8 best California rivers for whitewater rafting during this rip roarin’ season

What a distinction a yr makes.

Twelve months in the past, the snowpack within the Sierra was a mere 65%, which meant that rafting seasons had been short-lived on some rivers.

This yr, with greater than 4 instances as a lot snow within the mountains, among the Golden State’s fashionable whitewater streams will probably be pumping into the autumn — refreshing information for anybody looking for a visit over cascades giant and small.

“It’s an entire 180 from final yr,” stated Matt Volpert, who runs Kern River Outfitters in Wofford Heights. “In California, it appears there’s both not sufficient snow or approach an excessive amount of. We’re already above the 1983 file, the higher benchmark till now.”

And wintry climate within the Sierra isn’t over but. As March wound down, Mammoth reported 695 inches at its predominant lodge and 870 inches at its lofty, 11,053-foot summit, which suggests the ski season will go into July.

“We’re a really lengthy season this yr,” Volpert stated. “We’ll be operating rafting journeys till mid-September, however there will probably be good water till Halloween and even later.”

As a result of water will probably be excessive by the early a part of the summer season, he means that households with younger youngsters or nervous novices contemplate ready till mid-July and even August when flows have lessened and the whitewater is tamer.

However for these trying to expertise highly effective rapids and larger thrills, he stated the season has already begun on the higher part of the Kern and different rivers within the state.

Right here’s a rundown on eight of the state’s finest whitewater streams, the place outfitters supply mellow journeys appropriate for nervous novices to those that don’t thoughts occasional raft flips or a swim downstream.