Two-Day Middle Fork Trips
"I loved the serenity of the canyon, and our overnight campsite. The Tunnel Chute was super!" A.B., July 30
The two-day Middle Fork trip is a delightful combination of exciting intermediate level whitewater rafting and time to relax and truly enjoy this remote and beautiful river canyon environment. Adventure Connection either meets you the night before your trip at their South Fork camp in Coloma or, alternately, you can hook up with them in the town of Auburn for the 60-minute drive to the put-in where your boats and guides will be waiting for you.
For the Adventuresome First-Time Rafter & Experienced Rafters Ready for the Next Challenge...
"We had the time of our lives on the Middle Fork of the American River...It was the best vacation I've ever taken"
T. Q., Atlanta, GA.
This river is a great choice for those individuals and groups who wish to experience the adventure of a remote wilderness river trip and enjoy the challenge of many exciting whitewater rapids. An adventuresome first-time rafter in good physical condition, as well as the more experienced intermediate rafter will love the Middle Fork. Isolated from civilization in the Auburn State Recreation Area, this dam-controlled river offers spectacular scenery, crystal clear water, great rapids, excellent fishing, and the possibility of a side hike up a picturesque creek to a waterfall.
The rapids on this river range from Class II to Class V. Overall Adventure Connection rates this river as an adventuresome Class III/IV experience with one Class V rapid - the famous Tunnel Chute. Here the river drops through a narrow, churning whitewater chute leading down to a flat-water tunnel through a narrow ridge blasted by miners in the 1850s. The result is an exciting, roller coaster ride, and adrenaline rush rapid. Stop to scout this rapid first; walking around the Tunnel Chute is always an option.
The thrill of the Tunnel Chute sets up the rest of the Middle Fork trip to be fully savored and enjoyed. Class II, III, and IV rapids follow, as well as a portage around a waterfall/boulder garden. There are also several long, lazy calm stretches where paddling is necessary as the current slows, and you enjoy the serenity and beauty of a remote river canyon.
The Middle Fork is a legendary California Gold Rush river. In the 1850's, mining towns sprang up along its banks, and miners diverted the river at mile 2.5, Horseshoe Bend, creating the Tunnel Chute in order to glean riches from the exposed dry stream bed. More gold has probably been found in the Middle Fork canyon than in any other California river. Today you might even see a few hardy miners still panning for gold alongside the riverbanks as you float by.
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