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 Colfax-Iowa Hill Road to Colfax-Foresthill Road Bridge section of American River - North Fork in California is 4.8 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class IV-V section. If you're coming from
    Truckee-Grass Valley it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. This stretch has has enough mileage, it's perfect for a one day trip. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this area
has a large number of paddling places. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. This river system is full of great paddling stretches, the Colfax-Iowa Hill Road to Colfax-Foresthill Road Bridge stretch is just one of them. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. The sections for whitewater rafting and kayaking here in California are often more challenging than in other states, so better not forget that many runs in this state  
are not easy. The nature scenery of Placer County and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream attract people from near and far. Getting a good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors will have you coming back for more. The Northern Sierra Nevada scenery is wonderful.

Briefly about the general area:
You need to stop by Windy Point if you're here at American River - North Fork; if you feel like a little side spree, try Salvation Ravine. For the duration of the summer months highs here at American River - North Fork get into the 80's. Once the sun is down it dips down to the 50's. Highs through the winter are frequently in the 40's while American River - North Fork night low temperatures during the winter are in the 20's. American River - North Fork frequently gets a good deal of rain; January is the wettest month with most rain, and the driest of the months is July.
And that's not all the things you can do here 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

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Current weather conditions at American River - North Fork, Northern Sierra Nevada, California
WXPort

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
Stay at this Grass Valley hotel in the heart of California's Gold Country. The Best Western Gold Country Inn is nestled amongst the pines of the Sierra Foothills off Highway 49 in California. The hot...

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...



OTHER_INFO
  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.
 

   

OUTDOORS
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:
Royal Gorge, California , 37 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Soda Springs, California , 39 miles away, 652 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
 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

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Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater