The 2025 California Whitewater Rafting Season Update
All-Outdoors operates professionally guided whitewater rafting trips on 10 California rivers. River trip options vary in a range of ways, including the level of difficulty, length of trip, minimum age requirements, driving distance, seasonality, and available itineraries. Consider what kind of experience you want for yourself and for your group before selecting a river and date.
Great Flows on All Rivers in California!
We offer rafting trips in California from April until the end of October every year, and each river has its own season that ranges in duration depending on upstream reservoirs or the rate of snowmelt. 2025 is going to be a great year for rafting: a healthy Sierra snowpack and full reservoirs will provide us with a long, full season of whitewater rafting fun through October. Whether you are looking for a family-friendly trip with the kids or a thrilling ride for your group of experienced rafters, you will have great options to choose from this season!
When Should You Go Rafting in 2025?
Go Rafting This Spring (April – mid-June)
Rafters will have many choices and can expect lots of whitewater action with a backdrop of lush spring scenery. Some rivers will only be available during the spring snowmelt months, including the North Fork of the Stanislaus, North Fork of the American, Merced & Kaweah Rivers. Reserve your space soon so you don’t miss out on these spring hits! If you are looking for an unusual springtime Class V experience, join us on our annual trip to the California Salmon River in Northern California on the weekend of April 26 – 27! Additionally, trips will also be available on the South Fork of the American River and the Tuolumne River from April, and on the Middle Fork of the American River starting in late May.
Raft the Tuolumne River!
This could be you! Remote canyon, powerful rapids, and stunning scenery—rafting the Tuolumne River is an adventure like no other. Are you in?
Go Rafting This Summer and Fall (Late June – October)
Summer and fall rafting in 2025 will be excellent! Upstream reservoirs will be releasing healthy flows for rafting on a consistent, regular schedule all summer and into fall. Summertime favorites include the South Fork of the American, Middle Fork of the American, and the Tuolumne River. Rafting season on Cherry Creek (Upper Tuolumne) will begin once the river flows get to normal levels in late June. Additionally, every October there is a special scheduled release on the Class IV+ Goodwin Canyon section of the Lower Stanislaus River near Knights Ferry.
Raft the American River!
This could be you! Paddle through fun, splashy rapids on the South Fork or take on the exciting wilderness of the Middle Fork. With options for first-timers and thrill-seekers alike, there’s an American River rafting trip for everyone!
2025 California Rafting Season – River by River
South Fork American
The rafting season on this fan-favorite river opens in April and will run through October. Excellent flows for rafting are guaranteed six days a week (no Wednesdays) through Labor Day, September 1, and four days a week later in September (Thursday-Sunday) and October (Friday-Monday). The best time for the Class I-II Tom Sawyer Float Trips on the easy section of the South Fork will be from late June through September.
Middle Fork American
Rafting on the Middle Fork is expected to begin on Memorial Day weekend with scheduled normal flows starting on Saturday, May 24. Rafters will benefit from reliable releases six days a week (no Mondays) through Labor Day, September 1. There is a possibility of seven-day releases, but final confirmation will come in May. After Labor Day, river trips will be available every day except Monday and Thursday through the end of September. This year’s long season provides a great opportunity for our wonderful overnight river trips through Middle Fork’s wilderness canyon.
Merced River
With plenty of snow stored in Yosemite National Park’s high country, the mighty Merced River is set to deliver a thrilling season of big roller coaster waves and plenty of forward paddling. Trips are expected to begin in April, and we plan to run them through mid-June. While the river may remain runnable a little longer at lower flows, we’ll wrap up our Merced season as flows drop and shift our focus to the other incredible rivers we offer. Pair your Merced rafting adventure with a visit to the famous waterfalls in Yosemite Valley for the ultimate spring getaway.
Tuolumne River
The Wild and Scenic Tuolumne River will be a great rafting choice all season long! The river will enjoy a window of increased flows this spring thanks to the bountiful snowpack, so if you are looking for rafting with some extra spice, the best time to experience this will be in late May and early June. By late June, these higher spring flows will decrease to normal levels and the Tuolumne will continue to offer very exciting Class IV+ rafting all the way through Labor Day, September 1.
North Fork of the Stanislaus River
The North Stan is back for its third season in a row. The healthy low-elevation snowpack of 2025 will sustain a short, fun-filled season. If you’ve been eyeing this elusive Class IV+ gem for some time, this is your year! The best time for this river will be April and early May.
North Fork of the American River
This most difficult of the three forks of the American River will have a great season this year. April and early May will offer the best opportunity to raft through its narrow gorge, where you can enjoy challenging and technical rapids along with the emerald green water.
Kaweah River
The southern Sierra didn’t see as much snow as areas farther north, but there’s still plenty of excitement in store on the Kaweah River – we’ll be offering trips through June 8 this season. We recommend experiencing this river in early or mid-May and pairing the adventure with a visit to nearby Sequoia National Park.
Goodwin Canyon
Our Goodwin Canyon season will run for two weekends in October when water releases from the upstream dam are increased to help the spawning salmon. This hidden Class IV+ stretch of the lower Stanislaus River will be available during our Goodwin Canyon Double Runs on October 11-12 and 18-19.
California Salmon
This northernmost river we run will have an excellent season this year. While the river flows will be good for rafting through June this year, the best time to join us on this outstanding Class V whitewater will be the last weekend of April when trips are already planned. (Other April – June dates may be available for larger groups.)
Cherry Creek / Upper Tuolumne
The rafting season on Cherry Creek will start once river flows decrease to normal levels, which is expected to happen in the second half of June this year. The best time to plan a Cherry Creek trip will be between early July and September 1, which is the last day of planned water releases for rafting on this river.
If you want to dig into greater detail about the flows for each river, check our Real-Time Flow Reports for California Rivers for more information about this year’s seasonal flow projections.
We’d love to help you choose the best time and the best river for your rafting trip! Contact us by phone, email, Live Chat.
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Lenka Bostian
Lenka started working for All-Outdoors in the summer of 2005 when she followed her heart from her native Czech Republic out to California. After graduating college in Prague, she packed up her degree in International Business and moved across the pond for good. She’s been part of the AO family ever since, wearing different hats along the way. Besides trail running, tennis, and traveling, Lenka enjoys rafting and camping on the South Fork with her hubby (former AO guide) and their twin boys.
