California whitewater - American River - North Fork, Northern Sierra Nevada, Placer County

Placer county, Colfax-Foresthill Road Bridge to Ponderosa Way Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II-III     5 miles
  This stretch of American River - North Fork in California is 5 miles long and has been rated as a class II-III section by American Whitewater. The starting location is a reasonable drive from Truckee-Grass Valley, as you can see on the road map further down. The nature scenery of Placer County and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water have people coming here. A good workout and just being out on the river for a while have people coming from far and near. This stretch has has enough mileage, suitable for an afternoon trip. There are campgrounds quite
    near the river where you can camp. The wild scenery of the Northern Sierra Nevada is great. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way in this general area you'll find lots of paddling rivers. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in California is often more
difficult than elsewhere, so you'd better keep in mind that many runs in this state are not easy. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. There are so many sections to paddle in this river system, the Colfax-Foresthill Road Bridge to Ponderosa Way Bridge section is just one of many.

Briefly about the general area:
Summertime highs at American River - North Fork typically tend to be in the 80's, and through the night it
 
cools down to the 50's. High temperatures during the winter are normally in the 40's while the cold winter nights at American River - North Fork are in the 20's. Much precipitation falls at American River - North Fork; of all the months in a year January is the one with the most rain while July is ordinarily the driest month.
That right there is plenty of amusing stuff already but it goes on, the Northern Sierra Nevada has it all. If you want to go to some attention-grabbing stuff, go to Big Bend, and Quail Trap Ravine is also a good location to look at.

American River - North Fork, Colfax-Foresthill Road Bridge to Ponderosa Way Bridge road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II-III
Length: 5 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 39.03979
Longitude: -120.90161

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.9998
Longitude: -120.93891

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

Local climate location: NEVADA CITY 9 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Best Western Golden Key, Auburn
11 miles away
Located in the heart of Gold Country, a 'treasure' awaits you at the Best Western Golden Key in Auburn. You can explore oak and pine forests as well as discover the history and excitement of the Gold ...

Travelodge Of Auburn, Auburn
11 miles away
A 2005 President's Circle Award Winner, the Travelodge of Auburn is a newly renovated property located on I-80 in the historic city of Auburn. Auburn is famous for gold panning, antiques, river raftin...

Comfort Inn Central, Auburn
11 miles away
The Comfort Inn Central is ideally located just 30 miles from Sacramento with easy access from local freeways. Hotel is close to Thunder Valley Casino, the American River Canyon, the Sierra Nevadas an...



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 IV-V - 4.8 miles long (Colfax-Iowa Hill Road to Colfax-Foresthill Road Bridge)
American River - Middle Fork, Placer/El Dorado County , 4 miles away, Class II-IV(V+) - 17 miles long (Oxbow Bend to Drivers Flat Road)
American River - Middle Fork, Placer / El Dorado County , 5 miles away, Class I(II) - 7.1 miles long (former Greenwood Bridge to Mammoth Bar)
Bear River, Nevada / Placer County , 6 miles away, Class II-V - 11 miles long (Highway 174 Bridge to Lake Combie)
American River - North Fork, Placer County , 9 miles away, Class IV-V - 14.5 miles long (Euchre Bar to Colfax-Iowa Hill Road)
American River - North Fork, Placer County , 11 miles away, Class II - 3 miles long (Confluence with Middle Fork to Folsom Lake)
American River - South Fork, El Dorado County , 13 miles away, Class III+ - 15 miles long (Lotus Campground 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)
American River - South Fork, El Dorado County , 13 miles away, Class II-IV - 20.5 miles long (Route 193 to Folsom Lake)
Yuba River - South Fork, Nevada County , 18 miles away, Class IV - 14 miles long (Washington to Edwards Crossing)
 Ski Areas Near American River - North Fork:
Royal Gorge, California , 38 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Soda Springs, California , 41 miles away, 652 vertical feet
Boreal, California , 43 miles away, 500 vertical feet
Sugar Bowl, California , 43 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Donner Ski Ranch, California , 44 miles away, 750 vertical feet
Alpine Meadows, California , 48 miles away, 1802 vertical feet
Squaw Valley, California , 48 miles away, 2850 vertical feet
Tahoe Donner, California , 49 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Homewood, California , 53 miles away, 1650 vertical feet
Granlibakken, California , 53 miles away, 300 vertical feet
 Hotels Near American River - North Fork:
Best Western Golden Key, Auburn , 11 miles away
Travelodge Of Auburn, Auburn , 11 miles away
Comfort Inn Central, Auburn , 11 miles away
Golden Chain Resort Motel, Grass Valley , 12 miles away
Golden Chain Grass Valley, Grass Valley , 12 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near American River - North Fork:
Sky View Terrace Mobile Home, Foresthill, 4 miles away
Orchard Springs Resort, Colfax, 4 miles away
Starlight Cafe, Foresthill, 6 miles away
 Trails Near American River - North Fork:
Green Valley Trail, Placer County , 12 miles away, 2.8 hiking miles, 2371 feet elevation difference
Euchre Bar Trail, Placer County , 15 miles away, 3.3 hiking miles, 1947 feet elevation difference
Bake Oven Trail, Placer County , 16 miles away,  9 hiking miles, 2032 feet elevation difference
American Eagle Trail, Placer County , 16 miles away,  1.8 hiking miles, 190 feet elevation difference
Nevada Point Trail, El Dorado County , 17 miles away, 5.3 hiking miles, 2771 feet elevation difference
South Yuba Trail, Nevada County , 18 miles away, 2.3 hiking miles, 929 feet elevation difference
Humbug Trail, Nevada County , 18 miles away,  4 hiking miles, 1041 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