O.A.R.S. American River Rafting

We had the most amazing time on our rafting trip with our guide Jimbo. If you are thinking of booking you must request that you get Jimbo as your guide. The experience far exceeded our expectations. Enjoy!!!

Great team outing on the Middle Fork. Our boss who likes to push the envelope picked the Middle Fork of the American river, which is Category IV rafting, even though none of us had rafted before. In fact there is one falls where we had to get out while the guides alone went down. Nevertheless, the O.A.R.S. guides made us feel extremely safe with authoritative instruction and expert navigation through the difficult parts. The guides (We had Jim, Craig, and Gina as guides — I was in Craig’s raft) were also funny and took good care of us. We spent almost six hours on the river overall (including a lunch break) and the whole thing was everything we wanted — great team-​building experience, good outdoors exercise, fun and excitement (a few people went overboard including myself), and overall a good value. They really emphasized the fun by taking every opportunity to drench us with «surfing» maneuvers, to play pirate by coming alongside our rival rafts and splashing them, racing, etc. My only caution is that you should be in good shape to do the Middle Fork, especially people with knee, back or shoulder problems should probably not do it – there are lots of weird positions that strain those areas. Also, I think in terms of taking kids you should only take the type of kid that is fearless and who can put in continuous effort without complaining — for other kids probably try the South Fork which is much easier. Anyway, overall I highly recommend it.

My friends and I experienced OARS river rafting and their spent a few nights at their camp site in Lotus and we had the time of our lives!!! Jimbo was our river rafting guide and he was the best! He motivates us to surf the rapids and was extremely friendly and funny during the whole trip. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide! We are all definitely looking forward to next summer to repeat this trip again!

Me and my 4 friends went for rafting trip on middle fork of american river with OARS. It was an amazing experience. Had great time with our guide James. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. Nobody fell off our boat because he was experienced and confident.

Went rafting with this company last week on the Middle fork of the American River. It was an amazing experience. Mike and Kelsey were our guides. They were so professional and really knew a lot about the river. Jimbo did the safety talk before we left and he did a great job, he covered everything and made us feel safe. We flipped the raft in Tunnel Chute rapid but all the crew were right there to make sure me and my family were safe. I would definitely go with OARS again. The lunch they provided was yummy too!

Our trip down the Middle Fork of the American River was the perfect college send-​off for our daughter and her friend. There’s nothing like river-​rafting to forge a team based on a shared experience. I am one of those people who hang off the left front of cable cars for the thrill of it, so I was honored to be assigned that position in our 7-​person raft for much of the trip. The North Fork is 16 miles of crystal clear, invigoratingly cold water interspersed with Class III-​IV rapids and flat water. Our guide, Jim H., was an expert in navigating the rapids and knowledgeable about an amazing variety of related topics. His love of rafting was unmistakable and only added to the fun. Rafting through unpopulated wilderness on a scorching hot day with my loved ones made for an unforgettable memory. Absolutely five stars, OARS!

This is shout out to OARS Idaho.
Do plan your next family adventures with this company. Do expect to have great people doing great work all the time.
I used to work in the industry so I get what a rafting adventure is supposed to look like.
The professionalism these kids displayed is off the charts. They, without exception, were punctual, skilled, friendly and kind.
If there was ever a reason to make me want to start guiding rafting trips again, OARS is it.
Emerald Lafortune and her whole crew simply rocked our whole trip.
These are the best of the best. I encourage you to book your next family adventures with these people.
I don’t give out five stars lightly. They earned this.

This was one of the best experience I’ve ever encountered! It was a group of three of us, my boyfriend, his buddy and myself. We got grouped with another group. Our guide was Kaitlyn. She was definitely a tough cookie. Sorta intimidating but her guiding and knowledge definitely made me feel more safe and I definitely trusted her judgment. We did the full day of rafting 140 $ a person this included lunch. The whole experience was amazing and I definitely think it’s worth the money and energy you put in. We rafted from 1130 – 430. Stopped for lunch for about 30 minutes. Every minute was exciting. There was downtime to go swimming in the river too. Definitely bring a few water bottle and sunblock! Definitely will be back. I recommend this company to everyone looking for a good time with experienced guides.

