Trips For Young Kids
Rivers with Class I flat water interspersed with occasional Class II rapids: waves 1-2 feet high. Using a self-guided watercraft is an option.
*Best for young children and tentative adults.
NOTE: All-Outdoors Class I-II trips are designed for children aged 5-7 years old and their family.
Beginner - Intermediate
Rivers with Class I - II water interspersed with Class III rapids: waves usually 2-3 feet high, passageways contain some obstacles. Rapids are challenging but not overwhelming.
* Best introduction to rafting for the widest range of people.
Intermediate
Rivers with Class I - III water interspersed with occasional Class IV rapids: waves and drops 4 feet high and sometimes higher, difficult passageways containing some obstacles. Unintentionally falling out of the raft may mean an uncomfortable "swim".
* Best for those with previous Class III experience wanting to try-out Class IV whitewater, and for athletic, adventurous first-timers.
Intermediate-Advanced
Rivers with Class I - IV water and more difficult Class IV+ rapids: 4-5 foot waves and drops, complicated by difficult passages containing obstacles that require quick, precise maneuvering. Falling out of the raft and "swimming" in a rapid will be difficult.
* Best for those with previous Class III or Class IV experience wanting a more difficult whitewater challenge.
Advanced
Rivers with Class I - IV+ water interspersed with long, tumultuous Class V rapids: 5-8 foot drops and obstacles that must be avoided. Falling out of the raft means an extremely difficult and potentially hazardous "swim".
* Best for those with previous Class IV & IV+ experience seeking the ultimate whitewater challenge.
Unrunnable
Rivers containing rapids that are so difficult that safe passage is doubtful and chances of serious incident, injury and death are almost certain. If attempted and successful, luck deserves the largest portion of credit.
Had the BEST time with guide Aviv. She gave us information about the river, pointing out rock names or the stories behind rapid names, and gave us games to try on the boat to make even flatwater fun. Had great lines, had a great time, and can’t wait for the next trip.
We had a great time, went with my new sisters in law as part of a welcome to the family adventure. It was my first rafting experience and I was super nervous but our guide Marcus and his trainee Joe were the most patient and wonderful teachers, super encouraging and positive the whole time. We felt really safe and taken care of. Lunch was also great, we were fueled and ready for the 2nd half which was when we graduated from class 1-2 to 3 which was fun and exhilarating without being too scary for a first timer.
Our guide Liam made sure we were safe while in the river. He explained and instructed everything carefully. Our 7 years old said it was her best summer day ever. We were glad she loved it. We had so many chances to jump into the river for a quick swim. There were rough rapids and enough thrills that made the journey down the river worthwhile.
After our first whitewater rafting trip a couple of weeks ago on the Middle Fork, our group of four had such an incredible experience with Annika that we decided to bring our entire company back for a team-building event with over 40 employees.
Since most of our team had never been whitewater rafting before, the South Fork was the perfect beginner-friendly trip. From start to finish, our guides—Annika, Matt, Lupin, and Tobin—went above and beyond to make sure everyone felt comfortable, informed, and had an amazing time. Coordinating a group our size couldn't have been easy, but they communicated exceptionally well, were patient with everyone, and made each person's first rafting experience one they'll never forget.
It was incredible to see our CEO and every member of our team smiling, laughing, and genuinely enjoying the day together. The entire experience exceeded our expectations and was exactly the kind of team-building event we were hoping for.
On behalf of everyone at Capay Canyon Ranch, thank you to the entire All-Outdoors staff and guides for an unforgettable day on the river. We look forward to making this an annual tradition, and we'll definitely be requesting Annika again next year!
All outdoors provided us with an amazing experience. Our instructor, Kate, Made it extra fun with her experience and humor. The route was amazing and scenic. 100% worth it to go. The rapids were supers fun Kate, we apologize that dovi did not paddle hard enough. He has always been a little bit lazy.
We had a great day that was fun for the adults and a major adventure for the kiddos! The guides are patient and do a great job. Our boat had Cameron who was exceptionally great with the kids that were interested in learning more about rapids and guiding. We did a lot of coordination ahead of time with Amanda and Morgan in the scheduling office and they did a lot to make our 44-person trip come together, and were super pleasant and informative as they talked us through the process. This family-operated company has a really nice staff that make the overall experience feel safe and lots of fun.
This trip was more than I expected. Maya was such an amazing person. Knowledgeable and extremely helpful. I can't wait to do it again
We book a rafting full day trip down the South fork on a slow mid-week day, so only my kids (9 and 9 yo) and me were there for the day. Still, Cameron and Isa took us out on a row/rafting boat (given that we definitely could not paddle well enough all the way) and we had a great time. They took their time down the river, got the lunch done and let the kids swim at various point, jumping off high rocks and swimming down a small rapid by themselves. We saw a lot of wild life too. They certainly tailored the trip for us, which I really appreciate given that it was only me with two brave, but still young kids. Fantastic day, thank you!
Awesome experience. Our guide was very good and she took the time to make sure our experience was enjoyable. We would highly recommend this adventure to anyone (young or old) as it was fun for our entire family. Thank you so much All-Outdoors for making this an unforgettable experience.
This was a great experience, we had a really wonderful day! Joe was a great guide and just made it a really fun and enjoyable today for all of us. It was fun, the weather was perfect, and the lunch was healthy and yummy. It was a lot of fun and I would highly recommend it to others - thank you!
All-Outdoors California Whitewater Rafting exceeded all expectations! We brought a team of 40 people for a day on the Lower South Fork, and it was an absolute blast. The entire event was impeccably organized, leaving me worry-free from start to finish.
Tim's communication was outstanding throughout the planning process, ensuring a seamless experience. He even took the time to personally greet us on the day of the event, which was a thoughtful touch.
Our guide, Cameron, was fantastic! He was knowledgeable, entertaining, and kept everyone engaged with fun facts about the river. He even went above and beyond, leading us in extra activities like "surfing" that the team absolutely loved.
Lunch was simple yet satisfying. The sandwich bar set up in a shaded picnic area was perfect, and the fresh fruit and chips were a welcome treat while we waited. Everyone enjoyed the meal, and it accommodated all dietary needs.
The campsite amenities were remarkably well-maintained. In fact, these were the cleanest bathrooms I've ever encountered on a whitewater rafting trip. It makes me want to consider an overnight trip next time, so we can enjoy a longer day on the river.
I can't say enough good things about All-Outdoors and their staff. Their dedication to ensuring their guests have a great time is evident in every aspect of the experience. I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone seeking a memorable whitewater rafting adventure!
Cameron and crew are awesome! They really know what they are doing and made the whole trip very fun. Lunch was great too. Will definitely be back.
Thanks!
We had a fantastic day on the river with our guide Emma. She was extremely knowledgeable about the river and did a great job preparing us for what to expect and had a strong safety focus. This river is super fun for beginners and thrill-seekers alike. I recommend the full day trip so that you can enjoy the day on the river and stop and have a great lunch. I highly recommend this rafting company due to their focus on safety, hiring excellent/experienced guides, and the frequent rafter program is an awesome perk since it carries over year on year (once you raft 5 days, your 6th day is free - even if it takes a few years to get there!). You also get a $60 off a second trip in the same season- great deal!
My husband and I had an incredible day on the American River, celebrating his 55th birthday. Our guide, Brendan, was absolutely fantastic! He was easy-going, super friendly, extremely competent and uber knowledgeable about local history, flora and fauna and navigating the river itself. The lunch he fixed for us was delicious and the day, overall, could not have been better. We 100% recommend this trip and are enjoying sharing our photos with our family and friends. Thanks, again, to Brendan, for an incredible day on the river! It's one we'll never forget!
Second time on a river trip for my wife and I. Had a great time . Our guide Bryon was great….Knowledgeable, friendly and very capable waterman. We would recommend this trip for anyone looking for a fun day on the river.
We had a wonderful experience with Ash
Our raft leader.
This was my 2nd time loved it once again.
Another great trip! Wish it could be longer than the 3 or so hours we spend on the water but still a great experience with great guides and support. If you 've been rafting before like most in our group, might want to consider a different river with more class III rapids or even some class IVs.
I had a blast rafting with friends and family! Our guide was incredible, kind, funny and very knowledgeable. My best friend was apprehensive about rafting at first and later told me it was the most fun he’s had in a really long time! Two others that went with us booked another trip that same day to run the lower half of the south fork because they had so much fun. I highly recommend this company and getting yourself outdoors to enjoy the splendor of this beautiful river!
We found AO rafting online and was so very pleased with our trip! First time for my daughter and a really long time for the rest of pur family. We laughed and smiled the entire time. My daughter got the full experience when she fell out, but our guide was so very helpful and so were the other guides in the other boats who was able to get to her. Thank you Scott, our guide, for making such a memorable trip.
Very professional and knowledgeable group. Such a great experience! We'll be back!
The raft trip was a huge hit at our family reunion. In our party, we people ranging from 14-80 and everyone had blast. For the most party, everyone was a beginner but even those with some rafting experience had a great time. The lunch was delicious and just enough. Shout out to Roger, Brian, and Emily for a great time. We will definitely do this again - maybe move up a level!
We had an awesome time and we all loved it. We want to try class 4/5 next time. Our guide Diesel was extremely personable and professional. He did an amazing job directing us through a he rapids.
We had an exceptional two day trip. AO very clearly communicated all we needed to know as we approached the trip, and all the guides were outstanding, especially Fred!
Highly recommend.
A bit slow at beginning but get exciding after lunch break. Definite will return sometime future for Level 3 or higher. Thanks for Olivia and she did a wonderful job!
Wow. We had an amazing time rafting with you. Our guide, Wilder, was phenomenal. He was extremely knowledgeable, personable, funny, and really connected with our group. We felt immersed in nature with sensory overload. Lunch was delicious. Do not hesitate and raft with AO. Their whole crew is totally legit.
WE had an amazing experience working together as a family! The scenery was beautiful, the rapids were a blast, and the food was OUTSTANDING! What absolutely made the trip was our guide Steve. He is extremely knowledgable, experienced, and gave us good instruction. We felt VERY safe with him and our youngest kids (age 11) were totally safe too.
We booked this trip for my 50th birthday. The booking process was easy, we received many notifications letting us know where to meet and what to expect. The website is very informative and their cancellation policy is really easy (we had four people drop out because they were Covid positive). We were three boats on the first day and six on the second. The guides were very helpful, funny, and easy to be around. Water was at 19,000 CFS and the rapids were not as scary as they could have been…and our guide, Wilder, was pretty awesome at his job. Food was decent and plentiful. Camp grounds were packed, however restrooms were clean and well stocked.
We had a terrific trip on the river. What made it wonderful was our guide Serena. She was an expert at navigating us down the river while keeping it fun and safe. I would recommend this trip to families with kids, and a group of just grown ups too.
Loved this adventure and the company! My husband and I took the 1/2 raft Express raft trip. Everything was very organized from when we arrived at the site and we received our equipment and run down/safety instructions on the trip. Our guide, Diesel, was great and really kept us informed on what to expect on each rapid and we all felt safe in our raft. He was very knowledgeable abut the river and the rapids and guiding us through some tight spots! The river is beautiful and we had time to enjoy some floating and amazing scenery...we even saw some wildlife! The II/III rapids were fun and exciting and now we actually feel confident that we could handle the next level, Middle Fork, next season. Just as a side note, we were definitely the oldest couple in the entire Express group of 12 rafts that day. The other people in our raft were in the 20's but we had an amazing time and I would totally recommend this trip for other active seniors! Will definitely use this company again!!!
It was fantastic!! A beauty and unique experience! Our Violet guide was the best in the world, she made the experience even more unforgettable!! I am really glad I made the decision to take this experience with you, very grateful! I am convinced that we will come back and try to do a level 3 to 4 hehehe And a thousand thanks to you José for being so kind and cordial! I look forward to speaking with you again the next time I contact you.
We are two teacher friends who wanted a fun day outside, and they did a great job. Perfect summer day, very professional and organized. Recommend for groups of friends, families and first time paddlers.
From booking through the end of the trip, AO was outstanding throughout. I took my 3 daughters, ages 11 through 17, on their first rafting adventure. I chose the South Fork because my youngest is on the autism spectrum and wanted a river I hoped she would enjoy and not get scared, all while still being thrilling enough for my teens. During the online booking, I explained in the comments box that my youngest may need a boost of encouragement at times. Upon arriving for the trip, our outstanding guide, Derek, introduced himself and identified my daughters by name. He then took some extra time talking to my youngest, gauging her enthusiasm and pumping her up for the trip. Derek was helming the last raft of about 12 in that day's trip, a special raft with large oars mounted for him to keep steady control since his raft contained first aid and other supplies for all of the rafts in our group. We were deliberately put in that raft to minimize any possible surprise "swims" for my youngest. I really appreciated the extra care AO took in trying to make my youngest's experience an enjoyable one. The trip itself was a blast! I don't have much more to add regarding the thrills that other reviewers shared. Rafting is really enjoyable. AO does a good job with the make-your-own-sandwiches lunch and large bags of chips. Derek had a few gallons of water in the raft to refill our water bottles to stay hydrated throughout (drink lots of water!). AO handles everything regarding put-in and take-out of the rafts, so there's no extra work for the customers. The professional photographers take great shots of each raft and the price for the complete package of photos was very reasonable, especially considering the amazing quality of the pictures. Bottom line is that I'd book again with AO and I think that's the best endorsement I could give any business.
This was my first time rafting. I was with a group of friends (other beginners). We went on a Friday and raved about how much fun we had for the rest of the weekend. This was the highlight of a 5-day vacation and we are so excited to continue rafting together. Our guide Wesley was amazing. He was very nice, fun to be around, and most of all helpful. He really made us feel safe and comfortable and definitely inspired us to continue rafting. We will 1000% come back to All Outdoors for our next trip. And the pictures from Hotshot were amazing! We bought the full package because all of the images were so much fun to look at and relive our experience.
Our kids are 17, 15, 14, 11 and 9. We had a blast.
Such a wonderful experience from beginning to end. A great Bay Area adventure with an amazing company. Book it!
We had such a great time! My 40th birthday this is what I wanted to do . 12 people in my group and we all had such a great time. The look in all the pictures on everyone's face was pure excitement and fun! OLIVIA AND WILDER were our guids and they were amazing . Best guides ever!! Took all our fear away and made for the most memorable day ever ! lunch was amazing also . Everyone was so nice! Shout out to the guides they really make the trip. OLIVIA, WILDER YOU GUYS ROCK!
Family of 4 with a 8yr and 11yr old who were rafting for the first time. It was such an awesome experience. Guide Wilder was so great! Lunch was freshly served. Highly recommend this as a family bonding experience. Give it a try!
We didn’t know what to expect even though the website was extremely informative. Even got a call 5 days prior to make sure we were good to go and if we had any questions. This was our first rafting trip and our guide Sophie was absolutely amazing. She explained the rapids as we were approaching and kept a cool head and worked so hard! I looked at the professional pictures after we got home and I haven’t seen myself or my husband smile and laugh like that in a very long time. I would definitely recommend this trip to everyone. My only suggestion would be not to give children under 10-12 a paddle. I had a young child behind me with a paddle that kept hitting me in the back and getting their paddle mixed up with mine as they were to young to understand the concept of paddling together. It was frustrating at times, but all in all, I would definitely do this trip again. Beautiful scenery, gorgeous river and a great company! Thanks for an awesome time!!!
was a great experience, have a lot of fun , looking for more adventures
Hi,
We did the 1/2 day trip on South Fork last Sunday. I have rafting experience but my kids were rafting for the first time and we all had a great time. Our guide Stella was very friendly and did a great job in explaining the the various rapids of the trip, guiding the group on good paddling technique and she had was knowledgeable about the water flow conditions and surrounding area. I would recommending All Outdoors to others and am looking forward to another trip in near future.
This was not my first trip with this company, however it was my son's. We both loved everything about the day - organization, professionalism and experience of the staff. Our guide was roger and the dude rocks, he knows his deal!
Great experience. it was my first time rafting and that too for 15 miles over 3 hrs, with the exciting rapids. The staff at the facility and the raft guides are very knowledgeable, friendly and made the experience very exciting and enjoyable. Corey was our raft guide and we had good conversations along our ride. Certainly recommended for outdoor activity if you are not afraid of water and getting wet. Clean changing stalls and hot showers are available for the riders. Shefy photographer made the trip memorable with his pictures. Pictures are at additional cost but they are worth it.
We had so much fun. This was my first time rafting. The first part you learn how to raft in the river and the next section is where all the Class III waves are and you get soaked.
Recommend this for everyone who wants to start somewhere. The guide was great!
My group went with All outdoor for the first time and we had a very nice trip. Customer service was excellent. I had many questions and they answered patiently. They also reached out to me about air quality and asked if I want to continue or postpone the trip. I had to postpone the trip 2 times and they accommodated my request. Guides on the tour were very friendly and we had an amazing time.
This was our first time river rafting for our family. Since were were making the trip from Southern California we opted for the two-day river rafting. Our guide was Hayden and he was an excellent guide.. he made the trip super fun and made everyone feels comfortable and put us in "we can do this" attitude. We are already planning to go back early next season and turning up the notch to level 3 and 4's rafting.
Thank you for making this a terrific experience for me & family.
Ed Soria
We love all outdoors! This will be our third or fourth trip with them. From Amanda getting our reservations set up to the experienced guides the whole process is fun. Special shout out to Roger best guide on the river!
