Frequently Asked Questions

River Kids is a multi-day whitewater rafting and river-education day camp led by experts in the field, designed specifically for ages 6–16.

Kids learn real rafting skills, explore the river ecosystem, and gain confidence under the guidance of experienced River Runners professionals.

Learn more about the program and our values here.

Choose your desired session dates and reserve as soon as possible! Sessions fill up fast.

These are full-day camps. Formal instruction typically spans 7-8 hours each day. Specific itineraries can be seen here for 2-day sessions, and here for 3-day sessions.

Students are dropped off and picked up each day at the same place -- River Runners' private site in Camp Lotus.

Parents are welcome to stay and observe the introduction of students and guides during their first day, then parents are asked to depart in order for students to focus on their learning experience.

Students are always placed in a raft with a professional whitewater instructor, in a ratio of no more than 6 students to 1 instructor. Groups spend the majority of their time on the water, swimming, splashing, and paddling their way to whitewater confidence and competence.

Students are provided with lunch and ample snacks on each day of the session. Please notify River Runners of any necessary dietary or medical accommodations.

All students register for the same camp dates, but are separated into two age categories.

Explorers are kids aged 6-9: These children typically aren't ready for Class III whitewater, so they spend their days on the gentle Class II section that runs through the Coloma Valley. They'll still experience some exciting waves and whitewater, but to an appropriate level for their developmental stage and size. These kids will practice skills like swimming in the river, directing a paddle crew, identifying river features, scouting rapids, managing fear and stress in whitewater, environmental awareness and river etiquette, Leave No Trace principles, building confidence and decision-making on the river, and much more!

Voyagers are kids aged 10-16.

Voyagers spend their days on the Class II-III sections of the South Fork of the American River. They are grouped in boats with other kids similar to their age so the guide can tailor the instruction and challenge to their needs. Voyagers practice skills like safety gear preparation, raft rigging, paddle strokes, directing a paddle crew, identifying and navigating whitewater features, rescue fundamentals, surfing standing waves, swimming in current, and much more!

There is some flexibility to these general principles. Please contact us if you think your child may need an exception to these age groupings so we can discuss your needs.

Yes — under the supervision and at the discretion of our instructors. It is our goal to get every River Kid meaningful time guiding the raft. One of the core elements of River Kids is hands-on learning. Campers paddle, make decisions, steer, and help lead the boat. They’re not just passengers.

All sessions are led by River Runners’ guides with years of experience in whitewater rafting, youth instruction, and outdoor education. Our team has spent their careers on California rivers and has been teaching young paddlers since 2018.

Meet our instructors here!

Participants are equipped with a US Coast Guard approved personal floatation device. Helmets are optional, but not required. Wetsuits will be provided if weather is too cool or wet for safety. This determination will be made by qualified individuals at River Runners.

Campers are taught learn paddling techniques, how to read the river, basic rescue awareness, teamwork, communication, and leadership. They’re also taught ecological concepts, watershed basics, and how to explore and respect the river environment.

Learn more about River Kids skills here.

The whitewater rafting classification system used in California is the same used in most of the country and around the world, with few exceptions. Rapids are rated on a scale from I to VI, with I being the least dangerous, to Class VI being the most likely to cause harm. The overall class rating of any given river is determined by the highest-class rapid or rapids found on that river.

Class II rapids are generally playful and beginner-friendly, with swift-moving water and simple features like small waves, chutes, or rocks to avoid. They’re a great place to learn, splash around, and even surf the raft in certain spots.

Class III rapids step things up with bigger waves, stronger features, and fewer clean paths through the rapid due to more obstructions, which means they require more training, teamwork, and attention. The chance of an accidental “swim” is higher in Class III than Class II, and the swim may be more intense than a Class II swim.

The South Fork of the American River contains a combination of flat water to class III rapids.

Learn more about the river classification system here!

No official certifications will be issued to campers, but every student will come away with new skills and confidence in their whitewater prowess. Some students will arrive with little to no experience and a lot of trepidation – those students may spend the entire camp just learning to be comfortable with the concept of rafting. Others arrive with years of experience in the water and want to expand their knowledge and push their limits to new heights. For both scenarios and everything in between, we can promise your students will learn valuable new skills and have an unforgettable experience.

Not during camp rafting. Campers raft with their assigned group and instructors only. If you’d like to raft too, book a regular family trip -we can often put you on the same river sections. Check out our 1-day rafting trips here, or our RIVER KIDS upgrades page here.