California River Rafting with Children & Teens

Our experience in running safe and fun trips on any level of whitewater is a great reason to pick us for your family or youth group trip. Often parents are more nervous about their child's first river trip than the child themselves, so it is a good idea to pick an outfitter like Tributary that has been in the business for many years. We have an excellent safety record and a low turnover of staff.

Our guides are very versatile and responsible. We select them for their personalities, as well as their guiding skills. At a minimum, they are certified in first aid, CPR and swift-water rescue and many have more advanced training like Wilderness First Responder and Emergency Medical Technician. These skills are rarely utilized, but bee stings, scrapes and bruises etc. can happen on shore, and people should be more confident about their trip knowing any incidents can be handled in a professional manner.

Our licenses to run on these rivers are issued by the managing agency, which may be the USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, State Parks or the county.

Our trips will always commence with a safety talk and some paddling instruction. Life jackets will be checked for the correct fit, and this a very good reason for us asking for the ages of youths participating. Most often, the rafts are paddled by the clients with a guide controlling the raft from the rear and calling out commands to turn the boat, paddle or stop. Oar boats or oar/paddle combination are also possible and can be a good idea when a parent wishes to be able to hold onto a child or just to give the younger ones a break, though most people like to paddle for a more involved experience. We will provide a detailed list of what to bring, which is very basic for day trips during the summer.

Our owner, since 1978 is Dan Buckley, and his son Scott is a veteran rafter who went on his first river trip before he was a year old. Scott has now rafted on many rivers throughout California, Colorado, Idaho and Oregon. Tributary Whitewater Tours looks forward to introducing your family to the joys of an outdoors adventure. We hope that the experience will be remembered for a long time and with much laughter and that such trips will become regular family outings.

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