We had a great rafting trip with Roger, 8 of us on our guys trip. (2 years in a row with Roger)
I would recommend All Outdoors to anybody. Go you won't regret it!.
I had a blast on my Birthday! It was my first time. I enjoy water sports and have always wanted to experience White Water Rafting. After getting a safety brief I felt completely relaxed thanks to our awesome guide Matilda. She was very knowledgeable and fun. I can still hear her saying “forward”…lol The scenery was so beautiful as our group rafted down the American River listening to the stories about the events that occurred on it over the centuries. Every funny shaped rock, tree and water current had a name…lol! Lunch was delicious and right on time. So exhilarating. I’m already thinking of my next trips.
Love lunch midway through the trip, our guide could have been more personable, she was a little intense for a class 2 and 3 trip.
We had an amazing experience with our guides Shay and Roger. Guide Dom was in another boat with another group, but we had fun with him as well! I can't recommend this enough as a fun time.
Our group of 5, which included 3 adults & 2 children loved the adventure and the rush of boating on the rapids ! Our guide BEN VARGAS knew how to expertly navigate through the Level 2 & Level 3 rapids along with sharing information about the nature around us. Ben walked us the safety protocol, how to manage if we fell out (none of us did) and paddling through the rapids. We felt confident with Ben at the helm! We did jump into the river when the rapids were calm, and the temp was perfect for a hot summer dip.
We booked the 2 day trip, which included all of our meals and rented their tents, and sleeping bags. We felt like we were "glam-ping" without having to worry to pitch a tent, or even cook. The food was delicious with steak, chicken, pastas, salad & dessert for dinner. My fussy 9yr old could still find something to eat.
We plan to go again!
Thank you All Outdoors!
We had a great time, our group ranged from 10 years old to 70 years old. Lunch was good our guide Becca was awesome.
We had a great fun safe trip. Can’t wait to do it again. All staff were friendly.
My fiance and I booked this trip as a belated Mother's Day gift to both his mom and mine. Prior to the trip, his mother was very concerned about the bouncing and potentially jerky motions of the raft due to some balance problems, while my mom was concerned about having to swim. In fact, my fiance's mom tried to talk us into booking a less challenging trip so she could "ease" into it. Well, we didn't listen but instead assured both mothers that they would have a wonderful time and a safe, knowledgeable guide. As it turns out, they both LOVED the trip and now want us to take them on a *more* challenging trip! My mom, who was afraid of swimming, clung to the raft the whole time and never bounced out. My fiance's mom found that the bumps and bucks of the raft were not too much to handle, and she even enjoyed some swimming during the slow points. For everyone's reference, these ladies are in their late 50's-early 60's with no mobility or major health issues. Our guide, Joe M, was amazing. He is kind, clever, conversational, and made everyone feel comfortable while still having a good time. Since my fiance and I are interested in more challenging trips, Joe gave us a couple of pointers and skills to practice as we went along. We are looking forward to booking more trips as soon as we are able. I'd recommend this trip to anyone with a moderate degree of fitness and an adventurous spirit.
We had a great trip down the south fork. Went with my kids and another family and their kids. Great trip for families. Guide, rapids, and lunch was great. My only recommendation to all-outdoors is to buy helmets for rafters. Other outfits are doing it and previous rafting companies I have used are doing it. If someone falls out and whacks their head on a rock, a serious injury can occur and one that can be avoided. The guide is wearing a helmet so why aren’t the other rafters? Hmmmm. Seems like an obvious thing to do and it doesn’t take away from the experience. With kids, not sure I would use all outdoors again without helmets. If they can provide helmets, definitely would come back. Overall great experience.
Thank you for your review, Krishna! We are happy to hear that your family had a great trip on the South Fork. Regarding your comments about helmets: While helmets are not required on the South Fork American River at normal flows, helmets are available to all rafters upon request. All it takes is asking your guide at check-in or grabbing a helmet from the equipment shed when picking up your life jacket. We are sorry you were not made aware of that. We noted the helmet request on your record, so we'll have them ready on your next trip. We hope to see your family back on the river soon!
My wife and I and our two sons went on the South Fork American River trip in July and had a great time! Our guide (Wyatt) was great and made the trip so much fun!! The river was beautiful and the rapids were so much fun to raft. We even got to see a bald eagle fly over us as we started the trip! This was our second rafting trip with All-Outdoors this year and it was amazing!!
I book this trip for a group of 4. Overall we had a great time rafting the South Fork.
The meeting location was easy to get to as well as the check in process. AO staff will greet you at the parking lot to give instructions to prepare and meet your guide.
Our guide for the 2 day trip was Kelly and she was awesome. She let us know what to expect on the way down the river and made sure that we all had a great time rafting.
Kelly provided lunch and while camping, she and other AO staff made dinner and breakfast. The food was delicious and there was enough for everyone.
We hope to book another trip with All Outdoors for the Middle Fork.
Our trip was fantastic! It was a nice mix of fun and relaxation with some education and exciting rapids mixed in along the way. We highly recommend it and send our thanks to Ben, Morgan, Haydon and Roger for their guide service and for setting the tone for a great trip!
I started rafting with AO in the mid 90's and every trip has been phenomenal. From the lazy Tom Sawyer trip with the kiddos to the gorgeous exhilaration of the Tuolumne to the thrilling Cal Salmon and all in between, the AO family never ceases to disappoint! Kate and Violet were non-stop awesome over our 2 days on the SFA. Now that I have a young daughter, I'm sharing my love of the river with her. She's been on the SFA 4 times now and hopes to move up to the Middle Fork and Merced (and more) as her confidence grows. At 10 years old, she already is asking about guide school, lol! The oldest company on the river, with family at heart. Lotsa love, AO! Thank you for keeping it fabulous!
Also posted on Yelp: https://yelp.to/EX2JklPAEhb
We love rafting with AO. I kept coming back and now bring my family on trips because their guides combine real river know-how with charisma and a fun-loving vibe that makes every trip fun with a healthy balance of safe & exciting. Our kids have had a great experience since we've started bringing them, and all of us can't wait for the next trip!
I have no complaints😀😀!! My son and I had the best experience ever!! Our guides made this trip the most memorable. They made us feel safe from beginning to end! This was our first time and we didn't know what to expect. We had the worries almost everybody has... will we fall out?? By the end of the trip we were all wanting to get out of the raft and float downstream!! Hooked and booking our next trip!
Took the trip from Chili Bar to Coloma/Lotus. Great weather, scenery, and rapids. Love this excursion. Guide was fabulous. Great family outing. Be sure to tip the paddle raft captain... they deserve it!
We brought a group of 20 and had a really great time. All of our guides were top notch, fun to hang out with, and took really great care of our younger group members. Everyone had a great time. Thanks All Outdoors, especially Roger, Brian, and Roan.
Relaxing, Invigorating, Thrilling
As Senior Citizens, 4 of us ages 77, 77, 73, 66 we all felt safety was high on the priority list of the company. Two of us have BAD backs and one with BAD knees and one with a BAD hip. So much fun had by all of us. We thank our guide, Roger, for his expert handling of our raft through the Class III Rapids. We would recommend this trip to ANYONE who would like to have a great fun-filled day. Lunch was good too and there was plenty of food for all.
And a big Thank you to Scott and All Outdoors for rolling over our original planned trip of 2020 to a never expiring certificate due to the Covid Pandemic.
We will be back until our brittle bones won't allow it. LOL
Our captain Jeremy was very informative and entertaining throughout the whole trip! Ready for the next trip to Class 4 rafting and above
I brought a group of 8th grade students on 4-day rafting/camping trip up to the South Fork of the American River and could not be more impressed with All Outdoors! We have done this trip in past years, but now with COVID calming down it was more important than ever to get these students having fun outdoors. Camp Lotus is an excellent campground for all size groups and AO provided us top notch rafting guides, cooks, and helpers during our entire stay. Jesse is the best!
By the end, our students were all asking to stay for extra days. We will defiantly be back!
Jessie, the river guide was awesome. Made learning about river rafting rules fun rather than mundane.
Jessie was willing to participate in our family fun activities as well while on the raft. Would def use All-Outdoors again when ready for next level of rafting.
I took my three sons on the South Fork, 2 of which are 9 years old. It was perfect for them. We had so much fun and our guide Bryan was honestly the best. We will be doing this again!!
We had a blast - 2 moms with 3 10 year olds. Dane our guide was awesome - knowledgeable, safe, great mix of serious and fun. We totally want to come back and do more...bigger...faster...
The trip was well organized. We were greeted right after we got out of the car and directed to our guide. Our guide, Scooter, was the linchpin for the whole trip. He was friendly, knowledgeable, safety conscious, and made sure we were drenched multiple times through the rapids. It was a blast. I'd love to come back and ride with All-Outdoors again. Oh yeah, lunch was great too and quite substantial.
Oh my gosh we had a BLAST!!! I have a 8 year old daughter and 11 year old son. My husband and I plus both our kids LOVED EVERY MINUTE!! We are for sure going back multiple times to do this level again and higher levels. We also want to try out the 2 night trips!! 100% recommend this for anyone!!! There are lower levels for younger kids too.
Great trip felt a bit short but enjoy every minute of it
Our guide made us feel comfortable with the information he provided for safety
We had 20 people in our rafting party and we had the best time ever. Steve was our guide and he was great. Very knowledgeable about the river and everything around it.
I can't wait to do it again!!!
We had a great time. Hayden was our guide. He was the best and had a lot of patience with our group. I would definitely recommend your outfit.
Wyatt was an awesome guide. He was fun, funny, personable, and knowledgeable.
Joe Marshall was an excellent guide and coach. Very knowledgeable and recep
it was a great and safe experience. we had so much fun.
We Really Enjoyed Our First Rafting Adventure. Our Guide Skye was Very Patient and She Did Most of the Work. It was a Great Family Team Building Time and So Great To Get Out In the Sun and Nature. Very Organized, Thank You
Just got home from an amazing 2 day trip on the south fork of the American River. Wanted to do something fun for my 60th birthday so my sister and 3 girlfriends gave this a try. Helen was our guide and she was awesome! Food was great, camping spot was really nice all in all we had a great time. Had 2 people in our group who had never been whitewater rafting and we all can't wait to go again next year! Thank you so much for having a wonderful crew working for your company!!!! We will be back! Next year....Middle Fork:)
I planned this rating trip for our company. This was all our first time rafting. We had so much fun. The scenery was beautiful and the thrills we real. From an awesome, hilarious guide (shoutout to our friend Alfredo- hi!), to the excitement of trying to paddle through the rapids, and the (safe) craziness of jumping into a strong current; this trip was nothing short of memorable and funny. I would definitely recommend AO Rafting as your company to guide you along the American River. We would love to do this again. Thanks, AO!
We went as a group of 5 adults. We had so much fun. The guides are great. Mason was our guide but we also met Alfredo & Carlos. I highly recommend whitewater rafting for anyone and we would definitely use All ourdoors rafting again. Also we were pleasantly surprised with the food. We were expecting hamburgers, hotdogs etc but they made us tri tip, chicken, pasta & more
First time rafting trip and ""girls weekend"" away. Roger was an AMAZING guide, kept is simple and funny and real and understandable. Never felt unsafe. I was not expecting the snack mid trip where we were waiting for the others on the longer trip that we were to meet up with... had it been earlier in the season that would have been a fabulous time to go swimming, we happened to go on a rainy / overcast day with cold river water. The whole trip was fun and wonderful, the water at the end was SO warm!! Our whole group left excited to do it again... next time we're going to try the 4+ rapids together and maybe trips again for this trip with our kids (ages 11-16). Highly recommend Roger he was a fabulous guide and he really ""made"" the experience. :-)
My wife and I had a fun time. However, our guide was abrasive at times with commands.
Thank you for your review. We are happy to hear you had a fun time rafting with us, but would like to talk to you about your guide. Can you please contact us directly to discuss your experience?
Awesome!
Super fun trip with a super fun guide. Tyler was fun, informative and knowable. As a bonus we got Mikey, a second fun guide on our boat. Both were amazing and made our trip that much better!
What a great time on the river! Our guide Dusty was fun, knowledgeable and got us working as a team in no time. The whole experience with AO Rafting was top notch. Only one negative. I did not care for the ""Hot Shots"" experience. For $30 I expected a photo print not a link to a digital photo. Then there was a lame $2 ""recovery fee"" on top of that. Walked away from the Hot Shots location feeling like I'd been pistol whipped, and punched in the stomach.
We had the 1 day trip (lower Gorge) and it was awesome. Perfect for a family with kids. Our 11 years old daughter loved it, it was her vacation highlight. There are lots of rapids so it never gets boarding and the class 3 rapids are thrilling and fun but not too extreme, just right for a family. The tour was very well organized, the lunch was super, all fresh and tasty. Not to forget our tour guide who did also a superb job. Very friendly, informative, clear advises and commands in the boat, we never felt unsafe. Thanks for a wonderful day.
Fun rapids. Quick introduction to rafting. Kids enjoyed themselves.
This river rafting experience was awesome! The guide couldn't have been better. The rapids were thrilling, and all we had to do was listen for directions to paddle forwards, backwards, and stop. The good food was all prepared for us. The tents were set up before we got to the camping grounds, and our guide even cooked us brownies in a Dutch oven. We plan to use this company again!!
We had great fun. The level 3 rapids were fun and exciting. Level 2 is good for the first timers. We have some still water to just get a hold of the paddling and stuff but overall it was time well spent with our small group of friends.
It was a great first trip and the guides knew what they were doing. They really prepared us on what's to come so we were never in a tough situation. I wish everyone could ride with Kate. She was really great and encouraging.
This is really a well-organized trip and wonderful experience! I highly recommend it.
We camped at Camp Lotus and rafted with All-Outdoors with our 11 year old daughter and one of her friends. The rafting trip was definitely a highlight of our vacation. The girls loved it (our daughter's friend was fearful at first but after the first rapids, she rafted like a pro!) The parents loved it. What a great way to spend a day. Our guide (Jimmy) was very skilled and made the trip that much more fun (safe and enjoyable!) We'll be back!!
I cant express the amount of fun my family and I had on this trip, Roger Bare who was our guide, and later found out he and I was from the same small town (our parents knew each other) shown us a amazon time, I would recommend requesting him!!
I took my teenage boys for their first rafting experience and they loved it! Our guide, Mason, was marvelous :). He was skilled and very very fun. The boys learned so much about the river and surrounding nature from him, and even got to try wild blackberries.... We will definitely return for another fun adventure.
I went with a friend who was trying out rafting for the first time - the rapids are not exciting if you're fit and experienced, but it's a great great first time trip. I had been on this river and with this company before - AO is excellent! Accommodating, professional, and friendly.
Jamie, Onya and Gator were super fun guides that took great care our our team and showed us a great time on the river. Beth from the corporate reservations team made planning super simple, she was very accommodating and took time with me to come up with the best option for our company event. I highly recommend All Outdoors!
Tyler was an amazing guide who put us right in the center of every single rapid down the river. He prepared ahead with a boat with oars in the back so we would be sure to be ok, as it was 6 kids ages 7-11 and two adults. We had 5 kids up front thru some of those rapids!! He made sure each person had a special experience, including my daughter who was not feeling well...she got to help row the boat at the end all by herself...the first smile I saw for the day since she was really coming down with something (happens so fast!). I would highly recommend this trip to first timers - my kids already want to try for a class 4 or 5 now, but had so many grins and squeals of delight as we went they the 2's and 3's. Great day!
I've rafted with AO several times. This trip included my 6 grandkids - first time for 4 of them. Gator made it fun and kept the kids safe. Thanks!
Took our daughters (12 & 13). They were a little scared at first, but had a blast! They want to go again and we will be scheduling a bigger family group next time. We will always remember this experience.
The lunch was a feeding frenzy . No napkins or plates. A buffet style way of serving would help with people hovering over a bag of chips. It was ridiculous. That's the only negative
Was great that first half was level 2, and then into level 3 on second half. Scenery was amazing. Went with my 9 yr old daughter and 12 yr old son. Was perfect
Loved our trip - AO is organized and safety conscious (they sent out a 2nd boat with 1 guide to accompany our small 2nd day trip of 4 rafters + 1 guide simply for the safety factor.) Food was a step above other outfitters (ie. tons of great condiments and components for an upscale sandwich bar instead of just mayo and mustard). Our guide (Alfredo) was super personable and made sure to engage all his rafters the entire trip. Our daughter (age 8) and another rafter (age 12) were the only two kids - he made sure they were included and taken care of the entire 2 days. From first welcome through day 1, to camp setup and dinner prep to breakfast, day 2 rafting and 2nd day lunch, Alfredo was there and took excellent care of us.
Loved Rachel. She was very experienced, and we had fun. I have two kids who really enjoyed the trip.
Our Guide Helen was a wonderful Guide. She was very mindful of our safety and made the trip a great adventure.
This was a great trip. Our guide Patti was awesome and made it a lot of fun. Perfect for beginners
AO did a marvelous job in handling the tour end to end, we booked the 2 days, safety was very good, and out guide, Luis, was the best!! ... go with him!! ... food breaks were great, scenic, and rapids were exciting. the second day ends on a low note, but the first day and the first part of the second day were great. we really enjoyed the experience, we were 5 as a family and had a great time and lots of fun, there were 2 companies who took pictures and those turned out very well.
Good instructions on the raft. Granddaughter, 13, and I, 77, chose to sit at the raft front for first half of lower South Fork. Might have been good for guide to mention that that position would be the most inundated over rapids. It was okay, but a surprise to get totally soaked early on. We bumped a rock at one point, and I tumbled out -- a complete surprise and shock -- was pulled into a different, closer raft, then transferred to mine. Embarrassing. I didn't seem to be hurt, but wasn't sure; didn't feel pain, but felt quite shaky for quite a while afterward. My falling out was no one's fault unless the guide could have somehow avoided the rock. It seemed to be a surprise to her, too; she didn't have time to call ""lean in!"" Granddaughter and I asked to move back to middle of raft positions for second half of trip. She loved the more intense rapids of that half; now gun shy and a bit scared, I hunkered down, concentrating on rowing and making sure she didn't fall out. The lunch: snacks laid out before sandwiches okay. Sandwiches okay -- the makings laid out buffet-style -- but there were no plates of any kind on which to put the sandwiches, no napkins, no knives with which to apply spreads, just one little spreader for the hummus. I understand the concern not to create garbage, but we needed something to put our sandwiches on to make them and something under them while seated at picnic table; we needed napkins for the usual reason. The river and surrounding terrain was beyond beautiful. On the raft you feel deep into nature, a part of it, far from civilization, and like you're part of a good team becoming stronger and more adept at paddling. That part was a great experience. At take-out, guide asked us to help carry stuff up the hill, then come back to help her get the raft up. Only my daughter and I came back; I found the raft too heavy to help with; a rafter from another raft took my place. We both felt guides, not rafters, should haul the raft up from river.
Family took our 9 year old daughter for her first white water rafting trip. Did the 2 day trip and went up early and stayed an extra night as well for a total of 4 days. Camp Lotus where you camp at is actually fairly nice and clean. They really take good care of it. There are showers and toilets. The All Outdoors section of the campsite is close to the water, there are plenty of areas to go swimming or just nature watching. For our trip, we had Helen for a guide. She was great. Both days were fun and adventurous. Our daughter loved the entire trip. The lunches served both days on the river was simple fare but good. Dinner the first night and Breakfast the following morning were prepared by the guide. They made a ton of food so no one was hungry. Overall, we will be back, she wants more rapids so will be looking at a slightly more adventuresome trip next time.
Haley and Jimmy were awesome guides. Everything was very well organized, the food was delicious, the campsite was super clean and the rafting was so much fun. I booked this trip as surprise for my boyfriend on his birthday, Haley went out of her way to prepare a cake for him. He was thrilled!
This was my small child's first DoubleTree rafting trip and he loved it. The guides made sure that she was safe and that my request for additional safety, straps, helmets were honored. We had everybody ade 8 to age 60 in our raft and everybody had a blast
My family had a blast rafting and our guide Cole was great, knowledgeable and flat out cool. Great time.
great family oriented company - went out of their way to accommodate my son with special needs
JUST THE GET AWAY WE NEEDED WITH TWO TEENAGE BOYS
We were a family of 4 (our children are 21 and 20) looking for a fun first-time rafting experience. This was the perfect trip. AO has great customer service, and we loved our guide. The trip was just as described. We had a great time and will definitely use them again when in the area.
Jimmy was awesome!!!
Keira is an outstanding guide! We had a great trip as a family. Thank you All-Outdoors!
Thrilling first white water trip! Our guide was excellent and fun. We felt perfectly safe and can't wait to do it next year.
Fun in the sun with my 12 year old, FR smiles and laughter for miles it was great. We have a peanut allergy and my balance is not always the greatest no worries with the AO team. If you're on the river bank trying to decide, get in the raft you'll have a blast
My son and I had a great experience with AO. Kat (our guide) and Alfredo were both amazing, very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Super professional and knew the river well. I liked that at one point they stopped to scout the river before we went though certain section... safety is a high priority for AO. Lunch and dinner was delicious they even offered a Vegetarian selection. The Lotus camp site was excellent with great showers and amenities. I highly recommend AO or first timers or experienced rafters.
Exciting and very thrilling!
Definitely would go again. I am going to go again. I would have to bring my own helmet. But I would like to try another company next time to compare to yours. Our guide was young and amazing. He was very personal and informative. I like that. As older-younger woman, I would suggest to wear helmets to anyone going on the trip. Reservations were great too! I just dont like double dipping and that's what others were doing in the Salsa cream cheese dip. Not enough fruit. Anyway, Thank you for the opportunity!
Hands down Alfredo and Cat were the best guides and made our experience outstanding. We went with another family and had a total blast. Cannot say enough great things about our entire experience and we are now hooked on rafting.
Oh AO, you guys are fabulous! I've rafted with you over the decades on nearly all the rivers you run and every trip has been great. I'm now returning to the rivers with my 8 year old and the South Fork, Lower Gorge was perfect. She's adventurous and loves the water...and Dominic was great at keeping her and the newbies in the raft comfortable and safe. Thank you and see you again soon!
Our guide was Mason and he was amazing!!!! We had some rafters in the boat that weren't as experienced/focused as they should have been. But our guide kept the board under control and worked with people until they could do what they needed to to keep the boat on track. I have rafter with AO rafting 5 times before and I will raft with them again. They are a wonderful company.
It was my granddaughters graduation gift. We had so much fun and it was a thrill. At times our anxiety was overwhelming but oh my goodness what fun. Our guide Alfredo made us feel so safe and was just a pleasant young man. Because of him, next year we will come back and do the 2 day trip, and we will request him to be our guide. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR AN AMAZING TRIP.
Absolutely beautiful. Guides are knowledgeable and truly want you to enjoy your time on the river. Jack was great with kids!
Amazing! I've been rafting in NC, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, this was the BEST! Always focused on safety, but plenty of thrills.
The entire day was perfect. Our guide, Brian, was knowledgeable about the history and the land along the river. It was both thrilling and educational for the entire family. It was our kids first time and we were all happy for the experience and would go back again to challenge the more difficult class.
We took our kids on the two-day trip down the South Fork American River and we had an amazing time. We were worried that the little one (8) would get scared by rapids given the intermediate status of these rapids. Cole, our guide, was wonderful and made the kids feel safe while at the same time showing us a really fun and thrilling time on the water. The meals were delicious. The itinerary was great. If I could change one thing, it would be to raft a little longer on the second day but it was overall an amazing time and we will raft with AO again!
Our funny, sweet and good lookin' guide Mason made the trip! Even taught us how to tie a few knots while Dave was towing us to the buses;)
Roger is a great guide
We have done middle fork twice now with AOR and had a blast both times. Our group of friends and family ranged in age from 7 to 70+ including some first time rafters. Everyone had fun! Lots of excitement but not scary. AOR guides and staff are great. I highly recommend!
For my first time rafting I highly recommend this trip. The scenery was so beautiful. Our guide was awesome! He made the trip more fun :) Because my daughter and I are thrill seekers, this beginner's run was not active enough. I would say this is for people that just want to cruise along. We will definitely go back next summer but we are going to move up to a more challenging run.
Group of six With four of them first timers. All had a great time with enough action to satisfy us who have rafted before. Our guide Alfredo was excellent and answered all our questions. He made the trip very enjoyable. Lunch was fine the usual faire of sandwich fixing. I was glad that wet suits were not required. Water was 60 but the air temp was 88 so getting wet was refreshing. The only thing that was a con is that there was a lot of wait time before the trip started due to a large group of people going before us. Time should had been better accounted for to move the process along better.
Second trip in two days, first was the Gorge and today Chili Bar. Six family and friends on this trip with only one first timer. Again all had a great time, plenty of white water and thrills. Our guide Jesse was great took us a thrilling ride. Again water was 60 and air temp was 77, so wet suits were not required. Were was only two rafts on this trip so it was very nice to almost have the river to ourselves. Next year will be the middle fork!!
Able was our guide... He is so amazing with water rafting .. explaining stuffs in details... Had great experience..
This trip was a blast! I was a little scared in anticipation because I had never rafted before but our guide was great and got us through all the class ll and lll rapids without flipping or losing any passengers. It wasn't too taxing physically; I expected to do more paddling so that was a pleasant surprise. Lots of interesting wildlife to see, and the scenery was beautiful! Highly recommend Steve as a guide, he was a lot of fun.
The rapid were awesome and guides were very professional. Lunch was a gourmet experience. Couldn't have been better!
I can't say enough good things about AO Rafting. We had a couple of hiccups with our scheduling and they were so kind and patient with us while we got everything (and everyone) figured out. Customer service was excellent. When we got to the river our guide made us feel very at ease and comfortable as we floated the river. He gave us a run down of each rapid before we got there to help us feel prepared. We had 3 kids on our raft between 11-17yrs old and they all had a great time. One even declared that he has found his life's passion and can't wait to be a river guide one day.üòâ It was a great day out on the river and we can't wait to come back again!
As a father with four boys they all had a blast to say the least...Thanks to All Outdoors...we will be back!
We can't say enough good things about All Outdoors! Exceptional customer service, kind and helpful guides, organized trips...We had the best time.
The river starts out with calmer rapids and makes for a great introduction or refresher. The end of the river has lots of fun rapids for all. As always, AO was the epitome of excellent service. I am always impressed and appreciative.
Our family had a great time on the American Fork river going white water rafting. I have been once before some 25+ years ago, but it was my wife and kids first time (ages 14 and 16). The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, they kept us very informed during the whole process, start to finish. The water was very cold (but to be expected due to all the snow in the mountains). Everything was still green, so the scenery was really nice. We were basically the only ones on the river due the time of year, the white water rafting season had just started. There were some good strong level 3 rapids, which were enough to handle due to the kids and wife's first time, as well as me. We would definitely due this again, hopefully soon.
Be prepared to have a blast! Our family of three had such a wonderful time rafting. While my husband and I have rafted before, my 12-year-old was nervous. The guides continued to give tips to my son to remain on the boat. The rafting boats were smaller than what we expected (sat parties of around 6) but they were definitely more agile and just as safe. The guides were really big on safety. They brought extra everything... it's only because we asked because there were plenty of bags and stuff on our boat (i.e. we were the safety boat). The company was well prepared in case we didn't bring the right materials, such as wet suits and wool sweaters. It's amazing how wool sweaters work. We will definitely go rafting again with All-Outdoors.
Our experience with AO Rafting was terrific. The website is easy to navigate and informative. The folks in customer service are patient, friendly, and thorough. Our half day on the South fork of the American River was perfect. Our trio of relatively inexperienced rafters got personalized attention and superb instruction, encouragement, and support from Joe. And none of us fell out!
We did the Express Trip in South Fork American, Lower Gorge and it was great for beginners. This trip had level III and level II. We had non swimmers in the group but it did not matter as our guide, Roger was very prompt on giving instructions on when to hold on. It worked well for us. The rapids were exciting considering our group had beginners.
First, the company has provided excellent customer service from the reservations I made online via chat, to the follow up emails, and phone calls to confirm - outstanding! My son is 11 years old, non-verbal and has autism. The guide, Dave, was so incredible and my son had THE BEST time ever! I wish we lived closer as we would be on the river with Dave and AO every day if we could. Don't even think for another moment about booking your rafting trip - book today! THE BEST! THANK YOU so much!
What made our trip was our guide, his stories, his knowledge, him caring that we had fun and were safe.
Such a awesome experience with a GROUP of friends and family. The staff is awesome.
My husband, and I wanted to celebrate our birthdays, and we did just that! We left early, and quickly realized we'd arrive late due to holiday weekend traffic. Scott, the owner called me after I contacted reservations to alert them, and he went above and beyond to accommodate us ! We were 40 mins late, he got us set up, and drove us in our car to a spot where we were able to wait for our raft to arrive. Kelly, our guide was great as well! She was sweet, and a good teacher ! We'll be back with our family for sure !!
Fun for whole family- first timers and some that have been before
N/a
Great beginner/intermediate whitewater rafting adventure!
Really good rapids and a super guide I just would've liked to swim more.
Joe was phenomenal as a guide! My wife's first rafting experience and this was our weekend getaway for her 31st birthday!! AO surely did not disappoint :)
Kelly was our guide. There was 5 of us in our party 3 kids 9-13 jelly was so positive and had great energy. Just talking to got us fired up. SAFETY was the the highest priority with her, then came enjoy the trip. She has the perfect personality for this job. When we were getting a little tired, and weren't padding as we should, Kelly in a nice way got our attention and fired us back up and it made for an AWESOME trip down the river. Kelly worked so hard padding and keeping us in the right position so we would hit the rapids correctly. GREAT Time was had by all. We'll be back. Big thank you to Kellyüëç
I have two comments that many discussed post-trip: Trip departed very late as staff awaited late arrival of just a few customers. Result was a non-stop paddle without a break or snacks that were mentioned several times. At end of paddle, soft drinks without snacks offered. Clearly a business decision to accommodate a few stragglers that held up the rather large, multi-raft group (6-7 rafts). Plus, too many rafts means bumper boats all the way down the river; assumption is that close proximity to each other enhances safety for the less experienced, as well as guide-to-guide communication. If being with a smaller party is important, ask how many are signed up for your float. If you need to snack or have low blood sugar, stuff a granola bar into a sandwich bag, and maybe put it in your shorts' pocket or in a waterproof pouch some wore around their necks...
We are very sorry the trip you attended was delayed by late guests and your trip was impacted by an unusually busy day on the water. In addition, we apologize for our guides forgetting to pack the snacks for your trip, which was totally our mistake. Fortunately, this error does not ordinarily happen and we have taken this to heart for improvement.
Family had a great time! We plan on going again next year. Our guide Ryan was awesome with the kids and adults, very knowledgeable and safe. We had a 9 and 10 year with us who enjoyed the trip and can't wait for next summer!
So much fun! Our guide was awesome! He has been on this river since he was 15 and worked it with us. Felt so comfortable and safe him and his joke were funny. Picnic lunch was great n we got to jump out n swim multiple times to fully enjoy the experience. Would do it again n again if we come back this way from Florida. Outstanding Group of people and business!üéñüíØ‚ùóÔ∏è‚úÖ
Steve, our river guide, is a funny person, but being ex Army Ranger you know from the very first moment that you can totally rely on this guy. It really was a safe and funny trip.
Pros: -Excellent guides -lunch (great salsa dip)! -organisation Cons: -No helmets? -Not enough excitement in first half Verdict: The South Fork is excellent for families but probably better to take the middle fork route if you're young, reasonably fit and out to seek adventure.
AO provides quality equipment and a variety of runs, Kiki made the trip! She was knowledgeable, safe and FUN! She showed our group of 6 a great time. Not only was the trip a blast, but we got awesome pictures with her help in timing our poses!
Great 1st time rafting - the rapids were fun - started slow with Class II B4 lunch and class III after lunch. our guides were excellent - all about safety and fun. we were a Corporate group of 21 people in 3 boats. everybody had a blast. next year Class IV. great time .....
I have been using AO for 25 years. This year I started a new chapter in our family rafting trips - I took my 8 yr old grandson on the lower portion of the South Fork. He loved it! He kept asking for more and bigger rapids! A great company and great people that work there. Thank you AO!
Had a great time on the river, brought my friend Jeanne and it was her first time....we are coming back again!!
We loved this trip. Has small rapids for me and bigger ones for my husband and kids. Tyler was our guide. He was awesome!. I would use this company and of course Tyler again in a heartbeat!!. Great time!!!!!
Dusty our guide was fantastic. All guides worked very well together. One negative must point out- at the great lunch that was provided it was discovered that the ""hole in the ground"" bathrooms had no way to wash hands after usage. These were filthy and very unsanitary. Several people used these prior to digging in to the lunch items which included finger dipping into chips/dip and fresh cut fruit platters. Please Please Please provide Purrel hand cleaner stations and even give out hand wipes prior to all the friendly finger dipping into the shared platters.
Thank you for your review. The porta-potties at the lunch stop are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Hand sanitizer is included in all of our lunch kits. We are sorry if it was not visible, or available to you on your trip. We will remind our guides to place them in visible spots for everyone to see and use.
Kat was excellent. Very accommodative and helpful, also an excellent rafter.The food was absolutely delicious and well organized. Kudos!
Everyone was great from the moment we arrived until we got back to our cars. Our guide ""Charlotte"" was awesome. Very knowledgable and made everyone on the boat feel safe. We had a group of 8 first timers and she made the trip fun for the whole group.
Our guide, Ryan, had excellent ""people"" skills. He took the time to learn, and use, everyone's name. Asked all of us what we did for a living, where we were from. We had 3 flight attendants on our raft! He obviously loved what he was doing. Wasn't just a job to him. Good luck with your freshman year at college in Bar Harbor Ryan! We loved having you for a guide!
Truly worth the cost. The river was refreshing and exciting.
This was an rf experience! I wanted to do something special for my birthday and this was just the perfect choice!!! It was so much fun! We went with a huge group of coworkers... all with little to no experience.... we were very well educated on safety and our guide Randy Armstrong was extremely knowledgeable and he made the experience memorable and thrilling. The lunch was spectacular and from this experience we have determined another rafting trip is a must before the season is over! Thank you so much!!!
First but not last time
no comment
Our company has been doing summer outings with All Outdoors Rafting for 6 years, but this was my first time organizing and participating. Diana and her team made the whole experience so easy and fun. They were able to accommodate 60 employees to have a fun day on the river. Everyone had so much fun taking a day out of the office to enjoy the rapids, sunshine and learn from the knowledgeable guides. We had Jackson as our guide and he did an amazing job coaching us through the different rapids and keeping us entertained the entire trip! We cannot wait to come back next year!
Our guide Kyle was exceptional--he demonstrated expertise in reading the river and guiding our paddling. In addition, he was delightful and tolerant of our 9- & 10-year old grandchildren's endless questions. Always with a smile. Ryan came along as a volunteer but brought now only great personality, like Kyle, but helped our weaker side with paddling. Both put our minds at ease about taking grandchildren on the river.
Joe is AMAZING! He set expectations for safety. He tested our knowledge and ability to follow instructions. He managed the fun and safety in a great balance. I will be back with friends and family.
We were all first timers in rafting and our group included a 6 year old and 2 seniors as well so we were worried in the beginning. But we managed, thanks to our awesome guide, Blake! He was very knowledgeable and fun and was very good at teaching us how to navigate through the class 2&3 rapids. Everyone had a great time, specially my 6yr old. Everyone on their staff was also very pleasant. We would definitely consider going again with All Outdoors. Thanks again Blake!
I planned this for my mom, her brother and sister-in-law, their grandchild, and my wife for a holiday adventure. We were not disappointed! Everyone on the boat loved the experience. We all had a great time, and our guide, Joe, was very informative, very safety conscious and gave all of us a wonderful experience. We are certainly looking forward to our next trip with All Outdoors.
We had such a perfect day on the river. Our guide was kind and fun and so knowledgeable! We surged a rapid (my fave part), the rapids were exciting and fun and great for my friends who had never been before so it was safe for beginner yet still thrilling enough to share stories about later...that is key! Every part of this experience was a joy and we will definitely be back...ask for Roger! ♥️
Fantastic two days on the river for a family of rafting novices. It was the highlight of our trip.
We had an excellent trip with guide Gabe. The food was outstanding and plentiful, with chicken, tri tip, pasta, salad, and garlic bread for dinner, and make your own sandwiches with good quality ingredients each day when we pulled off the river. The guide let our teenagers swim some small rapids without rocks, and let them jump out to swim several times.
- their guides are different styles, some of them are quiet, and some of them are very interactive. However, didn't get to choose which guide we prefer. it will be much simpler and bored for experience rafter also with quiet guides.
Roger was our guide and we adored him. He made our trip a wonderful experience. If we get back up there and go again, we'll ask for him to be our guide again.
Kiki, the guide, was great. The teenagers loved her.
Our guide was amazing and made the trip the best for my daughter! my little girl was terrified and the guide soothed her fears and helped her have the best adventure ever. I was able to enjoy myself knowing that my child was safe and taken care of.
6 of us went to raft South Fork American River on a Memorial Day Weekend. The trip started with our guide explaining the history of the American River and the nature surrounding it. We jumped on the raft and went through Class 2 Rapids. The guide let us jump on the level-1 Rapids. The morning session was very calm and relaxing. We rafted close to two hours then stopped for lunch. Lunch was ""Make your own Sandwiches and Wraps"" fruits & chips. Please do not expect a heavy lunch, my advice would be to take some cookies or chips. Following the lunch, we started rafting on Level 3 Rapids. Lots of splashing and adrenaline pumping rapids. Every one of us enjoyed it to the core.
Wish we would have done the middle fork, definitely fun. But for our group, we wanted a little more thrill. This was a nice day on the river. If you think this might be too much. It won't be, great time. Derek you're a rockstar man. We will definitely be going with AO again soon
Good times
Went as a group of 4, 3 of which had not been white water rafting before. I purchased the trip as an Xmas gift for the group and chose the 2 day since one couple was driving up from So Cal. All-Outdoors literally took care of everything for us. Lunches were delicious, overnight campsite was reserved, the guides came and cooked a wonderful dinner and even came back and made us breakfast. If you have the time to do the 2 day, we highly recommend it. We had a tremendous time rafting, challenging enough to get the heart pumping but never too much for us novices. The true highlight of our trip was our guide, John V. He's been doing this for a long time, knows the river like the back of his hand and has a wonderful sense of humor. I told him after the trip that we will return with more family and friends next time, but we will insist on him taking us down the river.
Our friends recommend this group to us and we come in 12. It is our first time rafting and the experience was beyond our expectation. So much fun. The water is super clean and everyone should jump or swim. The instructor will educate basic rafting skills and keep you safe.
I took my grandson for his birthday. We had a blast.
This was our first time rafting. We had 5 in our original party and surprised them with an additional person. The crew were able to keep us all together in the same boat, and we had a great time. The guides did a great job of providing a lunch that tasted good and was healthy to eat! We all loved the trip and want to up the ante next time and go on the next level of rapids! We had a terriffic guide!
very fun adventure
Me and my friends loved our adventure on the S. Fork of the American River last weekend! Everyone had a blast and there were no complaints. Our river guide was excellent and shared some great history of the river and the Gold Rush with us. The rapids were thrilling and we all felt this wonderful feeling of accomplishment afterwards. There were lots of peaceful moments on the river in between rapids and the scenery was so beautiful. There was a very helpful training and orientation in the beginning, and we got to practice forward, backward paddling before we set out down the river. I can't wait to go again!
I organized this rafting trip as a family and friends event to get together and shred some rapids. The tour guides were very knowledgeable about the rapids and the flow of the water. Not only did my group have a blast going down the express upper chili bar, but we are already planning on doing the next trip for next year. I would definitely recommend this rafting company to anybody wanting to have some fun in the American River.
Awesome for people/families that want a great day on the river! Amazing adventure. We highly recommend getting off your couch and trying this!
This was a great rafting trip for my family and my kids really enjoyed it 12 and 15 year olds
roger was very good
We had a great day rafting with Dane! He was incredibly friendly and engaged our group immediately. We would be very happy to take a trip with him again. All of the AO staff were amazing (from booking to follow up) and answered any questions we had without hesitation. Appreciate all of their hard work and attention to customers!
Stew, Rowan, and Mary were amazing. Thank you for acomadating our large group of 19 and for making special acomodations for our little kids. 2 6 year-olds and 8 year old and 7 year old all 7mder 60 pounds.
We had a private trip of 3 boats with a few very small children and felt very safe. Two of the boats came together all day during calm waters for conversation and water fighting but the guide of the 3rd boat did allow this, which was a bit disappointing for that boat given we were a large party. However it may have been that she was a new guide and had other things on her mind. Regardless we all had a great time.
Our guide is the best.
A big shout out to our guide, Gabe! He was wonderful and knowledgeable.
What a great trip! Kiki was so much fun, she was great at getting everyone laughing, telling jokes and engaging with each other. We also really enjoyed the swimming before lunch and felt very safe under their watchful eye! Our crew is looking forward to coming back to do the Middle Fork as well! Thanks to everyone at All Outdoors for helping to make our family adventure so much fun!!!
Came to AO on the recommendation of a co-worker and so glad we did! Our guide was Sophie and she was absolutely amazing, entertaining, knowledgeable and demonstrated confidence that she was in control of the situation at all times!! She was great in prepping us for each Class III run so we knew what to expect and how to respond if things went south. This definitely helped alleviate any anxieties we might have had. The food was really good too!! Not what you'd expect for camping! Very impressed with the friendliness of the staff.
We had an amazing guide who kept us entertained the entire time. He helped us navigate the rapids without tipping our boat! We had a group of 8, four of us had been rafting once before. It was appropriate difficulty for us. Hard work paddling is!
We had a great time on the water with our super-fun guide Mikayla! Very easy going and entertaining, made for an excitement-filled trip.
I cant stop telling others how great of a time this is
Our group of 4 had 3 rafters who hadn't been in 15-20 years & 1 beginner. We all had a great, exciting time & felt very safe the whole day. Tyler was an awesome guide. The only possible downside was out of their control, 2 rafts of boyscouts who made the lunch experience a little gross. Double dipping in communal chips & salsa, overall lack of hygiene & no intervention from adults. But the company, guides & staff were all great.
Just the best day ever! Having difficulty getting the photos of the trip, but that is another company...
It was my first time rafting and I had an amazing day! I am definaltely gonna go back but maybe on a little harder rapids next time... I will ask for Tyler again he was a great guide!
Fun trip for first time rafters; 54yo father and 12yo daughter. Hot day with temps in the 101-104 range made for excellent conditions for rafting and swimming. The guides were hard working, professional, and easy going. I was very impressed with how simultaneously attentive to detail and safety our guide was while keeping a friendly demeanor and bright smile for her raft full of river noobs. I look forward to bringing friends out on the river this summer for a group trip as a result of the awesome service and great attitude not only our guide but all the guides we chatted with at lunch time brought to bear on what has to be a pretty stressful job.
My wife and daughter were a little apprehensive before the trip, but both of them had an incredible time and want to go to the next level. The Express trip was a good introduction for them and our guide Dave was incredible - knowledgeable, humorous and adept with the raft. He made it fun and talked about the history of the river. My son and I really enjoyed the. ""Swimmer's Rapids"" where you get to jump off the raft and ride some mild rapids in your life jacket. We look forward to the Middle Fork or the Merced next. AOR really does it right!
First time to river raft. I am 74 years old and had a blast.
We had a great day on the South Fork with Tyler. Our boat had two families of 4 with teens. Although the 1115 am check left us idle for a long while before a 115 start due to some delays in the morning trip up river we had a super day and would ride this river again tomorrow. Tyler was helpful, safety oriented and pleasant to be with for the afternoon. The class 2-3 rapids were great for our group, neither too hard or gentle. We splashed, swam frequently and soaked up the sun and scenery. Lunch was tasty and filling. The small group of 4 boats was easy for the guides to keep together and on the move. Can't wait to go back and do it again, with Tyler and his team!
We had a great rafting experience, it was the first time for our family! Or kids between the ages of 15 - 9 had a blast! The guide were great and the lunch was fun! Definitely recommend to anyone!
Had a great day with my Daughter on this trip!!! Exceeded all expectations!!!
Our day of rafting was definitely a highlight of our trip to the Bay Area! My sons, 8 and 11, had a fabulous time. I appreciated the emphasis on safety; I was able to relax and enjoy myself. Our guide was great with the kids. We will definitely come again next time we're in California!
Did the 2 day trip as an outing for our gym and had a great experience and best camping experience!
My family had a wonderful time on the trip! Our guide was great the whole time. Customer service prior to the trip, with booking and advance questions, was also very good.
We had a diverse group for a (mostly) family outing -- ages 10-57, mostly beginners with some old hands at rafting. It was easy to set up, and it was also the perfect trip in that there were enough thrilling rapids for the experienced folk but not so challenging that the beginners were overwhelmed. Lunch was a welcome break, and the food was ideal (sandwiches and wraps with a lot of choices for the vegans and vegetarians among us). The guides were very attuned to the people in their rafts, and they navigated the river accordingly. Great experience from start to finish!
We enjoyed the experience. Exhilarating and fun! For our first experience, this was the right choice for us. It did have long calm patches between Rapids, that helped us catch our breathe and enjoy the scenery and the river. Next time we will upgrade to a class three experience, as we all got over our fears. Tyler was a fantastic guide. I'm pretty sure he could have handled the ride on his own, however, he made us feel integral to our journey through the he tough parts. He was terrific about explaining what to do inf the event we fell out (which no one did) before we approached each rapid, and calmly gave precise instruction as we entered them. He made us feel like pros! Thanks for a great day, Tyler (and Corey--who was in training).
Wyatt, our guide, was so knowledgable and proficient. He kept us safe, while at the same time, ensuring we had the whitewater rafting trip of a lifetime.
This was my wife and I first rafting experience. From booking to rafting all staff were very helpfull and knowledgeable. Our guide Gabe was very good at letting us know what to expect as we went downriver Our first day on the lower half was a fun time. Starts out with mostly smaller rapids with a couple bigger ones occasionaly. After lunch it gets much more exciting. The lunch was mostly cut fruit and sanwhiches you make yourself. There was just enough meat and fixings for our group. Don't plan on being overly full but enough to satisfy. Day 2 we went on the upper chili bar. Rowen was our guide.Helmets were mandatory for this one.Much more exciting than day one. About the same as the second half of day one. Starts out fast and kept getin better. A much shorter trip though. Done in about 2 hours but worth it. I I recommend goin to hotshot photography and buying the photos. They had 22 shots of each day of our trip. One day is about 60 bucks. Some great pics too.
We had an amazing time. Can't wait to do it again!
This was not my 1st time rafting but my families 1st time. I have kids that are 9 and 12 and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and are asking when we are we coming back. Mikalya, our guide, was great. Very knowledgeable and attentive to detail and our safety. AO has a whole was great. I have two recommendations for them is put the paper work online and have participants fill out before getting there. It will save time. Secondly, the lunch was decent, but we ran out food quickly and some did not eat. I would recommend bringing more water as well there was not enough.
I organized the trip for 5 coworkers. Reservations were easy and communication with the staff was very good. They checked in a few days before the trip to see if we needed anything. I felt like they valued our business. I have used the company when I was a student and glad they are still in business - you can trust you'll have a good experience. During the rafting day, it was as I remembered it - safe, easy, fun. Our guides were interesting, relaxed, capable, and personable. It was fun to jump off the big rock into the river and swim in the current. Getting a boat tow when we hit Folsom Lake was a nice help too. The only critique I have is that there should be an option to buy trip photos online, rather than having to go to the third party photography store down the street (my group was in a hurry to hit the road so we couldn't stop to buy photos). Thanks AO! I'd like to come back when my kids are old enough.
The guides were great, and we had a good time on the river. We want to go again on more advanced routes in the future.
We had a wonderful experience, üòÅ
Prior to our trip we were advised that water levels were higher than their average and helmets were required. Kind of threw me off since I haven't been river rafting in a couple years. I thought this trip was a good idea since I had 2 teenage boys with me and a couple first timers and a few experienced rafters as well. My husband and I totally hyped up the experience for our friends but by the end of the trip we were bummed that's all we got to experience. The South Fork Lower Gorg starts off at lvl 1/2 then after lunch rapids increase to lvl 3. I should've just booked lvl 3-4 instead. Sophie was such a great guide! I couldn't believe how old she was. The only thing was she was little too strict, I've had more fun and out going guide before but because of her age I can assume why she had to keep her professionalism. The rapids for the South Fork Lower Gorg which was highly recommended which hardly had any excitement. I mean there were a few but it wasn't as exciting, dangerous, and fun like I had experienced before. The first time I went we were able to ""ride the bull"" and were in for such extreme rapids it was so much fun! It was so hot and hardly any rapids that got us wet so we willingly jumped into the river which was super cold!!
I found the experience to be totally enjoyable. It exceeded all of my expectations. I am looking forward to doing it very shortly.
Great Experience.
We had a large group of 25 people with many first time rafters! The trip was a huge success and you will have everyone back for more fun! Thanks to everyone from the ""office"" people who helped book the trip to the awesome guides who provided all the fun and excitement! God Bless you all!
John was our guide he was professional and friendly and above all safe and knowledgeable. He led us down some pretty big rapids we had fun but did not flip over. He checked in with everyone in terms of their comfort level in the rapids, gave clear instructions and knew so much about the river.
I had been rafting before, but wanted to bring my wife and kids for their first adventure. They absolutely loved it. We took the 1-day trip. Derrick was our guide - very funny, very friendly, very knowledgeable, lots of fun - safety was always his number one priority, which was important to me as my youngest is only 10. Lunch was tasty. In looking at all of the other outfitters on the river that day, All-Outdoors seemed to me to be by far the most professional and the safest. I was impressed. They will be the only company I use in California. This trip made outdoor adventurers out of my family. They cannot wait to come back.
We had a blast rafting the South Fork American River with All Outdoors California Whitewater Rafting. Our guide, Rachel was excellent - she was knowledgeable and gave us all the helpful tips which made our rafting experience enjoyable and safe. We are definitely coming back and will try the middle fork next time as suggested by Rachel.
Great experience, as always! So much fun I'm going back in a week!
Guides John and Roger made it a very fun rafting trip! Knowledgeable, entertaining, rapids were good. Just wish it was longer! Highly recommend this.
Joined an AO rafting trip for my friend's bachelorette party. All 14 girls had the most AMAZING time!! It definitely helped that the water was so high, but the guides, equipment, planning, food and safety were top notch and contributed to the fun. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone looking for a good time. No boat flips and no overboard passengers. Just a ton of fun :)
I really appreciated our guide, Roger. He did a lot of rowing with ores from the back which meant that we didn't have to work as hard. He was very clear and specific with his rowing instructions and his timing was great, so when we did row, we got great results. Although another raft flipped and threw all of the rafters and a few rapids were intense, our boat felt under good control. Makayla (sorry if I'm spelling your name wrong!) was also in our raft and was super funny and sweet. She added comic relief to a group that was otherwise pretty quiet and helped make the trip a lot of fun. I would definitely use this company again and I would request Roger as a guide.
Went rafting with 15 friends for a bachelorette party. We did a two day excursion it was so much fun!
Awesome guides, awesome time, and made first time rafters comfortable and we learned how to raft progressively throughout the 2 day period. Awesome experience!
It's been a fun experience. This was our second time. Our first rafting was awesome so I decided to take my sisters family who came for a visit. It did not fail to deliver and they had blast. Our first guide and this time Lucas we're both great . Will definitely do this again.
We were looking for bigger rapids, but we still had a lot of fun. AO guides are always marvellous, and the food is delicious.
Tyler was a great guide for our ladies rafting trip. Thank you...it was amazing.
Had a blast once again! Staff is super fun and always aware. My 12 year old fell out of the boat. Our guide was on it. Didn't miss a beat. Scooped her right up. She's a scrappy surf kid so I wasn't too worried. Just the right amount of adrenalin! We are making it a Memorial Day tradition from now on.
We had a nice experience for our first time rafting. We definitely felt like we were in good hands with Roger our guide. The rapids were fun and we are looking forward to another trip in the future.
All the guides were great. They took care of us and made sure we were prepared. Lunch was awesome too. I'm definitely coming back.
Would like to do that again in summer next year - Greetings from Germany !
We had a great time. Roger, our guide, was very knowledgeable about the river and he entertained us with his experience of river hydraulics. Could not have asked for a better guide. I would highly suggest this trip to family with children, or people who don't love adrenaline. There were a few very fun rapids, but overall too slow for healthy adults like m partner and I. We still had fun, but I could have used more adrenaline spikes.
12 Boy Scouts between the ages of 11 and 16 took the South Fork trip and had a blast! 6 adults accompanied them and had even more fun, I think. The rapids were exciting enough for the older boys and definitely thrilling for the younger ones. The customer service from this outfit was flawless! The guides were fun, knowledgeable and safety aware. Diana in the front office was amazing, easy to work with, professional and knowledgeable. Well worth the money and we will definitely be back. This Troop outing will now be a yearly adventure.
Our guide Clarissa was both very experienced and knowledgeable about the river, she knew how to keep a boatload of men in check. She's funny, personable, and professional. Thank you, Clarissa! Bart
Great course for a beginner rafter! Just the right amount of thrill on the rapids, nice scenery, and great guides.
Very professional yet very casual experience.
Had a great time on the river. Rowan, our guide was awesome, and helped calm our 8 year old. He was very knowledgeable and provided good guidance before the level 3 / 3+ rapids. We all appreciated that he was talking to us about the different bird life and also the names of the rocks along the river.
Our guide, Packard, made the trip exciting and fun for a family of first time rafters, very much appreciated.
I love rafting with this company. The guides make the experience memorable, they are friendly and very intelligent. I am tired, but want to come again, This trip was with students and I'd love to come with friends or family.
Our guide, Nick, who was so knowledgeable and educational! And he was so much fun! He is exceptional! He provided us with lots of background information about the geological formation of the river and lots of historical background information about the American river while we were cruising along the river! He added so much value to our trip...not just seeking for thrills in the river....but very educational! The whole All Outdoors crews were so friendly. We felt like having a outing with friends and family....not a bit of commercial feeling at all! We will definitely come back...with everyone we know...to have fun together
Very fun day! We really had a good time.
Time is suitable for people from bay area. We took a 3-hour drive to the meet place at 12:30pm. Then drive back after taking a 3.5 hour rafting.
We went wit American Whitewater expeditions and our guide was Corey. He is fantastic. He knows the rapids so well and knows how to hit them at the right angle so you get the best ride on the rapid. We had a blast. We are definately coming back next year. If you go, i suggest you ask for Corey
If you offer discounts for families with kids, you will get more customers
We had a great time and our guide, Dylan, did a great job guiding us through the experience.
Very good choice for a first time rafting experience. The guide was very clear and interesting.
Great day. I had rafted this river as a kid and it lived up to my memory bringing my own kids.
My husband and I have ratted multiple times with all outdoors, and have always been exceptionally pleased with their service, professionalism and the beauty and thrill of the trips. So naturally this year we decided to bring our children (ages 9, 13, 14), so we chose the lower 1-day trip on the south fork of the American River. I have to admit, I was nervous for my children, especially my barely 9 year old daughter. However, we want to encourage our children in being active/appreciating nature, so we went for it. First, I'm happy to report that none of our family members fell out (yay). Our guide, Daisy, was very perceptive to the personalities and ""needs"" of the children and kept an eye on their safety. This portion of the river was less thrilling than others that we've been on (still beautiful), but it was perfect for introducing our children to rafting. We continue to be impressed with ao rafting and fully recommend them to anyone looking to take a trip, yes even with children.
This was our family's second white water rafting trip--our first was in Montana (also wonderful), but it was amazing to find that there is great rafting so close to home. California had been in a drought, so until I had a chance conversation with a rafting guide on a ski lift off-season, I did not realize that the rafting was still great. We are so happy to have gone on this trip with All-Outdoors. Because of my son's age, the only river we were able to go on was the South Fork. It may be a beginner run, but thrilling and fun none-the-less even for this adrenaline junkie. Our guide, Thomas, was fun and a great instructor--he kept it safe and fun for the kids and everyone on the raft and in the water when we swam, but the ride and swim opportunities were still thrilling. Disneyland, Legoland, or any roller-coaster ride do not come close to the fun that my son had on this trip. And lunch was really yummy. :-) We can't wait to go out with All-Outdoors again.
our guide talked us thru the upcoming rapid; what to expect which was great because once your in you are really in it...
Had a great time with an awesome group of friends. Mikayla is a great guide. I highly recommend requesting her as a guide. She was fun and knowledgable about the river and made the trip very enjoyable. Can't wait for next years trip.
Willy and Daisy were magnificent. They couldn't have done a better job. We had a blast, and the cooking was fantastic. Lifetime memories were made. A tremendous bargain we will be recommending to everyone. (One very slight quibble: the campsite could be a bit closer to the restrooms.). Overall, five stars for sure!
Had a great time on this one day trip on the South Fork of the American River. I have been rafting 4-5 times in the past and this trip was maybe the best. A friend of ours joined us for his first ever trip and had a great time. Our guide Juan-Carlos was exceptionally professional and well qualified. His instructions were easy to follow and very helpful. He also entertained us with several rafting stories. The food for the lunch break was very good and plentiful. Will definitely ride with All-Outdoors again.
It was really nice to get away and spend good part of the day away from emails, phones extra and just enjoying the scenery and the cool river with family on a very hot summer day. We had a super guide (sorry forgot the name) who made the whole trip very enjoyable.
We had rafted last year on vacation and wanted to share the experience with our grandson (age 7). This was the perfect ride for his first time. Tyler? Trevor? sorry, I know it starts with a ""T"", was so good with our grandson. We had 3 in our group and the other was a group of 6 ladies. We all had fun and I would definitely recommend this trip to any families with young children experiencing rafting for the first time. Can't wait until the 3 year old grandson is old enough to go!
We took our kids 12 years & 9 years on this trip. We had such a great time. The rapids were perfect for thrills and fun without scaring the kids. I strongly recommend this adventure! Our guide was very experienced which helped us feel safe.
We had a blast on our rafting trip. Its starts kinda slow but it works its way up to be very exciting. Level 3 looks very intense for being a first timer but was worth it. We woyld do it again. I keep telling my friends n family about your service and how astonishing ur group is. Hope to come back very soon. Lunch was not to shaby but wasnt expecting something big anyways. Still ate good for all the energy u lose on the river. Viola was our guide she was awesome. Great outdoors person and very friendly answered all my questions. Great job Viola.
Nice way to introduce an out of town guest to our beautiful area of the state! Experienced fun guide. Made sure all were safe and had a good time from first time rafters in our boat and even child on first trip
Great, cheerful guides. Fun river. All around good trip!
Had an amazing time and our guide Hayden was amazing and fun. Lunch time was awesome to see all the guides create a generous spread including hand carved fruit in front of us, no prepackaged lunch with All Outdoors
The All-Outdoors booking representatives were extremely knowledgeable and helpful making our booking process low-stress and quick. The staff provided helpful preparation emails and information and before the trip they even sent a reminder email. Upon arriving at the meeting spot, the staff were so nice and accommodating. The guide staff were friendly and knowledgeable. This is a family run operation and everyone on the team was very warm and welcoming. We planned this as a bachelorette trip and the staff at All-Outdoors made the experience so great and memorable for our group and bride-to-be. We definitely recommend this company to any first-timers and group bookers!
I now have two runs under my belt with AO. I thoroughly enjoyed both trips and can't wait for another! The guides truly love being outdoors, and on the water. I've rafted with Dave and Hayden, both were fantastic and I'd ride again with them. The guides make sure you get the most out of your day, and you do. My 14 yr old niece had a blast and is ready for more! The guides even prepare lunch, which is a great spread and fills you up for the 2nd half of the day. I really appreciate the lunch stop and the facilities that are provided there. Very clean!
Emily was a good guide to ride with. It was fun sitting in the front. It was good to show my sons teamwork in a different fashion. But if your city is going to be very hot, this is the ticket. The water fights were fun through the day. So AO we'll back for more. Thank you for the day.
Had a lot of fun. We only had 2 people launched from the raft and one of them was the guide!! The level IIIs were exciting. Would do this again!!
The guides were great... Daisy is a stellar guide! I appreciated how inclusive they were with everyone.
First time rafting for our kids (11 and 13). They were totally thrilled! All-Outdoors provided an overall great experience. Daisy was a wonderful guide, who was friendly and knowledgeable. We felt safe at all times. Can't wait to try the Gorge. Will definitely go with All-Outdoors!
Our guide was great and we had a blast!
Great trip! Our guide Kelsey was the best! Reno will be back!
Joe was an excellent guide for our first time river rafting. He has plenty of experience and gave some neat history of the river. Great views, fun rapids and overall fun time for the family. Would highly recommend going with friends and family to have a memorable time.
My daughters' swim team takes this trip every year, and every year All-Outdoors makes it special. Super helpful and personable people in the office and knowledgeable guides who balance fun with safety. The river is always different and always fun (and always cold!) -- nothing but great memories every year.
The guides made the trip alot of fun and the food was top notch.
We had a blast!!! Our boat had a total of 9 plus our guide.... Our group included two, eight year olds one, six year old, two teenagers and four adults. The Lunch was great.... our Guide Brian was AWESOME!!!!!!! Brian was friendly and answered all the husbands questions. Brian was great with the boats 3 young kids.... So glad we got Brian...!!!! Hint... Hint request Brian! Plan on doing again in a few years when kids are older and can be more involved.
Had a great time with the family, wife and two kids. We had Dane as our guide and he was awesome! Really knew his stuff and informative. Nice guy.
The trip was well organized. Safety was a great concern and they went to great lengths to make sure we understood all elements involved. They took excellent care in explaining how the life vests worked and made sure that each one of us had the vests properly on and fitted tightly. In the event we were to fall out of the raft they explained exactly what we needed to do so that they could pick us up. Safety definitely was their #1 concern. I would be remiss if I didn't mention our river guide, Nick. He was excellent, professional, very experienced, great personality, fun to interact with. The staff were very patient in answering my numerous questions when I was planning this trip for myself and grandson. We had such a great and memorable time.
Had a great first time rafting down the river. We had a group of 5 people and a family of 4 In the boat.Had a fun guide named Nick. He took the time to have everyone introduce themselves and give a tidbit about someone they knew in the boat. Nick had excellent knowledge of the river and was willing to let us try out different things. We had such a great time we already booked a second group outing next month.
Even though we had a group of first timers, i wish we would have chose the higher level of rapids. They could have all handle a little more thrill. They still enjoyed it very much
I don't get this question.
Our guide, Mikalya, was wonderful...She seemed to enjoy what she was doing and was engaged in conversations with us. She also did a fantastic job on guiding us down the river. We had a few newbies, but with her confidence everyone felt secure. All eight of us had a great time.
I took my 11 year old daughter on her first rafting trip and she loved it. We are going to make it our new family tradition. Looking forward to the challenge of level 4 rapids next summer!
Third time rafting and first time flying out of the raft! Very terrifying experience but grateful on how quickly the guide responded and got me back in the raft. Shows quick reflex on her part, great safety skills and wonderful customer service
We had originally booked the middle fork but could not do it because of a canyon fire. We loved the afternoon part of the trip best as the morning was very scenic but rapids were smaller Loved jumping into the rapids at a couple of points Great guide
Our guide Carmil was knowledgeable, fun talking to and made sure that we are safe all the time. My wife & 2 teen kids want to do it again. Now when I look back at my trip, I realize life is more than computers & wifi and one needs to enjoy the nature like Carmil does. For her, it's not a job but an excitement to be with the group. Next time, we'll likely do more intermediate.
Great sraff and food. Would recommend it to all. Best time.
I have rafted the American River about four times and have aways went with ARR who always provided experienced guides. This is my first tie with AO Rafting. First, the customer service os awesome and very responsive. Truly impressive on all accounts and the price was very good. Now the unwelcome news. We were scheduled to raft the middle fork as we have rafted the south fork several times and were looking forward to more rapids now that our kids are older. The day before our scheduled float a fire broke out on the middle fork so we were given a choice: either cancel for a later trip or raft the south fork. I agreed to raft the south fork as long as all eight of us could be split into two smaller rafts so we could experience more whitewater which was the original intent. Well, when we arrived we were all put into a very large raft and the experience wasn't what was promised or expected. Although the guide was competent he repeatedly said he had only rafted the south fork two times before and seemed hesitant at times. I wished AO would have honored their promise to split us into two rafts since this is the only reason I agreed to raft the south fork for the fifth time. I'm not sure if I would recommend AO over the several other rafting companies in the area - and there are many.
We sincerely apologize our staff did not provide the smaller boats as we promised. We were operating under unusual circumstances and regret we let you down.
Great Experience,
Personally, I've rafted more rivers than I can count. I wanted two friends to experience the Gorge run, so I invited them up for the weekend to experience Coloma and the surrounding area and to make a river. Our guide in the single boat trip was Nick. He is a very good guide and we all had a great time. Later in the evening Nick joined us all for drinks and dinner at our ranch.
Experienced guides, had a amazing time with my family and it's my newest addiction!! My 13yr old son fell out in one of the Rapids, and quick response of the guide my son was safely back in the raft!! Great experience and will only raft with this company!! Thank you for your expertise, knowledge and 2 amazing rafting trips!!
My sisters, friend and I had an absolute blast on our rafting trip. What made this experience even more memorable than me turning 40 on the actual day of our rafting, was most definitely our guide Steve. He made the rafting, fun, hilarious and overall thrilling. He is amazing and my sisters, friend and I are talking about going back just because of this experience! Thank you AO!
Liked the low key culture of this company and its guides. Will go with them again.
Great guide - Thomas! Fun Rapids for our two families...
Overall our guide ,Christine was great. She was very knowledgeable and friendly to everyone. I loved how she knew how to handle the current and turns precisely
Father & Son bonded and had a blast. What a special time to celebrate Dad's day - June, 2016
My friend and I booked this rafting trip while we were doing a road trip around California. As this part of the river is aimed at beginners, I would say that there was a the right mix of calm river and rapids. The quality, and quantity, of the lunch was very good and our guide, Roger, was very friendly and knowledable, which really helped to make it a great overall experience.
Really enjoy our first rafting experience! What made it so much more fun was the guide, and that guy was Gavin!
We could only go on the first day of summer vacation, kids had summer school. I didn't expect to be the only raft on the river! Just four of us made the trip even better! Much more exciting than I expected. I have rafted most of the rivers in West Virginia as a kid. This was just as exciting as those if not more. Lunch was great! Being in a wheelchair I wasn't sure how they would treat me, but Mikey, the guide, just let me do as much as I wanted and only ever helped if I asked for it. This is a rare quality in a person, especially a adventure guide.
Our guide Roger was awesome! This was a great experience for my family and I. The staff all together were helpful and nice.
First of all we are happy that we got a separate boat just for us (two). Guide Bryan is very cool guy, experienced in river for more than 20+ years. He is well versed with handling things and knows each and every nook of this river. During the raft we saw lots of people on the banks saying Hi and Thanks for things he did for them. Very good to have him guide us. Coming to the Raft part, this is for Class I, II and III rapids. Its very good and we became completely wet at the end of Raft which is very good. Also, I like the scenaries, food and the whole raft experience. I am looking forward to going back there again as we have good amount of water this season.
We came with our 9 year old son and 15 year old guest, and all four of us had a blast!!! Cam, our river guide, was amazing, funny, experienced, and got it just right for all four in our group. We will be back!
This trip was the highlight of our vacation and we would love to do it again next year. Our guide was really great and funny. He was very helpful and nice throughout the trip even though we were beginners who were white water rafting-challenged :)The front office staff was great. They answered all of our questions over the phone and Nina helped us get a good family deal that saved us a little money on a promotion. 5 stars guys. R. Piazza
Everything was great. You should provide helmets. All it takes is one person hitting their head against a rock and fun is a tragedy.
We hope you will join us on another trip, and if it's on our Class II and III difficulty rafting trips, we encourage you to request a helmet. We provide helmets for those guests who feel more comfortable wearing one. On all our Class IV and V level difficulty rivers all our guests wear helmets.
Our trip turned out to be much more than we expected! Our guide was such a delight and so knowledgeable. Our kids (8 & 10 yrs old) had such a fun time experiencing rafting for the first time. We were not sure how they would do and they enjoyed it immensely! Thank you to AO rafting for giving our family a great experience. We will be back for more!
Hi Susan, my family and me we were very happy with this trip, my grandsons Enrique, Anthony and Dominic they are very happy and they ask me when we come back to doit again, all of us we can say nothing bad for this trip, all the personel they were very profesional. I WILL recomend to all my family and frends to go rafthin with your company, Thank you for all.
