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Dionos is a great guide

Had a blast rafting the south fork of the American river! My guide Dionos was fantastic! Very well... read more

Reviewed 4 weeks ago
Jeffrey A
Great bang for bucj

This was a great experience! There is camping included with your stay and hanging around the... read more

Reviewed 17 September 2024
Becca y
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Reviewed 18 July 2015

My husband, 11 yr old and myself booked a raft trip with American Whitewater Expeditions August of 2014, our first WW raft trip ever. The river is very pretty, clean and lots of fun. I can't say enough about the outfitter we chose and our guide, both FANTASTIC! Great river to raft, lots of twists and turns and ups and downs, be prepared to get wet!

Date of experience: August 2014
Thank casey k
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 15 July 2015

My husband and I both like to raft but have only gone a couple of times. I like to camp but he doesn't so I wasn't sure how our weekend would go. I'm happy to report thanks to the stellar team at AWE - we had a fantastic time! From the moment I contacted AWE to reserve our trip, the service was friendly, welcoming, informative and they were very prompt in returning calls and emails.

We booked two nights of camping and two days of rafting. The South Fork on the first day and Middle Fork on the second. We rented one of their tents and as promised, it was set up when we arrived along with the foam sleeping pads. The campground is small, clean and nicely laid out. Coffee is set up about 6 am which is wonderful for early risers like me. Breakfast is good - eggs, bacon, potatoes, bagels with crunchy peanut butter and nutella! While we were eating we signed the waivers and the guides told us where to pick up our gear and board the bus. Very efficient without feeling rushed.

Side note - the guides are HOT. And, most of them have great accents from New Zealand, Argentina, Costa Rica, etc. If only I were younger and single. :) En route to the river they give you the safety talk and tell you what to expect. Once there, they unload the rafts, you hop in and you are off. The guides do an excellent job of keeping it exciting and safe. During the calm stretches of the river you can jump out and swim if you want. You definitely have to paddle and pay attention to your guide's direction but its not too much work. I was a little sore in one shoulder the next morning. Not bad and I considered it a good workout. You stop for lunch which is buffet style build your own deli sandwiches. I don't eat meat but my husband does and there were plenty of options for both of us. We ended the meal with cookies. Really good cookies.

Back at the campground, the showers are hot with good water pressure. I think dinner was at 6. Again great options for meat and non-meat eaters. Plus, beer and wine.

Each campsite has a little fire pit, a picnic table and a bbq. The perfect set up.

We've already decided we are going next summer to camp for 4 nights and raft for two days. On the non-raft day we are going wine tasting in the area.

If you are considering this trip at all - GO. And, go with AWE. We saw several other raft companies and AWE's equipment and guides all looked to be the best on the river.

P.S. Try to have Gustavo be your guide he's hot and funny.

Date of experience: July 2015
Thank berttaylorhanson
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 13 July 2015 via mobile

We went with a party of 44 from kids to adults and had a blast on the lower American River. It was the perfect day, sunny and not to hot and not too cold. I would recommend waterproof sunscreen, water shoes and synthetic athletic clothing that you can get drenched in, because you are in the sun for 5 hours in the middle of the day. They provide life jackets, helmets, and a tasty lunch. The guy in charge hailed from Canada and was a hoot. Our guide was Ray and she was fabulous in directing us down the Class 3 Rapids without spilling anybody out. Despite the drought we had lots of water let out for rafting from the dam above. At the end of the trip, they provide cold drinks and showers.
All of this is well-recorded by Kbar Photo, traveling with us via kayak. Nothing like snapping shots from water level!

Date of experience: July 2015
Thank sandralA3267QW
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 29 June 2015

We did the Southfork 2 days and the Middlefork on one last day. The guides are 10 stars!!! They all go above and beyond to keep it safe and keep it fun. They are a family - a community. The campground is lovely with great meals, clean bathrooms and showers. We will go back as soon as possible.

Date of experience: June 2015
1  Thank Laura G
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 23 June 2015

The guides were super helpful and nice!! They kept us calm and exited to go rafting!! Five stars!!! It was the best experience of our life!!

Date of experience: June 2015
Thank Jennifer A
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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