California whitewater - Rubicon River, Northern Sierra Nevada, Placer/ El Dorado County

Placer/ El Dorado county, Ellicott Bridge to Ralston Afterbay section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS V     20.3 miles
 
The streaming Rubicon River just northeast of Eleven Pines Road. The river serves as a border between Placer and El Dorado counties, and offers challenging whitewater rafting opportunities for experienced paddlers. This is a woodland area approximately 15 miles south of the Hell Hole Reservoir. This is a truly memorable area to spend the day hiking and exploring the area?s lush vegetation and small waterfalls. This parcel is located in a Timber Preserve Zone, so be sure to confirm land use codes and flood data with the County. Says

The nature
    scenery of Placer/ El Dorado County and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water have people coming here. If you're coming from Truckee-Grass Valley it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t
get lost. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state are often tougher than in other states, so if you're not from around here don't forget that many runs in this state are not easy. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way around here you'll find a large number of good rivers. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. Rubicon River doesn't have a lot of paddling sections, the Ellicott  
Bridge to Ralston Afterbay section is the only one. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. The Ellicott Bridge to Ralston Afterbay stretch of Rubicon River in Placer/ El Dorado County is 20.3 miles long and is a class V section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. Whitewater paddling here in the Northern Sierra Nevada is a great experience. This stretch has enough mileage for an overnight trip, so pack your camp stove. A bit of exercise and spending some quality time in nature are great reasons to come.

Briefly about the general area:
Go for a hike on the Grizzly Canyon Trail; Pine Tree Spring is a good local attraction. Rubicon River is a pretty wet place regularly with a lot of precipitation; the wettest month of the year is commonly January, that's the one that rains the most, and the driest month of the year is July. This is such a wonderful river. Put some time aside to spend at Wallace Spring since you're here at Rubicon River.
High temperatures at Rubicon River through the summertime are in the 90's. When the night sets in temperatures fall down into the 60's. The wintertime brings highs down to the 50's while Rubicon River overnight low temperatures during the winter are in the 30's. Not enough hours in a day to enjoy the Northern Sierra Nevada. There are good places to discover along the Pigeon Roost Trail; Rubicon River is near Wallace Canyon which is definitely worth taking a look at.

Rubicon River, Ellicott Bridge to Ralston Afterbay road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: V
Length: 20.3 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.9603
Longitude: -120.4814

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.98989
Longitude: -120.68711

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Current weather conditions at Rubicon River, Northern Sierra Nevada, California
WXPort

Local climate location: COLFAX 4 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Best Western Stagecoach Inn, Pollock Pines
12 miles away
Enjoy a variety of outdoor activities including fishing, hiking, golf, boating and skiing while staying at this newly renovated Pollock Pines, California hotel. Nestled in northern California's Sier...

NATIONAL 9 INN, Placerville
18 miles away
National 9 Inn is a two story frame stucco building. All rooms have Direct Dial Phones and Color Cable TV with Free HBO. Complimentary Continental Breakfast is available in the office. Smoking and non...

Albert Shafsky House Bed And Breakfast, Placerville
19 miles away
This Placerville bed and breakfast in the foothills of California provides a wonderful taste of rich heritage, both inside and out. We are a romantic, comfortable bed and breakfast in El Dorado County...



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 Rubicon River, California
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Rubicon River, 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 Rubicon River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Rubicon River.
 Whitewater Near Rubicon River:
American River - Middle Fork, Placer County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V - 2.1 miles long (Mosquito Ridge Road to confluence with Middle Fork)
American River - South Fork, El Dorado County , 11 miles away, Class IV-V - 9.4 miles long (Peavine Ridge Road to Forebay Road)
American River - North Fork, Placer County , 13 miles away, Class IV-V - 12.3 miles long (Tadpole Creek to Euchre Bar)
American River - South Fork, El Dorado County , 14 miles away, Class III-IV - 3.5 miles long (Riverton to Peavine Ridge Road)
American River - South Fork, El Dorado County , 15 miles away, Class IV-V - 7 miles long (Slab Creek Dam to White Rock Powerhouse)
Camp Creek, El Dorado County , 16 miles away, Class IV+ - 10.1 miles long (Fleming Meadows trailhead to Happy Valley Road)
Yuba River - South Fork, Nevada/ Placer County , 18 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 7.5 miles long (Cisco Grove to Spaulding Reservoir)
American River - South Fork, El Dorado County , 18 miles away, Class III-V - 9.6 miles long (Kyburz to Riverton)
Yuba River - South Fork, Nevada/ Placer County , 20 miles away, Class IV-V - 5.2 miles long (Kingvale to Cisco Grove)
American River - North Fork, Placer County , 20 miles away, Class IV-V - 14.5 miles long (Euchre Bar to Colfax-Iowa Hill Road)
 Ski Areas Near Rubicon River:
Royal Gorge, California , 22 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Soda Springs, California , 23 miles away, 652 vertical feet
Sugar Bowl, California , 25 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Boreal, California , 25 miles away, 500 vertical feet
Donner Ski Ranch, California , 25 miles away, 750 vertical feet
Alpine Meadows, California , 26 miles away, 1802 vertical feet
Squaw Valley, California , 27 miles away, 2850 vertical feet
Homewood, California , 30 miles away, 1650 vertical feet
Tahoe Donner, California , 30 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Granlibakken, California , 31 miles away, 300 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Rubicon River:
Best Western Stagecoach Inn, Pollock Pines , 12 miles away
NATIONAL 9 INN, Placerville , 18 miles away
Albert Shafsky House Bed And Breakfast, Placerville , 19 miles away
Gold Country Inn, Placerville , 19 miles away
Lexington Historic Cary House Hotel, Placerville , 20 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Rubicon River:
Vista Overflow Campground, El Dorado County, 4 miles away
Big Tree Grove Campground, Placer County, 5 miles away
Ralston Campground, Placer County, 10 miles away
 Trails Near Rubicon River:
Pigeon Roost Trail, Placer County , 1 miles away, 1.4 hiking miles, 763 feet elevation difference
Grizzly Canyon Trail, Placer County , 2 miles away, 2 hiking miles, 381 feet elevation difference
Belix Trail, Placer County , 5 miles away, 6.9 hiking miles, 1141 feet elevation difference
Slide Point Trail, Placer County , 6 miles away, 1.2 hiking miles, 1512 feet elevation difference
Nevada Point Trail, El Dorado County , 7 miles away, 5.3 hiking miles, 2771 feet elevation difference
Ellicott Trail, El Dorado County , 7 miles away, 1.3 hiking miles, 1591 feet elevation difference
Grey Trail, Placer County , 7 miles away, 2.4 hiking miles, 2339 feet elevation difference
 Lakes Near Rubicon River

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater