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

Whitewater
    rafting and kayaking spots in this state tend to be more challenging than the national average, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that lots of rivers here are not for beginners. If you're coming from Truckee-Grass Valley it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location,
if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way there are lots of good rivers for that around here. Rubicon River doesn't have a lot of paddling stretches, the Ellicott Bridge to Ralston Afterbay stretch is the only one. The beautiful scenery of California and the water flowing gracefully down Rubicon River will make you feel great. The river winds through the Northern Sierra Nevada and you get great scenery. Not too many hotels nearby,  
you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. The Ellicott Bridge to Ralston Afterbay section of Rubicon River in Placer/ El Dorado County is 20.3 miles long and it is classified as a class V section by American Whitewater. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. This section has enough mileage for an overnight trip, so why not pack your sleeping bag too. A bit of exercise and just being out on the river for a while will have you coming back for more.

Briefly about the general area:
Wallace Canyon is a glorious location to go to close by, and a visit to Rubicon River wouldn't be complete without taking a look at Pine Tree Spring. During the summer highs here at Rubicon River get into the 90's, and all through the night it cools down to the 60's. Highs through the winter are regularly in the 50's; night lows in the 30's for Rubicon River. Rubicon River is a rather wet place generally with a good deal of rainfall; January is when you get the most rain here while July is mostly the driest month.
This is such a wonderful river. Hiking along the Grizzly Canyon Trail is splendid fun. If you like the outdoors you'll like it here in the Northern Sierra Nevada. Take a hike on the Pigeon Roost Trail, and a short spree to Wallace Spring is always worthwhile.

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:
Soda Springs, California , 23 miles away, 625 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
Northstar at Tahoe, California , 35 miles away, 2280 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

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