The All-Outdoors California Whitewater Rafting Blog

Take any guesswork out of packing for your overnight rafting trip with these expert tips. You will learn what to bring (and what to leave at home) and how to pack your dry bag efficiently.

Helen is an East Coast transplant who followed her love of rafting to California. She loves all kinds of water sports, good food, and her cats. She manages the South Fork of the American, as well as managing food prep and driving shuttles.

All-Outdoors has been a pioneer in both whitewater rafting and gender inclusivity since its beginning in the 60’s. Women have contributed to the company’s growth every step of the way, playing vital roles both on and off the water.

Each spring, the AO guide community comes together for raft guide training to reconnect, pass down knowledge, gain confidence – all while rafting some of the best spring whitewater California has to offer.

Stella is a second generation river guide. She grew up rafting and kayaking on the South Fork American and has been guiding on it since 2019. She mainly guides trips on the Middle Fork American now, and is in school studying nursing during the winter.

The epic California snowpack means we are looking at an exceptional whitewater rafting season ahead. It is too early for specifics, but here is what we can expect on California rivers in 2023, in broad strokes.

AO’s Frequent Floater Sven explains what he likes the most about our California Salmon River rafting trips. Watch and listen to find out who he plans to introduce this exciting river to next time around.

Reese has been guiding on California rivers since 2017. She mainly guides on the Middle Fork American and loves to immerse her guests in the process of a rafting trip. When she is not on the water she spends her time on the ski slopes or in the kitchen.

There are many good reasons to consider a spring whitewater rafting trip in California that apply universally, regardless of the snowpack levels in the current year. Here are just a few of them to get you inspired.

All California rivers are fed by rain and snow. To understand spring, summer, and fall river flows, you need to know what happened in the Sierra Nevada during the winter wet season.