Such a great day yesterday. Jimbo was our guide and he was simply the best. It was my first time rafting and I was completely scared shitless of falling in, bears, and everything. He made me feel comfortable and «safe» to the point where I just said «eff it» and jumped in the river voluntarily. It was FREEZING! If there’s one negative thing I would have to say it would be he’s not the best weather man. He had a gift growing up on predicting the weather but yesterday was not his day. He said it was going to be in the 100s and it was in the low 70s. It was cold. It was a total culture shock for me being from Watts/​Compton and all. I had my Dorothy moments like «I don’t think we’re in Compton anymore» lol.
He did teach me a valuable lesson though…
«You said
It’s not how you swim it’s how you hold your breath
It’s not about playing fair in this life
It’s more about cheating death
If you don’t like getting old
Well you’ll hate the other choice I’m told
Cause it’s a little too late to die young (a little too late to die young)
It’s a little too late to die young»
If you go here asked for Jimbo as your guide. Nothing against the other guy Tate (I think that’s his name) he’s pretty solid too.

Our family of five (boys age 12 and girl age 9) had a blast on the 1-​day White Water Rafting trip on the South Fork of the American River, thanks to the OARS staff and our guide, Shayne Taylor. The Class 2 and Class 3 rapids keep the thrills coming, and Shayne was a super friendly and entertaining guide, indulging us with lots of opportunities to swim in both calm waters and rapids. One son said it was not only his favorite day this summer, but the best time our family has ever had together! We can’t wait for our next OARS adventure! (Aside: we camped in a trailer the night before at Ponderosa Resort across the street in the recently upgraded «A» site (clean bathrooms!). Kids played in river and pool, we ate a tasty Mexican meal at on-​site Taquerias Aguas Blancas and then watched an outdoor movie on the blow-​up big screen. Woke up the next morning and had coffee and delicious baked items from the Sierra Rizing Café & Bakery.)

These guys are the best! Had four young kids in our crew. They kept us safe and made it fun. Went the extra mile to get my camera that I had left behind back to me. Will use them again.

This was my first time rafting and I loved it! I’d say OARS is the way to go for your first time. Booking the trip was easy online and the staff was professional and entertaining. We did the South Fork 1 day rafting trip. Fed us lunch! Sandwiches, fruit, chips, cookies, water and juice. Shayne was our guide and he was great! Took us through level 2 – 3 throughout the whole day. There were calm parts of the river where you could hop out and swim. Wear lots of sunblock and bring water! Would definitely go again.

My 18 year old well-​traveled son and I spent 3 days at Bear Camp in British Columbia Canada and and 3 days rafting the Chilko River. From the very first contact with everyone at OARS and through our entire trip, everyone did whatever it took to make our trip the best. The booking process and travel/​transfer was smooth and professional, in spite of the long distance from San Francisco. The Chilko River is like no other, with lava canyon and long run with class 3 to 5 rapids on the second day. The view from our tent or anywhere you turn your head was spectacular and the Chilko River is so clear and clean we could actually drink it’s water. Don’t be mislead by «camp». The attention to detail in this unique environment is meticulous. The equipment is well maintained and top quality with staff that is extremely knowledgeable and personable. It’s obvious that the staff really appreciates their surroundings.
We have rafted all over the world and our oar boat guide was the most attentive, knowledgeable, supportive and fun guide ever, in my 40+ years of rafting. OARS and this Bear Camp ROAM Adventures have my highest regard and recommendation.