We had a wonderful day. We had a 6.5 year old with us and AO made an exception to their rule about min age of 8. We cleared this before booking with their owner. They put us in our own boat with Roger, a guide who had 20+ years of experience. He used an oar frame to better control the boat. The older kids had fun while still allowing it to be safe enough for the little one. Safety was a priority at all times.
This was a great trip. It was handled professionally and yet with fun. The guides clearly knew what they were doing and ensured we had fun while being safe. There is little I can complain about or suggest, I thought it was handled very well. Of all the rafting trips I have been on, this was the best. I would highly recommend this trip to beginners and those who want a nice day on the river.
My husband and son had never been rafting so they were worried. Once on the river, they had no worries at all. They were positioned up front and it was the thrill of a life time...like your best amusement park ride that keeps going and going. We made great friends and have wonderful memories. We bought a few pictures and plan to use one for our Holiday card this year. All the guides are great and our guide Tyler was knowledgeable, entertaining and made for a great day!
It was great.
We really enjoyed working with this company. It was a beautiful and scenic leg of the American and there was just the right amount of thrill for our 8 year old. Colin was a fantastic guide and let our daughter be the daring ""hood ornament"" that she tends to be on the water. They placed us with another family with kids-who were the same pace as us. Everyone was well organized, food was great, and safety and respect for the river was evident. I will say that I wish other guests would consider being on time and ready to roll-as larger groups tended to dominate at the starting line and made a lot of us wait around. However, that is not the fault of the rafting company! We would certainly raft with them again!
My family had a great trip and if we ever get to California again we will certainly book this trip again. Our guide, Rose, was AWESOME and FUN!!!!!
Took my friend for her 75th Birthday. Was a bit nervous , but Tyler was in control. Gave great instruction and within minutes built us into a team working together. The drought made for numerous class 3 Rapids . We paused for a moment coming not them while Tyler gave us a bit of history of the different regions is the canyon and safety instructions in case anyone was tossed from the raft. Was a wet and wild time and a perfect day. The lunch the guides put together for us was healthy, fresh, and definitely hit the Mark. Will request to have Tyler every time.. But, no doubt the other guides were equal.. All seem to be having great fun. Will only use All Outdoor!!! Did not see any of their rafts on the ""Wall Of Shame"" on August 1st. Thanks for a great day!!
Fun time for beginners and anyone who wants an enjoyable but not too challenging time. Good for all. I did Middle Fork next day and it was much more technical and I came close to falling out of raft twice.
Amory, our guide, was knowledgeable and lovely!
Kristen was the best. I went with my two boys 8 & 11, and this was their first trip. The Class 3 rapids were fun, and challenging, with just enough danger to think we could get knocked from the boat. Never did I feel my children were in danger, and they felt safe as well to get out of the boat and float down the river at the calm spots. I would definitely do it again with them, and they also look forward to challenging rapids. My only critique was that it didn't last longer. Camp was great, clean, and the food prep and quality were great.
Christine was a great guide. Answered our queries and was liberal in letting us jump off the raft when it was safe :)
Took an awesome Napa/Sonoma trip for my wife's birthday and brought 15 of her friends to the South Fork; while a few were not sure if they wanted to do it, 15 minuets into the trip, everyone was having a great time. Highly recommend this for anyone who wants to do something a little different!
Upper Chili Bar was a perfect first time rafting experience for our family of 5, plus two friends! Just the right amount of adventure for our kids ages 7-15! Everyone had a great time, weather and water were perfect!!! Lunch provided by AO was amazing too...fresh cut fruit, chips/salsa for appetizers and delicious artisan bread with all sorts of fancy fixings for our sandwiches!! Noted no plates or napkins were provided, assumably since too likely to get wet and also to cut down on trash generation-which was totally fine, cuz we really didn't even need them-more people should do the same!! Guide was very experienced and knowledgable even had some fun games for us to play!! Perfect length, 9-2 start to finish! Highly recommended!! We are looking forward to our next run, plan to expire other runs and push our limits too!!
The trip is perfect to first-time rafters. The guide Kane is very nice and professional to guarantee a exciting and safe rafting though he only joined the company three months ago. We will come back again and try more challenging rivers such as middle fork.
It was a great day, my family and I had SO much fun! We loved our guide he was a great leader!
I think the facilities were immaculate. Staff took great care of the team. I would definitely choose AO Rafting over others.
Beth was a fantastic guide and made the trip even more enjoyable. The class 3 rapids were perfect for our group that included twin 8 yr old boys. Scott, the owner, promised us a great time and his team certainly delivered! Looking forward to taking on the Middle Fork next!!
Olivia was a great guide. It was a great family trip. Will definitely go again however I prefer the 2 day trips.
Our guides were super fun! Lunch was fantastic. The rapids were exciting. Very organized, well put together outing.
Great group of friends having a blast rafting with AO! Will recommend this trip to guests at my vacation rental business and to all my friends! We had a great time! Loved the photos!!!
It was a well organized trip. Great Guide. Erica was very helpful and knowledgeable. The trip structure was well. Would go on this trip again.
South Fork is great for kids. Second time down this run. Third time for me with AO. Will always raft with this outfit. Guides are cool. Feel very comfortable with them. Me like!
fun and exciting experience. Lover the scenery and water was so clean and comfortable to swim in. very good rafting guide. Will definitely recommend to friends.
I really had fun and a great experience for a virgin rafter. My sister and I are so glad that we plan to do this yearly and will do it with All-Outfitters as Kathy was great (I hope I remembered her name right).
Our guide was Justin, he was awesome!! He was super knowledgeable and enthusiastic and made it pretty fun out on the river. I was very pleased with the lunch too!!! I left completely satisfied with the amount of food they offered! I will say though that I was bummed we didn't have plates -___- I would pick them again, but jeese, plates woulda been nice. I've gone rafting twice before and both other companies had plates and napkins. But other than that,the guides were kind, friendly, knowledgeable and still willing to have fun and keep our safety in mind. I never once felt like we were on a schedule or a deadline.
Ben was great at helping me reschedule my trip. It was my son's first time rafting and we both had a great time. Joe, Amery (sp?), and Packard were professional and fun, and most importantly, I think everyone had confidence in their ability to guide us down the river (we had 3 different groups that traveled down the river together). The weather was perfect (mid August) and the scenery couldn't have been more beautiful. We traveled 9 miles in about 3 hours. The water was COLD, but I dried off quickly with the warm weather and lightweight clothes. Good thing, as I was drenched multiple times. I would have been tossed out on one occasion had I not been holding on- that would not have been fun as there are rocks everywhere. No question that rafting can be dangerous. Fortunately, we had a blast.
Definitely go!
This was the first rafting trip and will not be our last! We had a very good time and our son (9yr) had an absolute blast. He loved being able to jump into the river and the rapids were very entertaining. Our guide (Ryan/Horse) really added to the trip with his expertise and knowledge of the area. Overall it's hard to think of anything that AO could have done better.
First rafting trip for my 10 and 12-year-old sons - Sage was a great guide. Rapids were perfect for beginners. Made some awesome memories....
Best day of our holiday. Couldn't fault a thing. Everything from the 1st email to our final goodbye was excellent. Can't say enough good things about the day.
I'm a non swimmer, they make me feel safe and comfortable that I'm planning to go back this year again. I took my daughter it was both our first time we enjoyed it to the fullest. She enjoyed being able to swim in the river. thank you Team :-)
Our guide Ryan was excellent, he easily instructed us so that we felt safe and confident in our skills. Very fun day for all of us. Able to float down the river. Great food and lots of cold water and lemonade. Wished we had done this trip before we went on the level 4. We will go again!!
We liked the morning section that is a bit easier. Gave us all a chance to get our rowing skills and timing down. It is a very easy section but very fun! Lunch was great! More than enough food. We were so hungry and the guides do a wonderful job preparing and setting it out. Thanks !! The afternoon is rip roaring fun!! The rapids are challenging for first timers. At the end no one wanted to get out of the boat! Can not wait to plan our next trip!
Our guide Kristen was Great. She really knew what she was doing and seemed to try very hard to give everyone the experience we were looking for. For me personally I needed a little more excitement and will be trying a class higher next time or perhaps it would have been more thrilling during higher waters but the scenery was nice, the food was great, our guide was great, and the water felt fantastic. I swam in all the spot we were able to and I loved it!! For my 13 year old and 11 year old it was the perfect mix of excitement and safety. A few of the higher class III and lower class IV rapids were really fun but there are only a few and they are towards the very end. So adventure seekers should try a higher class rating, even if it is your first time like it was mine, or you may be left wanting more. Overall I would say rafting is a great experience and I will be doing it again for sure!
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We called AO to inquire about rafting possibilities which could work in view of our itinerary and age differences of the family of six visiting from The Netherlands. We were very pleased with the suggestion for this trip the next day which fitted our tight program, budget and expectations. If and when we will get another opportunity to visit California we will certainly do some more advance planning and book a multiple day trip with AO.
We loved our guide Chris on the middle fork and our guide Kyle on the south fork. Both river trips were awesome.
We had a great experience with the exception that we got lost on the way and arrived 25 min late. I think the most useful thing to tell you is that your website lacks driving directions from up North such as Chico. It only has Bay Area and Tahoe directions. So we did mapquest which did NOT get us there acurately and thus we got lost. Your site also says not to use online directions and to follow your site but nothing was provided for those of us coming from up north like Chico.
Our guide,Rose, made all the difference. Outstanding Presence. She was skilled and delightful to be with.
Exemplary & professional guide (Kyle) made trip fun and exciting for the low number of Level III rapids
Kristen was a great guide, even though her jokes were awful. We had a wonderful time. We will be back again for sure.
The best thing about our trip was our amazing guide Rose, she was the best guide ever. She clearly let us know what to do and when, before difficult rapids she gave us clear instructions. I would highly recommend this trip and this guide and would gladly use them again, our family had a blast.
Joe was awesome, totally understanding with our not-so-amused kids. Would love to do it again!
Ryan and Viola were amazing guides! They gave clear instruction and made things fun. We rafted with Viola who was knowledgable about the river, the drought, the topography... Will come back with the rest of our family!
The trip was great for first-timers like my group. Our guide was incredibly skilled at maneuvering and taught us the basic skills in no time at all. Although I knew the rapids would be max difficulty at Class III, I wished there were some Class IVs. I'm looking forward to coming back for Class IVs next trip!
A very wonderful rafting experience with my family. From the get go 'til the end of the trip, scenery is just breath taking. Loved the quiet nature with birds and insect sounds on calm waters and loved the exhilarating experience with the Class III rapids.
Dave, our guide, was so knowledgeable, good natured, well organized and flexible throughout the day. He communicated very clearly to us what we needed to learn. I liked the South Gorge trip because it started off easy, lots of time to swim and get used to paddling together, and then the rapids made things get a little spicier as the day went on. We'll be back for more!!
As first time rafters we enjoyed the hands on guide who made the trip enjoyable for our group which had 3 first time rafters between 10 and 12 years old.
My group had an awesome time on the river. Super Steve was our guide. He was great as were his many high fives. Loved the trip!
It was awesome. No more words to say
First time rafting for my 10 and 14 yo daughters. They had a blast. Even my 10 yo who was panicking before we hopped into the raft was asking for more within 10 minutes. This is my second time with All Outdoors. First time was last year down the middle fork for my bro's bachelor party. Can't recommend this outfit enough.
This trip was a great trip to take for a first timer. Now we are ready for the big ones!
We had a group of 3 adults and 6 kids (ages 9-13). Everyone had a great time. Our guides Pete and Dave were fantastic. Will do this trip again!
Great day.
My family and I loved the trip!!All the staff was very professional and friendly! We had an amazing day! Perfect for family!! My only recommendation will be the use of helmet also during the class 3+ rafting.
I went in with my parents (~60 yrs) and the Mrs. None of them could swim. The rapids were perfect for them. I suppose more rapids would have been more fun. But, they did have a blast. I would surely recommend this trip for beginners.
The guides were well-organized and knowledgeable, and the overall trip was quite thrilling. The food was good, and the trip was scenic. However, the only complaint was that the life jackets were very bulky, tight, and uncomfortable. Also, they had a bad odor.
Rose was a great guide and prepared us well for each rapid. It was impressive how she pulled big guys back into the raft. My only comment is that we seemed to row a bit more than the other boats. Since we were last in the group, there was concern about keeping consistent boat distance (which I understand is important in a caravan) but it would have been nice to have a different boat position after lunch. Otherwise it was a great trip and we all had fun.
The guide (Kyle) was friendly and knowledgeable. Our group included 2 kids (10 and 13) and one 20-something who had never rafted, and 4 other adults with some rafting experience. We all had a good time - there were enough level III rapids to keep everyone happy. I would recommend this company and this trip.
This was my third time rafting with All-Outdoors, and my second time with Dane Hennessey as my guide. He is a great guide, and a lot of fun! The trip over all, always is a ton of fun and very well put together. I cant wait to come back and to some bigger rapids!
Our guide Steven was funny, knowledgeable, and engaging. He filled the quite water with his jokes and stories of his out door experiences. He drew all of us in to share our experiences as well. By the end we felt we knew each other better. He prepared us for each challenging rapid by painting a picture of what it would look like and how we would paddle through it. He made our day special.
We had a great day. Our guide, Joe, was wonderful! He was interactive, very nice, fun, personable and knowledgeable about the river, animals and vegetation. We highly recommend this company.
We went on this trip with our family and friends and had an amazing time. Our guide, Rose, helped make this a great experience. She was funny and taught us a lot of about the scenery. I now can say that I can point out a cottonwood tree and an acorn woodpecker. The rapids were exciting, especially since we did start of the trip with a bang; getting stuck on a rock, but Rose was able to get us out ok. The trip was very exciting and all of us had a wonderful time. The only thing negative is we wished we could have stayed longer since we were having such a fun time.
We went rafting on the American River. Guide Peter was great. Rapids were fantastic. Food was great. Guides do everything on this trip cooking, cleaning, setup, and tear down. They work very hard to please the customers. Our only complaint was with the campground. It was packed with hundreds of people. Bathrooms are far away from campsite and maintained poorly. This company has a great bathroom and shower facility where you check in and they should use this as their private campground.
I went white water rafting for the first time with my family. It was a great experience and we all had a great time. Our guide, Steve, was excellent. He made the whole trip exciting and talked to us the entire time. He seemed knowledgable about the river and really made you feel safe. It was my brothers birthday and Steve made him feel so special. He really made sure that my brother had a great time. He really made our group feel special and he joked around and we had all a great time with him. We all left there feeling great and are happy we chose All Outdoors. The rafting was a great experience and then having a break for lunch was a good time to relax and enjoy being outside free from distractions. All of the guides had fun and you can tell they all love their job and enjoy what the do which always make the trip more fun. They all know the river very well and work together to make sure everyone has a great time. This river was the perfect one for a first timer and I would reccomend it to anyone looking to try out white water rafting. All Outddors really does a great job of providing everything you need. Just bring yourself and some clothes you're alright getting wet and come to have a good time.
This was our second time rafting on the Lower Fork of the American River witih All-Outdoors, and it was even better than the first time. Our guide on this trip was Steven, and he did a marvelous job of training us, keeping us out of danger, and entertaining us with stories and conversation.
Our family rafted the South Fork on a rare rainy day in June! The water was big time fun and even our guides were super jazzed. Our guide, Dane, was awesome and we all had a great day. This was a first descent for some of our party and others have been rafting for years all around the world. Everyone was super satisfied. All-Outdoors is a great all-around outfit.
My wife and I had a great time Conner was our guide and was not only knowledgeable but also funny yes I would book this trip again with more of my family Conner made us work like a team and made the trip worth while.
We had a wonderful time on the river. Our guide was courteous, informed and funny. Though safety was paramount, fun was a high priority. Only suggestion would be to offer an express orientation and put-in for those who are experienced rafters and place shade over the amphitheater where the orientation is held. Can't wait to go again!
While travelling the westcoast for 2,5 weeks with a friend, we stayed 1 day in Lotus and had a great time. Stick together in one boat with 5 guys who had a bachelor weekend we had to laugh the whole trip- even though we got soaked :-) Kate, the guide, did a great job! Thanks for the day, we will come back!
Myself and my wife rafted with all outdoors rafting (south lower gorge). It was an amazing experience. The guide Jason is excellent and knowlegable. The food is great and loved each and every moment of my rafting experience... Would definitely prefer to come back for this amazing experience...
This was our best day on this trip. The kids loved it and so do we.
This was my first rafting trip and I had great time. Food, Guide.. everything was good.
The best thing about this trip was the awesome time had by all in our family. It met all of our expectations. The rapids were exciting and the river was calming. The food was excellent, especially the dinner, thanks to Joe and Jason, our chefs. For me, safety was a number one priority, and Jason our Guide took safety very seriously, and did a great job instructing us first timers. We will be going back again next year for more advanced rapids, and we will definately use All Outdoors again!
Attached video pretty much sums it up.
Guides were very good (Chris & Joe). We had two first-timers in the group. Safety was stressed at all times. Guides helped those that needed some extra attention. One hike through a mining tunnel was kind of a dud....long dark tunnel with decreasing headroom was difficult for some of the older folks on the trip, plus was not very interesting. Maybe would be cool hike for teenagers but for this more ""mature"" group, it was a poor choice. Another hike to a slot canyon with waterfall was great! This is the second time I have done this trip and All Outdoors is a consistently good company to raft with, with quality, experienced guides.
