Take an Epic Rafting Trip Down the Whitewater of the Trinity River

Once, in the dawn of pre-history, a ravenous saber toothed tiger stalked a little family of cavemen, mom, dad and a couple of kids. No matter how fast they ran, the cat grew closer, closer, closer. Suddenly they ran smack up against a river, a dead end for them. Just as the cat was about to pounce, dad tossed everyone out on a log that just happened to be bobbing nearby, and shoved off.

Down, down, they flew through one explosive cascade after another, death groping at every turn. When they finally made it through the nightmarish whitewater, the cat was nowhere to be found. Somehow, they had survived. As it dawned on them they had just cheated death, the kids started screaming and giggling, AGAIN! AGAIN! AGAIN!
That’s how whitewater rafting in NorCal, was (probably) born. Almost ever since then, river rafting has been near the top of the favorite summer family activities in NorCal. The Trinity, upper Sacramento, Salmon and Klamath rivers offer more than enough white-knuckle rapids to satisfy almost anyone with a pseudo death wish.

It’s almost difficult to drive Hwy. 299 west of Redding during the summer and not see brightly colored rafts stuffed with people screaming and splashing, or engaged in a water-war with some other raft. The Trinity River is one of most popular NorCal whitewater venue, and the “Pigeon Point Run” (Class III) is at the top of the list. Depending on water levels, the drop at notorious “Hell Hole” can approach ten feet. Terror apparently has a name.

For the more ardent adventurer, there is the Trinity’s Burnt Ranch Gorge Run. There you can test your skills (or demonstrate your insanity) on big, Class V rapids like Table Rock, Origami, Burnt Ranch Falls and Jaws.

Check out Trinity River Rafting to book a Trinity River rafting trip this summer!

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

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