The 2026 California Whitewater Rafting Season Update
All-Outdoors operates professionally guided whitewater rafting trips on 10 California rivers. River trip options vary in a range of ways, including the level of difficulty, length of trip, minimum age requirements, driving distance, seasonality, and available itineraries. Consider what kind of experience you want for yourself and for your group before selecting a river and date.
Great Flows Spring to Fall!
We offer rafting trips in California from April until the end of October every year, and each river has its own season. While the Sierra snowpack was lighter this year, strong reservoir levels from prior seasons are supporting healthy flows and will keep the rivers running through October. Whether you are looking for a family-friendly trip with the kids or a thrilling ride for your group of experienced rafters, you have great options to choose from!
Late Summer and Fall Rafting in 2026 (September – October)
Summer rafting conditions continue even after Labor Day! Dam-controlled rivers with upstream reservoirs benefit from healthy flows released on a consistent, regular schedule:
- Middle Fork of the American (Intermediate – Exciting Lively Whitewater)
Now through September 30: DAILY
- South Fork of the American (Beginner-Intermediate – Splashy Fun for Everyone)
Now through September 30: FOUR days a week (Thu-Sun)
October 1 – October 31: FOUR days a week (Fri-Mon)
- Goodwin Canyon (Intermediate-Advanced – Fast-Paced Intricate Whitewater)
Double Runs scheduled on the following two weekends:
Sat-Sun October 17-18,
Sat-Sun October 24-25.
Raft the American River!
This could be you! Paddle through fun, splashy rapids on the South Fork or take on the exciting wilderness of the Middle Fork. With options for first-timers and thrill-seekers alike, there’s an American River rafting trip for everyone!
2026 California Rafting Season – River by River
South Fork American
The rafting season on this fan-favorite river opened in April and will run through October. After Labor Day, excellent rafting flows are guaranteed on four days of the week: Thursday – Sunday in September; and Friday – Monday in October. Take advantage of this quieter time on the river and join us for some classic Class III rafting!
Tom Sawyer Float & Play (South Fork Easy Section)
The Class I-II young kid-friendly Tom Sawyer Float Trips on the easy section of the South Fork American are still running through late September, making it a great option for a late-season river outing.
Middle Fork American
Rafting on the Middle Fork began on Memorial Day weekend, with scheduled normal flows starting Saturday, May 23. Seven-day-a-week water releases continued through Labor Day, September 7. Originally, releases were expected to become limited to five days a week after Labor Day, but the current schedule has been extended to provide daily flows through the end of September. This extended season provides more opportunities to experience our wonderful overnight trips through the Middle Fork’s wilderness canyon.
Goodwin Canyon
Our Goodwin Canyon season will run for two weekends in October when water releases from the upstream dam are increased to help the spawning salmon. This hidden Class IV+ stretch of the lower Stanislaus River will be available during our Goodwin Canyon Double Runs on October 17-18 and 24-25.
The following rivers are no longer running for the rest of the 2026 rafting season:
Merced River
Even with a lighter snowpack, Yosemite National Park’s high country held enough snow to set the Merced River up for a fun spring season. Trips began in April and continued through mid-May. While the river may remain runnable at lower flows a little longer, our 2026 Merced season has now wrapped up as flows continue to drop, and we’ve shifted our focus to the other wonderful rivers we offer.
Tuolumne River
The Wild and Scenic Tuolumne River delivered outstanding rafting throughout the season. Spring brought the canyon to life with lush scenery and a refreshing feel on early-season trips. Summer on the Tuolumne was all about overnight trips, warm days on the river, and exciting Class IV+ rafting through Labor Day, September 7.
North Fork of the Stanislaus River
The North Stan acts like a free-flowing river, even though Spicer Reservoir is located 14 miles upstream at an elevation of 6300 feet. We rely on low elevation snowmelt below the reservoir to bring this beautiful river to life each spring. This year, an early March heat wave caused that snowmelt to come much sooner than typical, before any rafting trips could take place.
North Fork of the American River
This most difficult of the three forks of the American River had a shorter season this year due to a drier-than-normal winter and an early March heatwave. Late-season storms helped sustain raftable flows through April, but by early May flows dropped too low and the season has come to a close.
Kaweah River
Although the southern Sierra received a good amount of snowpack this past winter, much of the snowmelt occurred in early March. By the time the rafting season began in April, the Kaweah River was running at lower flows, with some support from late-season storms. By early May, the rafting season on this exciting river had come to an end.
California Salmon
Low snowpack in this northernmost part of the state did not support a rafting season on this outstanding Class V river in 2026, and we did not offer our annual Cal Salmon trip this year.
Cherry Creek / Upper Tuolumne
The Cherry Creek rafting season began in June this year, with the best rafting conditions from late June through Labor Day, September 7. Water releases for rafting on Cherry Creek concluded as planned after Labor Day.
Keep Reading – There Is More to Explore:
Updated on September 9, 2026
Lenka Bostian
Lenka started working for All-Outdoors in the summer of 2005 when she followed her heart from her native Czech Republic out to California. After graduating college in Prague, she packed up her degree in International Business and moved across the pond for good. She’s been part of the AO family ever since, wearing different hats along the way. Besides trail running, tennis, and traveling, Lenka enjoys rafting and camping on the South Fork with her hubby (former AO guide) and their twin boys.