Great Time! Will do it again!
Overall experience was very good! Volunteers did their best to make this rafting experience worth the money such as: 1. Made sure we did not have to walk to the bus all the way instead drove the bus where we were 2. Made sure we have the keys as soon as we get down the bus and we do not have to walk all the way to reservation counter.
this trip was so much fun, more fun than the last time. The only ""con"" was the other group of 4 in the raft didn't know how to paddle and weren't very physically coordinated. It would be good if people were split up so there weren't more than 2 per raft that didn't do much. Other than that it was fun.
Our guide was a joy (Erin, an awesome teacher from Los Gatos...hope I got that name right). We are hoping to have her again next year. We also lucked out and got a great group of other people to share our raft with. Can't wait to get back next year, and All-Outdoors will very likely be our choice!
Fantastic trip ! Plan to try to next level up next spring/summer.
Great! Enjoyed it a lot! Thanks Erica for superb guidance!
We had an absolutely fantastic time. I am convinced that this is largely due to AO's excellent knowledge of the river and attention to detail. Joe was an outstanding guide, with many fun discussions about the river and playful things to do between rapids. But most of all, I was truly grateful for Joe's attention to safety while keeping the trip exciting and breathtaking. Although the trip would have been rewarding regardless, there is not doubt that Joe made it a lifelong family memory. Thank you for your help. I am certain our family will take advantage of your other trips in the future. One more thing - the food was great!
I loved our rafting trip.. the only bad part was there was too many young kids on our raft (4)... next time I will request adults only... other than that.. the trip was outstanding
I think I would have liked helmets for the children.
Our guides were phenomenal! This was a great trip for our kids just starting out. Loved it so much we signed up for the next day! Thank you!!
On the water it's an outstanding trip. Off the water it is one of the most horrible expierences of your life. The campsite is packed tighter than a Niner game at a little leauge field. Fellow rafters and campers were excessively rude during quiet times & meal times. There were rules in place to discurage this behavior, but rules without consequences are meaningless. AO trip & guides are amazing, but all of the other variables make it almost unbareable.
LOVED our rafting trip. The guides were great and made the event that much more exciting. We were a big group of over 30 and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. I was also impressed with the food provided for our lunch, though I did have low expectations. Thank you All-Outdoors!
Katy was great!!!! Our first time. It was exciting. She is a great guide kept us safe. She let everyone swim and get off of boat. I fell off the boat and felt safe the whole time. Katy came to my rescue told me exactly what to do and poof I was back in the boat. Scenery was great water and weather was perfect. Lunch was very good and organized. We plan on doing this again!
Nice trip for first timers as well as seasoned rafters. The pace of the day was just right. The serve yourself sandwich lunch was plentiful and had a good variety for a range of tastes. Even if I had gone down this stretch of river several times over the years, the trip was lots of fun. Oh, teenagers will love this trip.
Great for our family of five. Kids aged 11,13,&16. Wonderful scenery. Fabulous food and knowledgable guide. We enjoyed our outdoor adventure 100 percent.
Everything was great, from start to finish. Best first experience you can ask for
Great rapids, much more fun than the river I went before.
I didn't know about river rafting. It's not just getting in the river. The guides explained what to expect, look out for, what to do and not to do. A very good orientation before and during rafting which made me feel I could handle situations like falling out of the raft. It was so much fun and got hooked on Class III+ rapids that I'm thinking of trying the Merced river next! All Outdoors provided an exciting adventure which was so exciting and above all safe.
We were planning to bring our own water but we were told the water is provided on the raft. We thought that every one would have a bottle of water but end up everyone on the raft shared the water. It wasn't very pleasent experience and knowing the guides themsevles actually bring their own water.
I had my family with me, son, daughter-in-law and my 2 grandchildren. It was so much fun. Great introduction to rafting. We had a great guide in David and we have great pictures to remember the trip.Hit a few rapids just right! I've been telling friends in my office and several are interested.
We had an awesome and extremely experienced tour guide who was definitely passionate about his job and making sure his guests were safe while having a blast. Steve ""D,"" thanks making sure our first experience at whitewater rafting was a memorable one! We look forward to more whitewater rafting adventures with All-Outdoors California Whitewater Rafting.
Jason was a great guide. Lunch was surprisingly good.
I attended a private school for middle and high school and every year for the end of the year trip we did the 1 day American River South Fork from Coloma to Folsom Dam. One year we did the 2 day trip from Placerville to Folsom Dam. All Outdoors is the best company around. The guieds are so cool and are professional and keep safety as their number one priority. They will work with all types of rafters and learn quickly about the group dynamics. Enjoying the meals that they cook along with their love of the river its a fun vacation. My Brother and I are working on planning another trip in a few weeks time. You are dealing with a professional company who knows their stuff. I would trust my best friends and relatives with their excellent staff. Camp Lotus is a fun place to camp before or after a trip for $8 per person for up to 3 people per site during the week and $11 per person per night you can't beat such a pristine campground set right on the American River. In todays economy you are getting a great deal as your cooked to order meals, camping, river rafting and gear are all included(:
I had been rafting on more advanced rivers a number of times with All Outdoors. This trip was all about introducing my kids, ages 10 & 12, to rafting. Keri was great with the kids. This trip provided enough excitement and challenges without scaring them off. They came off the river wanting to know when they would be able to do Middle Fork. It was a terrific day, the food was tasty and plentiful and it got my kids excited about rafting, which is what I wanted. I'd highly recommend this trip for beginners or families!
This was a first time rafting trip for me and my son Michael who is 9. I was a bit nervous, but our guide, Nick, was absolutely wonderful and put us all at ease. He was fun, interesting and very clear with instructions. I felt completely at ease and had a fantastic time!! My son is already asking to try one of the 2 day trips...I told him absolutely but only if Nick can be our guide again!!!-
Katy was our guide and she was awesome. First of all, our boat never hit any rock during the entire 6 hrs of trip and thanks to katy. I was sitting on the left side of the raft and we were very close to the rocks during some of the turns and she managed the boat extremely well. I was super confident that we are not going to hit any rock based on her maneuvering techniques.
For our trip on the 7th of July, it was an Excellent and awesome time....a lot of fun and great experience for our first time. From the moment I had called to inquire and ask questions about the trip, Marda was pleasant and comforting to talk with and book our reservations with. Excellent customer service. Our time on the river was just as exciting and our guide Keri was fun with lots of information to provide when the time came. Definitely will be planning to take the next class level up with you guys again.
Sam was just the right guide for our family of four (2 college-age kids). He was calm, gave clear instructions, and was very astute, quickly learning that our family was not the ""campfire songs"" type of crowd. Most of all, you can tell that he loves what he does and is respectful of your needs. We trusted that he had our safety (no one fell in or got the raft wrapped around a rock!) and enjoyment in mind. It's an experience we can't wait to repeat! Thanks, Sam.
This was our childrens 1st time rafting (age 8, 10) They had a blast and want to do it again. We enjoyed the trip, plenty to eat, camping area was nice and green and the scenery was beautiful. All the Guides were well prepared and skilled!
Everything was superb during this trip and it was, BY FAR, the highlight of our guests' (5 in total) trip which included just about everything famous in Northern California. I personally would've liked a little bit more action in the rapids, but this is for first-timers so I can't really complain. I do think that adventurous, thrill-seeking first-timers might want to just start directly with the Middle Fork of the American. I'm planning on returning within a week or two and I'll see if I can update this review to reflect my conclusion.
This was a first time raft trip for my husband and three girls aged 16, 13, and 11. We had a blast! Our guide, Ryan, was very friendly and easy to talk to. We liked that he explained everything to us and told us what to expect along the river. We were pleasantly surprised by the lunch, dinner, and breakfast set ups. YUMMY! We were fortunate to have a group of newly trained guides on the boat behind us and that added to the fun as well. Although the overnight stay was fun, we would probably sign up for a day trip next time. We really liked the lower half of the South Fork that we did on the 2nd day. All in all, a great trip!
I went down the upper (South Fork) with a great guide and three other ""guides in training."" All were tons of fun and great people. I wish I had done the upper and lower.
My group of friends were very scared to get into this, but I promised them that they'd love this. Now, they think I should have taken them on a 2-day trip instead.
The trip was awesome. My family and friends (group of 7) went for this trip. 6 members don't know swimming and were scared of water. The guide (Nathan) was very friendly and helped us ease through the trip. Everyone enjoyed the trip and are planning to go back to the next level in the next few months.
What an exhilarating trip! We had an awesome guide, Ryan. It was his day to be the last raft and we didn't mind a bit. Although he stated that he was one of the least experienced guides, you wouldn't have guessed it. I felt completely safe and knew that he controlled the boat to give us a few extra thrills. It's well worth the money. The scenery is lovely, the staff is friendly and the couple of drops (South Fork - Lower) we experienced were breathtaking. My family and I would like to advance to the Middle next time. The only complaint I would have is the food. It would be nice to have sandwiches and wraps already prepared. Some people don't like when others pick at their food - especially after using that disgusting porta-potties. But even still, I would do it all over again. RYAN thanks for such a wonderful experience.
This was my fourth trip as usual this company is the BEST.The guides are great and made my family feel safe. Steve was cool. I would recommend the 1 day to any family that loves the outdoors and some excitement. The food was great and my new rafting family loved the trip. The were a little nervous to start but had a blast in end. We are all looking for next trip. AS WE SAY IN HAWAII MAHALO OR THANK YOU
I was on the trip with my visiting 10 yo niece, and the guide (a woman whose name I can't remember unfortunately - I'm terrible with names) was amazing! She definitely kept my niece entertained while also letting me feel totally confident that she was safe. She was also entertaining for the rest of us as well. I do remember she's from Fresno originally I think?
Beth and Luis where awesome. Great weather with lots of wildlife. Be back every year with friends and family.
This was an absolutely perfect day. The staff were friendly, the weather was gorgeous, the river ""run"" incredible, the picnic lunch scrumptious and so filling that some of the rafters had a hard time doing up the clips when we were ready to resume our ""run"" The photographers were ideally positioned to really catch the action - one of our pictures even shows my cap whizzing through the air. One suggestion for the future literature. Make a very strong plea for everyone to apply sunblock. The reflected sunlight just intensifies the exposure. We could not persuade Eric to apply it - and he ended up with a really bad burn on both of his arms and legs. His a lot wiser now - but dismissed Mara's pleas as nagging, As the Pennsylvania Dutch say ""Too soon oldt, too late smardt!"" Thanks for a wonderful day.
Where do you want me to start.... The trip was Fantabulous ;-) Our Guide ""Steve"" is ultra cool. We were shouting all over the day through the entire stretch. Even when some of us were not able to dig, he managed very well. Thanks Steve... We (Jelly Belly Batch) would definitely go to do the Middle fork river rafting. I hope we would have the helmets the next time when we go for level 3-4... I hope the other rafters enjoyed with us ""Jilly Billy Jilly Billy Jeans nakka.. Hoo Haa.. Hoo Haa"" ""Guntha lakadi gula gula gula.. Hoo Haa.. Hoo Haa"" ;-)
Helmet is the only thing which is missing.....One of our guy fell down in the river, so it was a chance to get stuck to river's rock. Otherwise, great service and awesome thrill and fun.
Thanks for your review, Patel! We are really glad you guys had great time on the trip. Due to no history of head injuries on the South Fork we don't routinely wear helmets on this river, but guests can always request them. We do wear helmets on rivers with any Class IV and higher rapids.
Fantastic family adventure. My kids had a blast. An adventure we won't forget soon. Having photo memories is even better, too bad they're so expensive.
Nice scenery, funny, nice experience!!!
I want to thank Tiffany for making our experience really fun!!! She is very friendly/accomodating, helpful, fun and most of all calm (which is truly important for a guide in case something happens). Our friend fell off the raft a few seconds before the next rapid but she was very calm about it. Overall, it was truly a great, wonderful and memorable experience!!! I would do it again! Discount!!! =) Thank you again Tiffany!!!
Everyone at AO was great and accommodating. Ryan, our guide, was the perfect captain for our raft. We went for a bachelor party weekend, and everyone on the trip agreed we could not have had more fun doing anything else. Highly suggest!
This was a great first time experience. From initially making the reservation, to the day of the event, and even the day after when I received a personal email to make sure everyone had fun...AO Rafting was great - excellent customer service! Our guides were cool and knowledgeable. Both Brad & Joe did a good job to make the entire day a positive experience overall. We were given just the right amount of information to keep us informed without causing alarm (we had kids). The scenery is amazing and we are definitely talking about rafting again soon. Thanks AO!
It was a great trip. Loved our guide and the lunch was amazing!
We've been rafting with All-Outdoors for years, and it's *always* been a positive experience.
Our group had a fantastic and memorable day on the river with All-Outdoors! From the highly organized and fun staff, to the incredible lunch, to the great day on the river - the day was perfect!
We had a large swim team group so we had 3 rafts with 3 guides - they were awesome!
A great time had by all! Our group was friends and family. The day was organized, the crew was helpful and timely. AO provided a top notch experience from the moment we arrived until waved our good byes. Thank you, we'll be back.
How about grilled hamburgers instead of sandwiches with a couple of beers! it would be classic..!
Looking forward to trying a level up!
My husband was out of town on the labor day weekend. But that did not deter my spirit to have some serious fun with my kids. They were 12 and 8. It turned out to be one of the best trips, certainly the best camping trip, we've ever had! The best part is other than setting up the tent, you don't need to worry about anything. Food, schedule, trip planning, all is taken care of. It was such a bliss for me! After a thrilling day of water rafting, I can just hang out with people I got to know from the daytrip or resort to my own tent and read my favorite books. Secondly, we were placed with another family with similar kids age. The kids became instant friends. The couple were super awesome too. It's so easy to get to know people on the camping trail than in the traditional hotel setting. Your space and others just converged naturally. People are unpretentious, real and relaxed. Although All-Outdoor was not the cheapest, it attracts the right type of people. To me, that's more important. And compare to a regular vacation, this is so much more fun. We will do this every year with All-Outdoor. It will become our family tradition for many years to come.
My sister and I booked this trip while on a road trip through California. We have gone rafting a couple times with other companies, but would say this was by far our best experience. The staff was friendly and informative during the check-in process. We were paired with a family with middle school aged children and everyone had a great time. I would highly recommend this trip and All-Outdoors to others. While it was not the highest class rapids we have done, it was exciting and provided opportunities to enjoy the scenery while rafting. Our guide was fantastic- entertaining yet safety conscious. The lunch we had was delicious with fresh fruit, snacks, a large assortment of meats, cheeses, and bread. There were even cookies for dessert. We truly had a wonderful experience!
Fun time. It was a little tame, but good for a work outing, small kids, and the like.
The office staff and guides were amazing - hard to find your level of expertise, enthusiasm. and responsiveness in companies today. It shows that everyone in your company loves what they do with a special respect and care for the river and outdoors.
This was my first time rafting. I went three friends who had rafted before and two others who had not. We had an AMAZING time. The river scenery was beautiful and our guide was hillarious. There are several chances to stop on the river and swim. Totally wonderful experience - I absolutely reccomend this to anyone interested.
I took my 17 year old nephew on his first whitewater rafting trip and we both had a FANTASTIC time. Every aspect of the trip was excellent, All-Outdoors had everything taken care of, so all we had to focus on was having a great time. This is definately an experience that we'll look back on in years to come and say ""wow, that was a great rafting trip""...and we have the pictures to prove it!
Great guide. He made the trip worth it.
This trip was amazing! Our guide was knowledgeable and safety was the most important thing. The food was insanely good and you can tell they take customer service seriously. I'd absolutely recommend this company and come again!
This was our 1st rafting trip. We went labor day weekend. Weather was hot so the water was refreshing. This trip is excellent for the 1st time rafter. Fun rapids and there are several back to back. Also who you go with really make a difference. We had an excellent boat of fun people.
I really enjoyed the second half of my trip after lunch when we hit the major rapids! What I really enjoyed & thought was a great idea was jumping into the river before the rapids. It really puts into perspective what to expect if you're swallowed by a rapid! AO, I'm coming again in late May 2012 with a group twice as bigger than before!
Food was somewhat limited for breakfast.
It was our third time with the same company. Half of our group were kids. We all had a great time and will use the company again. Thank you and keep up with good work
back to Milan, often think to nice scenery and company over the fork south. good boys, our guide was Carson, onest people. not difficut for beginners, with two final medium-high rapids. pleasent day, no doubt to do it again. thanks guys.
The best thing about our trip was our guide who was just right in terms of his advice, encouragement and interest in us.
Everyone LOVED the trip! The guide can really rapids more excited then it was so don't be discouraged if you think this is too mellow for you.
The rapids were outstanding and the guide was very good. We thought there was too many sections of calm water on the river that did not have rapids but the overall experience was outstanding.
Overall, we loved the rafting experience as a first-time experience. What I loved the most was the high importance of safety not just within the group, but across groups of rafters. Also, our guide was awesome, I think his name is John, I apologize for not being sure about it. He has been with your company for about 25 years or more. He was so much fun and helpful! Is it possible for your company to have it's own photography arrangement? We found the prices of pictures so expensive with both vendors, that we skipped the idea.
We were very fortunate to have a great young man as our guide. He was confident and articulate and gave us our instructions very clearly. As a group of friends on a reunion trip, he made the whole day an absolute pleasure, exciting and challenging but also safe!
