Kaweah River Rafting in S. California
Kaweah River rafting trips are fed by snow melt from the 12,000’ elevation mountains in Sequoia National Park, and offer some of the finest white water rafting in Central and Southern California. It is one of America’s steepest rivers, dropping at 85 feet per mile in its first few miles. The Kaweah River is suitable for the intermediate and expert rafter, who is hardy, adventurous, in good physical condition and has good swimming ability. Previous paddling experience is preferred due to the non-stop action.
The access used for put-in is just below the entrance of the East Fork Kaweah River and is almost a mile further upstream than the put-in used by most outfitters. This gives an additional 3 rapids. ‘Gateway Rapid’ is a 250 yard Class 4+ boulder slalom, followed by a Class 4 ten foot drop called ‘The Chute’, and then ‘Osterizer’, another Class 4+ rapid. Many more wild rapids follow like ‘Willows’, ‘Bumper’, ‘Powerhouse’, ‘Suicide Falls’ and others. After a calm stretch through the town of Three Rivers and a stop for lunch, the pace picks up again as we take on the “Slickies,” (a unique river feature you will always remember) which is a polished granite slalom that surfs one way, then another, while swirling around. The two biggest drops, Upper Slicky and Lower Slicky, are about a hundred yards apart.
During the early season high flows, there are some rapids that may require portaging, but the Kaweah River is free-flowing, so the season depends on the snow-pack. The scenery is good, and though there are private residences and the highway alongside for much of the run, they are not obtrusive.
With southern California close-by, the Kaweah River offers a great opportunity to combine a whitewater adventure with an excursion to the majestic trees and mountains of the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. The town of Three Rivers, founded as an idealist colony in the 1880’s, features a fine array of eateries and galleries and is strung out along the Kaweah River. There are campgrounds and accommodations available in nearby Sequoia National Park, as well as many options in Three Rivers.
Distances/Times for travel for Kaweah River Rafting: 
40 mins NE of Visalia (34 miles),
1.5 hrs SE of Fresno (73 miles),
2 hrs N of Bakersfield (108 miles),
3.25 hrs SE of Stockton (193 miles),
3.75 hrs NW of Los Angeles (217 miles),
4 hrs SE of San Jose (220 miles),
4 hrs SE of Sacramento (244 miles),
4.5 hrs SE of San Francisco (260 miles),
5.25 hrs NW of San Diego (329 miles),
7 hrs W of Las Vegas (388 miles)
Other Class 4 California Rafting Trips:
- Middle Fork American River
- North Fork American River
- North Fork Yuba River
- Upper Klamath River
- California Rafting Intermediate/Advanced trips