OARS Rafting Trip was an amazing experience hands down!!! The company itself has an outstanding; professional that represents this wonderful company. Booking the tour was seamless. A wonderful staff named Ms. Kelsey M. ensured that our trip was properly booked. Kelsey was very helpful, kind and accommodating in helping me book our trip. As for the actual trip, we were given an outstanding tour guide named Steve. Steve was fun, wonderful, professional, helpful and most of all he made our first rafting trip memorable. A shout out also to a young lady named Dana who helped us put our gears on and ensured that everything was in the right place. Thank you for having an outstanding staff and an outstanding Whitewater Rafting trip!

This was an awesome trip. We went on Labor Day and it was a beautiful day. Our guide Shane was fun and he guided us really well, since we never be on one. He kept us well entertained and safe.
We took the South Fork route and it’s great for beginners. We floated, swam in some areas and this route took us from level 2 to level 3 – 4 on the whole trip. Deli Lunch was also included… This is the one to take if you’ve never been on a rafting trip. .Remember to put on plenty of sunscreen, swim clothes, hat and sandals or old tennis shoes… you will definitely get wet… no flip flops… also, if you have a gopro, some of the helmets has the holder for it.

Had an AMAZING time on the Middle Fork with our guide Eric and his companions Jimbo and Craig! Definitely recommending OARS to anyone looking to go rafting! Can’t wait until our next trip!

Wow! I had a blast this past weekend at the OARS 2-​day rafting trip on the American River. Marc was the guide on our trip, and he was fantastic! Couldn’t be any better. Everything was well organized, Marc was friendly, funny and helpful. This was my first time rafting and it was a lot of fun! After the first day of rafting, Marc and Jim cooked a delicious 3-​course gourmet dinner for all of us, and then custom breakfasts the next morning (this was in addition to a yummy lunch both days). Second day of rafting was just as fun. The campground was great — beautiful grounds, right by the river, bathrooms with showers, activities, lounging areas, gear shop, nearby café — everything we needed.
I would definitely recommend OARS to anyone looking to go on a river trip. Price was good too. Zero complaints.

You couldn’t ask for a better outfit. The guides are top notch (James was our man — amazing ability to keep everyone, our boat and the entire group, entertained and safe). The campground — especially the pre-​set platform tents, is beautiful and thoughtful. The platform tent area has two well-​placed water features for beauty and sound masking. There are tons of games including volleyball and giant chess. The location can’t be beat. Walk to to breakfast, walk to your river launch, walk to your delicious dinner at Gringo’s (try the Bahn Mi taco!) and walk to frozen yogurt for a treat before you turn in.
A-​MAZE-​ING!!!
O.A.R.S. has a relationship with REI. If you mention REI (or apparently Unilocal) when booking you can get a 15% discount.
We’ll be heading back next year.

Went on a 2 day trip with the liquor group so we were called. This was the second year out company brought some top performers to go rafting and I was luckily chosen to be apart of it. Awesome camp ground. Very relaxing and lots of activities to do. The guides are awesome and cooked us the best meals!!! The red neck breakfast that they tried on us was a huge hit. James was our guide and he killed it. Made our rafting a lot more fun with additional turns and bumps to create more adventure and he was full of awesome stories and facts. I can’t wait to go back and do the middle fork. Thanks James and the whole gang.

What a fantastic company to Whitewater raft with. This was our first experience on the Middle Fork of the American River. We are 17, 54, and 62 years old. We were treated like special guests from the moment we called to make reservations till the end when they drop us off at our car. Every need is cared for. The ride to the river is in very comfortable clean large vans. The guides are friendly and informative. Safety is of special concern during the whole day. These guides lead trips down this branch of the river almost everyday and know all the twists and turns by heart. We didn’t flip out of the raft once, they really know what they are doing. Special life vests and helmets are given to each. A sandwich wrap lunch is prepared fresh during lunch break. You will see breathtaking scenery and experience thrilling Whitewater rapids not available anywhere else. Would we go again? ABSOLUTELY… but only with O.A.R.S. We saw the other groups out there with us and this company is truly the cream of the crop!!!
P. S. If you luck out and get James or Tanner for your raft guide… you’ll enjoy the day even more! Thanks, guys.