I've rafted the South Fork before but the exceptional water conditions that existed this year because of the good snow and late spring made this trip especially exciting. As usual AO staff was well prepared, well informed and a lot of fun to go rafting with. I will go with them again and have recommended them to lots of friends who have expressed an interest in rafting.
This was my Family's first time Rafting. I have 3 boys, my youngest is 7 & we were a bit concerned of his safety. Our guide kept us safe at all times & was terrific! (Thanks Ryan) We had such an amazing experience. My kids wanted to go back the next day & so did we. =) No complaints what so ever. Staff was fantastic, they were extremely helpful. It was fun, beautiful, exciting. I can go on & on. We will definitely make this a yearly trip for us. Thanks everyone at All-Outdoors for making this trip one of the best! See you next year!
My group of rafters included kids around 8 years of age and a 12 year old with mod-severe autism, and their accompanying parents. Some had rafted before, others had not. The staff were wonderful and very experienced. I was very impressed with the way they included my son who has autism, and tried to grade the activity so that he could enjoy it. They were just as terrific with the typical kids and the adults. They were very skilled with the rafts. The lunch was substantial and high quality. Overall we all enjoyed the trip very much. This was my 2nd trip with All-Outdoors, and I would do it again with them.
Very nice overall, groups could be more balanced, of course for a beginner, you never who's gonna make it
We all LOVED the trip. The guides were very good and knowledgeable. We had one child fall out of the raft. That small mishap was handled with professionalism and everyone was safe. I would like to say lunch was delicious. However, another bag of chips (I only got 2 chips) and more fruit would have been welcomed.
We loved this trip! The length was about right, and the second half was so thrilling it is hard to believe we did it! 11 rapids in the afternoon, all of them building on the skills we had honed in the earlier morning period. Nice spot for lunch, friendly guides, and thrills galore. Excellent organization - highly recommended!
This was one of the best trips we had. All of us were beginners and our guide really made it exciting and safe for us. Mikey was very adventurous, knowledgeable and just a really nice guy. The only recommendation i have is to have a little more food available for the guests AND guides. We had some inconsiderate people in our group who were at the front of the food line that grabbed more than an individual portions worth of food and by the time the guides got around to eating, there was only scraps left. It felt awkward to eat in front of them when they hardly had anything to eat. Needless to say they still maintained their professionalism and catered to our needs every step of the way. We're def. coming back and bringing more of our family and friends.
This was my first rafting trip and it was most amazing!!! We had no plans for the Labour day weekend and I heard about rafting from my friend and thought of giving it a try... Right from the time of booking, till the time we were done with the trip, things were organized so very well! Our trip guide was such a fun person to be with! When it came to the last rapid, I fell into the water. I got scared as I did not know swimming, but there was absolutely no danger at all...thanks to life jacket! :) and the guide had properly instructed us before hand on what to do when something like this happens. I am glad that I fell into the water...we could get extra photographs!!! And who knows? My snap might be shown on the 'Wall of Shame' at hotshot imaging :P
The only con that I could come up with was, in no way, controllable by the company. I am a fairly experienced rafter but one of my friends has never gone before and can not swim. We chose this trip for her. The class 2 rapids in the beginning of the day were very mellow and perfect for her to get comfortable, but bored me a little. Things picked up after lunch and got much better. This is the greatest company that I have ever rafted with in terms of friendliness and quality of the guides.
The trip was more than I could ask for. Scenery was more than spectacular and the rapids were perfect for first-timers looking for thrill. Course was well designed to allow rafters to warm up to challenging class III rapids and attack them without a problem. The only downside was that lunch was a lot simpler than I had expected (nachos w/ dip, fruits, and self-serve sandwich), but it was satisfying enough to provide energy for the demanding second half of the day. Sure, the price may seem costly, but the fun I got out the trip was well worth those dollars, if not more. I am most definitely hooked on whitewater rafting now!
I hadn't been rafting in over 15 years, my wife in about 12. We made last minute reservations and the staff in Walnut Creek were super friendly, super helpful. It was an easy drive to the site in Lotus, CA from SF (about 3 hours, maybe less). The guides when we got there were just as friendly as the staff in WC. Our guide, Carson, was great! Knowledgeable, fun, adventurous (but within limits), great stories, loves his job, loves the river! There was a great balance of professionalism and fun. The South Fork trip is great for beginners who seek a little excitement, but my wife and I would have liked more excitement and more of a work out (it was not a strenuous day). We probably should have signed up for the Middle Fork trip, but it was a great re-introduction to rafting, and we will most likely book a 2 or 3 day trip on the Middle Fork with AO Rafting in the future...
We loved our rafting adventure. I took two fearless girls (ages 8 and 10) and they loved it. The trip was a birthday present for my husband, I was the wimp of the group, and I left wanting MORE rapids. Our guide, Jason, was personable, knowledgeable, fun and funny. He was masterful at his job.
Our group had an amazing time! The trip was perfect for our family -- exhilarating but not overwhelming is a very good description. My kids had smiles on their faces the whole time. I can't say enough great things about our guide -- Bob. He was GREAT with our kids (age 10 and 13). He taught them, he challenged them, and he entertained them. My children especially enjoyed the opportunities to hop out of the raft and swim in the river and of course the exciting rapids. Our guide made it really fun by turning the raft around sideways and backwards, having us stand up, teaching us a bit about the river, and just being generally funny and a great guy!
We love this experience. Kyland was awesome. The food at dinner was amazing and the way the guides treated us was so extraordinary. We cannot wait to come back!
Went rafting for the 3rd time and took my sister along for her first rafting trip. She enjoyed the trip but wanted more rapids action. She definately wants to try the Middle Fork on her next rafting trip.
We were highly impressed by the well-trained guides who took very good care of us during the trip. Our 5-raft group went through the whole trip without any mishaps. The rapids were very exciting, weather was perfect, scenery excellent, and guides were fun to be with. it was my son's birthday and he was showered with birthday wishes and songs through-out the trip.
Overall trip was great, for level 3, the rapid was a little slow. Matt was awesome. Definitely will come back for level 4. Conor
Definetly the Guide - Jason. Soft speaking, funny and knows his job.
Our guide, Kate, was great! Very knowledgeable and made the trip fun for those of us who had never been before. She did a great job of also getting groups on the raft get to know each other better.
I've been rafting many times on Class 3-5 rivers, but I always love the South Fork for a really fun day on the river. Our guides Kelsey and Dave were fun, professional, and experienced - they ran an absolutely perfect trip. Lunch was great, the rapids were fantastic, and everyone left grinning from ear-to-ear. All-Outdoors is truly a first-class operation.
We had a great experience. Dave, our guide, was fantastic. We can't wait to come back.
Our family was thrilled with the experience from the idea of having to work together to avoid obstacles & sharing laughs. Our son has autism & he was on cloud 9 with this one day rafting trip. AO really accomodates families and their needs. I totally forgot our guides name and feel awful because he made our trip fun & successful. I know, he was from Sonoma so if you go, ask for the guy from Sonoma. He was AWESOME! AO thank you for a wonderful experience. We are planning to go again!
I took my three teenagers for a day trip on the South Fork Lower ""Gorge"" section of the American River. It was a perfect fit for our first rafting trip together, since we all had a mix of experience. The first half of the trip provided my younger daughter and I opportunity to practice our paddling technique during the class two rapids. This prepared us for the class three rapids during our last half of the trip that were especially enjoyed by my other two teenagers who had been rafting once before. The lunch was timely and delicious. The scenery was beautiful, and we even found time to refresh ourselves from the August heat with a brief dip in the river. Most importantly, I appreciated the guides who demonstrated their expertise by entertaining us all without compromising our safety. Overall, it was great trip for the family. Thank you All Outdoors for blessing us with a memorable family experience!
This offers a great balance between those who desire excitement and those who are new to rafting.
There needs to be a bit more rapids
We were sitting idle and not rafting as the guide controlled the boat with his big paddles. More control should be given to the group! While the booking was done, we were not informed that south fork is split in 2 parts upper and lower and the reservation done is for the lower part (the confirmation mail mentioned the same) :(
I think the trip was OK and the rest of my party liked it very much (they did not get as banged up as me). I think, however that safety was lacking. We were not given helmets, we were not instructed we had to let go of the oar when we fall -which should have been one of the main things taught, and our instructor, was badly prepared or simply irresponsible. Apparently he did not get much sleep the previous night and I think that contributed to his underestimating the severity of one of the rapids (the highway) where we lost half of the people -me included- who had to be rescued after trailing down the river and getting hit multiple times by rocks. He was genuinely sorry about it though, but I think he should have prevented it on the first place. Besides, when I and 3 other people fell, he run past me on the way back to the boat and promised he would come back, but I feel he could have helped me back to the boat THERE AND THEN instead of letting me float downstream for what it seemed an eternity. The fact that other rafts did not lose that amount of people (5 during the whole trip) should say something about his performance that day. I will definitely try river rafting again, perhaps with your company, perhaps with another, but in any case I will request either a female or a MATURE leader.
It was the first rafting trip for me and my family, and we all found it an exhilarating experience. We went with another group on our raft, but we built a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. A couple of rafters fell off but we worked together in getting them back safely on the raft. Our guide, John V, was very experienced, and it showed. We got a sense that he knew every twist and bend in the river. He also had a good sense of humor that kept everyone comfortable and calmed individual nerves. It's one off my wife's and my bucket list, but we will definitely do this again with other family and/or friends.
This was my second time rafting with All Outdoors - my husbands third. They are a great company to work with. The office/reservation staff is helpful and accommodating and the guides are amazing. Both times I traveled with kids. The guides made the ride thrilling for the most adventurous yet kept the more timid ones comfortable. The lunch spread was seemingly endless. So much food! And something for even the most picky eaters. All in all, A+. I highly recommend them and would use them again if rafting in any of there areas.
This experience was awesome from beginning to end! Booking was easy because the staff was very friendly and accomodating. During the trip itself, I love how all the guides have that camaraderie with each other. They are so organized for keeping all boats of the trip close together. The guides did all the legwork! They prepared and served us lunch. What's best is that you won't feel any fear whenever you see big rapids ahead because you can be confident that the guide will take care of you. My group and I are definitely coming back!
AO Rafting took care of me when setting up this trip for my best friend's bachelor weekend. the staff were knowledgable and friendly as well as curtious and funny. We lucked out and had Kate as our guide. Ask for her by name if you want a fun day on the river. I know I will be back and most of the guys in the trip said the same thing.
Tom Sawyer is a perfect trip for families with kids, I took my 10year and almost 7 year old on the trip and we all had a great time. The rapids were challenging but not so overwhelming for my youngest. It was also cool that you were able to paddle a kayak along the main raft for an added adventure.
I would like to kudos to our guide. Her name is Beth. She is nice and knowledgable.
my adult son and i did the south fork with you on wednesday (8/10). enjoyable all around. hope to join to again next year.
Hi Diana, Thank you for everything. The trip went great. Everyone had a lot of fun and I saw a many smiles the entire day. The guides were wonderful hosts ... upbeat, safe and spontaneous. Of course they all navigated the South Fork with ease, and they did it with a beautifully infectious beginners mindset ... not easy to maintain after a summer on the river. The food was fantastic and I heard countless comments in the group about how surprised they were at how good it was, and how people had eaten too much. :) The quality and care that went into the food was especially appreciated by the vegetarians in our crew. Warm regards, Wallace
Our exciting rafting trip was made even more enjoyable by the awesome Maureen (Mo, our rafting guide). Go Mo! In short, excellent food, nice guide, safe and a lot of fun.
Our raft-guide was Maureen Mercure (""call me Mo"", she says) and what a fantastic guide she was. Very professional and safety-aware but also making sure we had fun and enjoyed ourselves. I really enjoyed the lunch. High-quality with freshly chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, many types of cheese, salami, etc. I have no hesitation recommending Maureen and All-Outdoors.
Our boat captain, Maureen (Moe), was friendly, professional, safety-conscious, and above all a lot of fun! Had a great time swooshing down through Satan's Cesspool and the other class 3's. AO pulled this trip off without a hitch -- thanks again!
Our group included 4 adults and 2 children (7 and 9) and we had a blast with our guide on a 2 day trip on South Fork. Charles G. was an excellent, knowledgeable guide who gave us a thrilling ride down the river and kept the kids safe and smiling. It was the children's first trip and they couldn't get enough, not to mention the adults. Also, Charles was an excellent cook and took care of our every need on the river and at camp. We are already planning a couple trips for next year and hope to see Charles again. Definitely purchase the professional photos that are taken along the way. Thanks to Charles and All Outdoors for a great ride and great memories with our family!!
This is my third time rafting with All-Outdoors and each time it has been a wonderful experience. Keri was a very fun and knowledgable guide. We enjoyed her company. My son (who is 10 years old) really enjoyed it and is ready to go on more rapids with drops. He loved the drops.
Everything was perfect! Our guide Sam was awesome!
The trip was fun, the food was delicious and our guides Kate and Sam were awesome. We would definitely go again and recommend it to all of our friends. The whole organization was very professional. From the initial reservations with Cameron all the way through to the last rapids and bus rides.
Great time! Suggestion: Do the M. Fork if you are looking for some thrills, even if you have never rafted! The S. Fork is very mellow. We had a great time with AO. We did a two day trip. The first day was on the South Fork and the second day was on the Middle Fork of the American. The only drawback was that the first day was mellow to the point of boring. While our guide was great, we were expecting more from the S. Fork based on what the customer service rep had told us on the phone when booking. BUT, AO was great about getting us into more exciting rapids on the M. Fork upon request. We had an exciting second day on the M. Fork! The rapids were fun, it was beautiful, and the trip was well-guided.One suggestion to AO: Recommend the M. Fork to younger athletic people even if they haven't rafted before. The customer service rep recommended the S. Fork b/c my gf had never rafted. However, I think a lot of younger folks (we are in our mid-twenties) are looking for some adventure and the S. Fork is very mellow. The M. Fork seems manageable for anyone who is in decent shape and looking for some thrills. Sam and Lewis were our guides....they were both great! We hope to do a trip with AO again soon!
Whitewater rafting was on my to do list for a long time and this trip exceeded my expectations. Not only was it a blast to do, but the trip was very safe and lunch was soooooo delicious. Our tour guide Mark was very knowledgeable and fun. Already looking forward to my next trip!
Our guide, Ryan was very knowledgeable about the scenery, wildlife, and even the geological features along the way. Plus he guided us through the rapids with skill. We are planning a two day trip on the Middle Fork for next year.
Thanks to Greg Dunkel for taking special care of our family and providing a terrific experience on the river! We had a fabulous time!
when my boys (9 and 13) said that this rafting trip beat all the roller coasters they have been on.....was all I needed to hear. it was real and really exciting!
The river and the scenery speak for themselves. Add Britt, it made a perfect day. Thank you, see you again.
Carson was a fabulous guide - made us feel both confident in his ability while making us laugh and enjoy the trip. I was a bit nervous about my 8 year old but he did great! The rapids were navigated expertly, lunch was tasty, and all in all, the experience was everything I hoped it'd be. Great family adventure.
Our guide, Ann, was amazing. She was fun and very knowledgeable of the river and we felt totally safe the whole time.
AS ususal a terrific ride, terrific guides, lunch, scenery, water, landscape, air. Woopie!!!
My son and I loved the trip! Just some feedback on the lunch. It would be better to have some paper plates and utensils for serving chips and guacamole and the bread, and cheese for the sandwich. Everyone was using their hands and I know many didn't wash or use a hand sanatizer before touching.
This trip was perfect for my wife who was on her first rafting trip. I found the guides to be very nice and well organized. The rapids in the second half of the trip (after lunch) were exciting. Overall it was a nice day out.
kelly our guide was great. Another guide joined the trip and entertained us with 10/10 entry into the water
I have been rafting and on kayak trips on various rivers. The guides are what can make or break a trip. Our guide I feel fortunate in having. Britt was knowledgable, friendly, safety aware and can ""read the water"" well. Would love to do this trip again, but would have to have Britt for my guide.
They really have this rafting thing down. You feel like out of control royalty... it's great! ALSO... Buy the pictures at the end of the day. $80 for 46 pics and all of them were suitable for framing! We shared the cost among our boat.
Thanks for your review, Danny in LB! We just want to clarify that the pictures are taken by an independent professional photography company, not by All-Outdoors. Hope to see you back on the river soon!
We had the most wonderful day on our rafting trip. Our guide was a lovely young man who obviously had a lot of experience on the water and put us at ease straight away. The scenery was fantastic, lunch yummy and the rapids were so much fun. And nice to have a chance to get into the river on the calmer portions to cool off. All round a very enjoyable experience. Thank you.
The trip is a good introduction for first-time rafting friends, will do it again. And they want to raft next time on a class IV river. The guide was good at describing each set of rapids before proceeding.
Everything about this experience was professional, well organized, and geared towards fun. This was my wife and kids first time (9 & 11 years old) and they loved it! I felt that my guide always had safety in mind and as a result my entire family wants to go again! This was far more organized than my experience with another rafting company.
I happened to be traveling by myself, and on a whim I signed up for the Express ride. I had more fun than I could have imagined. I felt safe with Drew on the rudder, and Nate (Co-captain) was a lot of fun too. It was a great experience and I can`t wait to go again the next time my travels take me to that part of CA.