 minutes before the meet up time and had enough time to apply sunscreen and go to the bathroom. We then got checked in and went onto the bus ride where we went over safety protocols. My group of 7 had the privilege of having Spencer as our guide! We had all never been rafting before so with his guidance we were able to quickly learn everything we needed to know. Our group did The Full River trip and it was the absolute best. Halfway through we stopped for the included lunch which tasted great. I can not stress how amazing Spencer made our day, from answering all of our questions, to telling funny jokes, and stories it was a perfect way to spend the day. By the end we were surprised with how comfortable and good we felt with rafting, so we are already planning our next trip for the Middle Fork route. read more

We had a group of 9, our guide was Sean. We arrived late by our own fault in judging time. We could tell he was a little annoyed about us getting there late (as he should). We started off a bit rough and he gave us some tough love. At the end we made up all the time we were late! Even Sean said he had a great time with us and told us to please come back. Our team name was "team shady"....and we proved ourselves. This company is absolutely amazing from the bus driver, Jen, to the staff serving food and even meeting the owner Derek. AMAZING group/staff...cannot recommend this place enough. 8/9 of us this was our first experience. Will definitely be back, and for sure with Sean! Thank you all!! read more

our guide Zoe, gave us a great afternoon. She was attentiv, funny made our day. can't get any better than her.

The raft trip was amazing! We did the Gorge route and most of us had no prior experience. Our guide, Lucas, was amazing and made sure we had a super fun trip. I would definitely recommend, super fun. Bring water, it's hot out there! read more

My party of four signed up to raft the full day south fork July 31, 2025. Three of us had at least some rafting experience prior to this "beginner" course. We were assigned a guide who, once we were in the raft and on the river, announced that he had limited white water experience and was mostly familiar with float trips. This raised some red flags but we brushed it off thinking Sierra would never put someone ill equipped in a raft, alone with guests. Wrong. We made it through the first few rapids mostly unscathed. We did end up running into other rafts accidentally (the guide admitted to this). He also inadvertently took us through rapids at the same time as other rafts; this happened twice. He also mentioned that he got the raft stuck on a rock the day prior and it took multiple guides and thirty minutes to free it. About an hour in we went through a rapid that all the other rafts traversed with no issue. We slammed into a rock and I went flying out of the raft a slammed into a rock, tumbling down the rapid and hitting multiple rocks along the way. I was able to grab my paddle AND the guide's paddle and swam my way back to the raft. I had multiple scrapes on my left leg and moderate pain in my right lower leg. The guide apologized and said he "forgot there was a rock there." We made it to camp about half an hour later for lunch. I could barely put any pressure on my right leg. I hobbled to a picnic table, hoping a brief rest period would stop the pain. Wrong again. The guide alerted Sierra leadership, who was present at camp, about the incident. NOT A SINGLE REPRESENTATIVE CAME BY TO ASK HOW I WAS FEELING. I could not continue with the trip and had to use a lawn chair found at camp as a make shift walker to get back to the parking lot. Once again, no assistance was offered from Sierra. I picked up a pair of crutches in Sacramento. After flying home and visiting the orthopedist, I was scheduled for surgery a week later because it turned out that the collision with the rock fractured my tibia. I was on crutches for three months, out of work for 7 weeks, and out thousands of dollars. At this point, about four months later, I can barely walk any sort of distance and still have to attend physical therapy. We called Sierra to let them now what happened. They offered to refund my trip but did not follow through until we called back a week later. I trusted Sierra to provide us a good experience with a qualified guide. Could this have happened even with a qualified guide? Yes, but not likely especially on this beginner course. No one else on the trip even fell out of a raft. No one from Sierra ever asked how I was or if I needed assistance. In fact, one gal was rude and indifferent when my husband told her I was injured. If you choose to raft with Sierra make sure you proactively request a seasoned guide. Ask the guide about their credentials BEFORE you get on the river. Do not accept someone with limited experience! It is dangerous and you could end up with a broken leg or worse... To add insult to injury, the lunch sucked. read more

Sierra Whitewater - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

We had an amazing time. Our guide Andrew was the best. He continuously checked in with the group to see how exciting we wanted the trip to be, he was very professional and positive. The entire trip was not only an adventure, but was an interesting way to glide through 8 miles of wilderness. It was an amazing way to spend a day in Gold Country. We saw a deer, enjoying the river and Redtail hawks as well as a multitude of ducks and other water birds. I highly recommend it. And if you want to get splashed and feel the adrenaline, they can easily make that happen or have a more relaxed trip down the river they can make that happen too., if you haven't tried whitewater rafting on the American River, I would definitely check out Sierra Whitewater. They were relaxed and easygoing, but very safety oriented and kind. read more

Sierra Whitewater - Enjoying the river during a break from the waves. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

This crew is professional !They make you feel safe and the experience is life changing. I recommend Tucker the guide and Sierra white water rafting if you want to enjoy an adventure with your family and have lots of laughs. Thank you to the cook who provided lunch !!!! That veggie rice stuff was bomb.com as well as the burgers hit the spot. read more

Had an amazing experience out on the river with the Sierra crew. we did the half day South Fork trip, and what stood out for me was the energy and organization of the entire Sierra crew. Things started on time, we were guided at each step, plenty of communication, and special shoutout to our leader Spencer who really kept the entire time on the raft fun with his humor, and brought the entire crew together. He had so much experience out on the water which reflected on how effortlessly he guided us on each rapid and section of the river The Sierra crew is really good, I would highly recommend read more

What a great overall experience. Our guide Spencer was great, very knowledgeable, great personality and was completely in control of the raft at all times. Will definitely be returning read more

Sierra Whitewater - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

Our all-day Middle Fork American River trip with Sierra Whitewater Rafting was fantastic! My husband and I were first-time Class V rafters, and The Chute definitely checked a bucket-list item for us. Spencer guided our raft of six, while Noah led a second raft, and both did an outstanding job keeping everyone safe while making the day exciting and fun. Spencer was experienced, funny, knowledgeable, and a great leader--we would definitely request him again. Lunch was delicious and well organized, and Ray expertly handled the winding mountain roads to and from the river, which honestly felt scarier than the rapids! One of the highlights was watching Spencer and Noah run Ruck-A-Chucky while we portaged around it. Best of all, nobody fell out of the raft, making for a very successful and unforgettable adventure! read more

Sierra Whitewater - Conquered The Chute! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

So much fun!!! Staff were safety conscious and super friendly. Loved it!! Highly recommend to anyone interested

friendly, chill, professional, great guides, convenient, excellent lunch. wonderful hands on owner

My brother (12) and I (8) had such a great time with Sean! We got soaked so much and you were the greatest best guide! Thank you for letting me swim and jump off the rock! You are the best ever! I felt very safe with Sean ---- I wish I could have gone more and more and more in more and more rapids and bowls. Oh and the teacup spins were awesome! read more

Our experience was great! Our guide, Sean was experienced and knowledgeable. He showed us everything we needed to know for a successful and fun trip. The only thing we didn't know was that we would be the motor, doing all the paddling. Our guide did the steering. It's a good thing my husband and I work out with weights, so Our arms weren't sore. read more

Great place great service the river guide Rob was phenomenal. I had 38-year-olds and a 10-year-old and she was so patient and friendly with all of them. My boys had a great time. I definitely suggest this to any family with younger kids. Lunch was great read more

10/10 Experience! First timer here, felt very safe and comfortable, informed, and most of all, I had a BLAST. Shoutout to Spencer and Zach for the amazing, guided tours. Both of them have the best spirits and vibes. Thank you for showing our company such an incredible time! read more

This was my first time river rafting. We went in the beginner 1/2 day trip. Our guides were Chris and Zach. Adults with Chris. Kids with Zach and both guides were friendly, professional, fun and engaging. It was an adventurous day. The scheduled time, food service, system and transition from parking to instructions, to riding the river to getting back to base camp was efficient and no downtime! I highly recommend this company! read more

Always a great whitewater rafting experience with this crew! Highly recommend! We will be coming back every year!

I was scared to go but once on the water our guide Zach was so awesome!!! I'm looking forward to coming back and doing it again!

Absolutely awesome experience from start to finish. I called ahead to make sure I was doing the right trip for my 5.5yo. We planned on the family float, but were advised if my daughter liked any excitement whatsoever, do "the gorge," clas 2 and 3...very doable...and it was. Great trip from her and she wanted to go back the next day. Granted, she also was cliff jumping at a stopping point .. definitely had a blast. Lunch was good...booking was easy...rafting was incredible with our awesome guide, Romi! We'll be back...many times. read more

Seriously awesome experience for our company team event. our guides were exceptional with an appropriate focus on safety followed by ensuring a great experience for our team. So so so so much fun. we will be back! Thanks to the team and Sierra Whitewater for a great day on the river read more

Amazing experience. Zack (the young dude) was an excellent guide. Very funny and personable. Our group had never done it before and half our group could not swim but this was not a problem even for the Lower South Fork which was "Intermediate". Would recommend. read more

Sierra Whitewater - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

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We had such a blast with our guide Chloe. The entire trip felt safe and fun. We did the Gorge and it was a great introduction to water rafting. Will definitely come back for the next level!! read more

Sierra Whitewater - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

Monday on the river, it's doesn't get much better! Becca was our guide and she's the bomb! Chill, knows what she's doing and makes sure we had a good time! Book today for an amazing adventure! read more

Sierra Whitewater - The Gorge on the South Fork of the American River. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

I have taken 4 different river trips with Sierra Whitewater. It is an excellent company! They are responsive, reasonable and have stellar customer service. We just the Middle Fork on Saturday a Spencer was our guide. He was AWESOME!! Our group had a blast and will definitely be coming back next year and asking for Spencer! Thank you Sierra Whitewater for such a fabulous adventure! Carolyn read more

Sierra Whitewater - Middle Fork - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

What a great experience! From start to finish, our group enjoyed every moment. The rapids did not disappoint nor did our guide. Lunch was also delicious & helped keep energy levels up as we rafted the river. Highly recommend. read more

May 3, 2024, our family went on our first annual family rafting trip with Sierra Whitewater--and it could not have been better. Hands down the best rafting company on the river. Our guide, Tucker, was incredibly skilled, fun, and confident, which made us first-time whitewater rafters feel safe right from the start. He did an amazing job teaching us how to work together as a team while navigating Class III rapids, all while keeping the experience exciting and memorable. 10/10 would highly recommend Sierra Whitewater and absolutely request Tucker as your guide! read more

Sierra Whitewater - White water. Wild laughs. And core memories made ! Can't wait to book my next adventure with Tucker ! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Lotus, California

All of the staff was great! They build the trust factor leading up to the experience. We were lucky to have Spencer as our guide for our trip. Thank you, Sierra Whitewater! We will be back with the entire family. Leon and Rachel honeymooners! read more

We love the river and any trip on it but for our review of Sierra - there are definitely opportunities for improvement... - Very basic, but Sierra NEEDS to invest in different sizes of PFDS. The other river outfitters have variable sized PFDS, and for some reason Sierra had just one size: adult "universal". That means youth and small children are stuck paddling snd swimming in very loose and VERY uncomfortable (not to mention unsafe) PFDs. it also means the larger sized adults have to deal with poorly fitted PFDs. - Also very basic: Sierra provides the cheapest helmets possible (super flimsy and cheap, many busted up and missing buckles and inner band adjustment snaps). The size? Also "one size". This means children wear loose/unsafe helmets and larger headed folks have to wear painfully misfitted helmets. Other companies on the river provide well padded, multi-sized helmet options. - Sierra has a lot of broken paddles, which just looks janky and does not exude a professionalism from an outfitter. They are so busted that many have large jagged chunks missing from them... and guides jokingly call them "shark bite" injuries. Why not , um... replace them? - Guides are also very casually and brazenly talking smack about participants/paying customers (who are either unable to or do not paddle well for whatever reason), and guides were referring to those boats with less capable paddlers as "bad boats" and commenting on how much they suck. This is SO unprofessional and jusgmental and definitely does not make us want to rent with Sierra again. - Lastly, without naming the individual, a guide who seemed inexperienced and new, spent a lot of time voluntarily discussing their errors and oopsies and many cautionary tales of flipping boats and dumping participant... it goes without saying that participants do NOT want to hear about or be made aware that the guide of ones' boat is an inexperienced novice... read more

We just completed a half day trip on the lower South fork and it was a blast! We brought our two kids (10 and 8), and it was our 8 year olds first time rafting. Zach was our guide and kept us safe and entertained the whole time. My 8 year old loved it proclaiming "this is the best day ever!!!" After going through Satan's Cesspool. We loved everything about our trip. Kudos to the staff who also dealt with us being 20 mins late due to some crazy traffic. Would highly recommend. read more

this is a great experience. if you have never done rafting before or want to have a good time. this is a great place to start. i will definitely be visiting with my son again. the lunch provided was also great. the captain, i think it was john was great. read more