California whitewater - American River - North Fork, Northern Sierra Nevada, Placer County Placer county, Colfax-Iowa Hill Road to Colfax-Foresthill Road Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS IV-V     4.8 miles   Giant Gap is more IV-V than V.  It's great IV+ under 1100 or so. Says Brendan Not a class V stretch. moderate class IV from 800 to 1800 CFS, above that difficulty starts to climb above IV-. good way to step up to IV if you have a good roll. super classic rapids and scenery, giant gap above is even better but MUCH harder (V). Says SW The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state are often tougher than in other states, so you'd better keep in mind that lots of rivers here are not for beginners. The Colfax-Iowa Hill Road to Colfax-Foresthill     Road Bridge section of American River - North Fork in California is 4.8 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class IV-V section of whitewater. The starting location is a reasonable drive from Truckee-Grass Valley, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. The scenic beauty of California and the cool fresh water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. A bit of exercise and just being out on the river for a while are great reasons to come. This is not the only paddling section in this river system, there are others too. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking in this general area you'll find lots of paddling places. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance   then no problem but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. The river winds through the Northern Sierra Nevada and you get great scenery. This section is long enough to enjoy a good non stop paddle, you can easily run it on an afternoon. Briefly about the general area: Don't leave American River - North Fork without first checking out Windy Point, and Salvation Ravine is absolutely a splendid place to visit. The warmest time of the year brings highs in the 80's to American River - North Fork, and during summer nights temperatures are in the 50's. Daytime highs during the wintertime are in the 40's, and after the sun is down through the winter temperatures at American River - North Fork drop into the 20's. American River - North Fork ordinarily gets a large amount of precipitation; January is when you get the most rain here, and July on the other hand is the driest. But wait, there's more entertaining stuff to do in the Northern Sierra Nevada. American River - North Fork, Colfax-Iowa Hill Road to Colfax-Foresthill Road Bridge road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: IV-V Length: 4.8 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 39.1044 Longitude: -120.933 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 39.03979 Longitude: -120.90161 Paddler input for American River - North Fork, California: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at American River - North Fork, Northern Sierra Nevada, California Local climate location: NEVADA CITY 8 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Golden Chain Resort Motel, Grass Valley 11 miles away The Golden Chain Resort Motel is a quiet, restful place. Nestled amongst the Ponderosa Pines at 2400 feet above sea level, we are located above the fog and below heavy snows, only 2.5 miles south of G... Best Western Gold Country Inn, Grass Valley 12 miles away **Hot tub closed until further notice.** Discover this pet friendly Grass Valley, California hotel offering convenient access to Empire Mine State Park, Historic Nevada City and the Tahoe National Fo... Nevada City Inn, Nevada City 12 miles away A home away from home! Comfortable, park-like setting, 2/3 of a mile to downtown Nevada City, 27 guest rooms inluding 7 cottages. We are now an all non smoking room hotel. We are a pet friendly hotel...   Northern Sierra Nevada Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Northern Sierra Nevada. Northern Sierra Nevada Outdoors Info Complete outdoors info for the Northern Sierra Nevada. All California Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in California. Books about whitewater paddling on American River - North Fork, California List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on American River - North Fork, California. Find a whitewater outfitter in California Whitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info. Outdoors Recreation Near Truckee-Grass Valley, California Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Truckee-Grass Valley, California, the metro area neareast to American River - North Fork. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near American River - North Fork.   Whitewater Near American River - North Fork: American River - North Fork, Placer County , 3 miles away, Class II-III - 5 miles long (Colfax-Foresthill Road Bridge to Ponderosa Way Bridge) Bear River, Nevada / Placer County , 5 miles away, Class II-V - 11 miles long (Highway 174 Bridge to Lake Combie) American River - Middle Fork, Placer/El Dorado County , 6 miles away, Class II-IV(V+) - 17 miles long (Oxbow Bend to Drivers Flat Road) American River - North Fork, Placer County , 7 miles away, Class IV-V - 14.5 miles long (Euchre Bar to Colfax-Iowa Hill Road) American River - Middle Fork, Placer / El Dorado County , 8 miles away, Class I(II) - 7.1 miles long (former Greenwood Bridge to Mammoth Bar) American River - North Fork, Placer County , 13 miles away, Class II - 3 miles long (Confluence with Middle Fork to Folsom Lake) American River - Middle Fork, Placer County , 13 miles away, Class IV-V - 2.1 miles long (Mosquito Ridge Road to confluence with Middle Fork) Yuba River - South Fork, Nevada County , 15 miles away, Class IV - 14 miles long (Washington to Edwards Crossing) Yuba River - South Fork, Nevada County , 15 miles away, Class IV - 4 miles long (Edwards Crossing to Purdon Crossing) American River - South Fork, El Dorado County , 16 miles away, Class III+ - 15 miles long (Lotus Campground to Folsom Lake)   Ski Areas Near American River - North Fork: Soda Springs, California , 39 miles away, 625 vertical feet Boreal, California , 42 miles away, 500 vertical feet Sugar Bowl, California , 42 miles away, 1500 vertical feet Donner Ski Ranch, California , 43 miles away, 750 vertical feet Alpine Meadows, California , 47 miles away, 1802 vertical feet Squaw Valley, California , 47 miles away, 2850 vertical feet Tahoe Donner, California , 48 miles away, 600 vertical feet Homewood, California , 52 miles away, 1650 vertical feet Granlibakken, California , 53 miles away, 300 vertical feet Northstar at Tahoe, California , 56 miles away, 2280 vertical feet   Hotels Near American River - North Fork: Golden Chain Resort Motel, Grass Valley , 11 miles away Best Western Gold Country Inn, Grass Valley , 12 miles away Nevada City Inn, Nevada City , 12 miles away Stagecoach Motel, Grass Valley , 12 miles away Piety Hill Cottages, Nevada City , 12 miles away   Camp Grounds Near American River - North Fork: Orchard Springs Resort, Colfax, 3 miles away Holiday Adventure Resorts, Colfax, 4 miles away Long Ravine Campground, Placer County, 4 miles away   Trails Near American River - North Fork: Green Valley Trail, Placer County , 10 miles away, 2.8 hiking miles, 2371 feet elevation difference Euchre Bar Trail, Placer County , 13 miles away, 3.3 hiking miles, 1947 feet elevation difference American Eagle Trail, Placer County , 15 miles away,  1.8 hiking miles, 190 feet elevation difference South Yuba Trail, Nevada County , 15 miles away, 2.3 hiking miles, 929 feet elevation difference Humbug Trail, Nevada County , 15 miles away,  4 hiking miles, 1041 feet elevation difference Bake Oven Trail, Placer County , 16 miles away,  9 hiking miles, 2032 feet elevation difference Nevada Point Trail, El Dorado County , 17 miles away, 5.3 hiking miles, 2771 feet elevation difference   Lakes Near American River - North Fork