California rafting and rafting on the South Fork American River is fun for all

Trinity River River Rafting

Trinity River rafting trips are ideal for families and youth groups. With the addition of inflatable kayaks, even the experienced or more adventurous rafter will have plenty of excitement. It is an easier option than most rafting trips on the South Fork American River.

On a multi-day Trinity River rafting trip, we usually raft a Class 2 run on the first day as a warm-up. We then tackle the Class 3 “Pigeon Point” run, which has a myriad of Class 2-3 rapids like the Slot, Sailors Bar, and Fish Tail, plus the big one - Hell Hole (Class 3+) that provide a thrill for all. We supply all meals from lunch on day one to lunch on the last day. Camping is offered at vehicle accessible Shasta-Trinity National Forest campgrounds (no showers), wilderness style settings where we take all our gear in separate oar rafts, or most often at private riverside campgrounds, with grassy, shady river side sites.

Custom trips are available to accommodate younger or timid rafters or those with disabilities. Oar boats can be requested, and there are several different sections of Class 2 that can be substituted or added to extend the trip to 3 days. Some of these sections are on the Lower Trinity River (below Burnt Ranch Gorge) and include the beautiful Tish Tang gorge which ends just above the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation.

The wildlife and scenery are excellent along the Trinity River or “Hoopa”, as it is called by the local Hoopa tribe. The silent river runner can often sight deer, hawks, eagles, osprey, herons, kingfishers, and the occasional bear, mink, otter and reclusive fisher.

See family rafting for specially discounted 2 day trips.

Location and other information for Trinity River rafting:

Class 2-3+, 6-18 mile runs in ½ , 1, & 2 days, April-September

Location: Near Weaverville and the Trinity Alps, CA off Hwy. 299

The Main Trinity River, is the largest tributary of the Klamath, but is a mighty river of its own, building steadily. It drains all but the northern flank of the Salmon-Trinity Alps Wilderness in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The Trinity River’s best whitewater stretches are downstream of the North Fork Trinity confluence where historic gold mining remnants are left behind, and the scenery is more lush and green as the river flows through the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

Historically significant as a gold mining area, nearly 10,000 miners were working the Trinity River and its side creeks in 1851, when the total population of California was roughly 50,000 people. Legend has it that many Chinese miners lost their lives at a spot near the take-out named “China Slide”, when the mountainside slid down & buried them. The mining of the gold rush era drastically altered and impaired the habitat of the Trinity River, and so did the dam building era in the 1960’s. Much of the water is diverted to S. California and this has resulted in a serious reduction in the salmon and steelhead runs. Tributary supports Friends of the Trinity River who are working hard to re-establish the devastated fisheries.

Tributary Whitewater Tours operates under permit issued by the Big Bar Ranger District of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.