Full-Day Whitewater Rafting Trip on Middle Fork from Auburn (Class 3-4)

If you are looking for an exciting and safe rafting trip. H2O is the company to choose. Our guides navigated us expertly down the river, making sure we were safe and keeping us entertained along the way. we learned a lot about the history and geology of the area. They gave us plenty of crisis training (e.g. what to do if we fall into the river and how to get back to the boat, etc..) there was no point that we felt we are ejected from the boat, just purely splash and fun. EVERYONE had a great time. the lunch was great too. there were enough fruit, beverage, and sandwiches for everyone to enjoy a good meal. The overall experience was excellent. Enough excitement but felt pretty safe. The staff was outstanding. We had to reschedule our trip due to COVID. Fianna went beyond to reschedule for our big group of 18. Great attitude and humor. Their passion for their work is evident and made the experience so enjoyable. we will definitely come back next summer for more Rafting with H2O.

It was great. Nichola is amazing. She is really expert and manage the tour perfectly. Food was delicious too. Thanks

We went rafting down the middle fork of the American with H2O. We also camped the night before in their campground. For you private pilots: We flew in to Auburn. ,You will need to rent a car. Do NOT depend on local taxis, Uber or Lyft. Getting to the campsite with Uber is not an issue. Getting back from the river to the airport most definitely is a problem! No one wants to drive out there to get you. Plus once at the campground you will need a car to get food, ice etc. The store is absolutely NOT WALKABLE! You would have to walk on a winding, no shoulder road for miles with cars zooming past at 60mph in 100 degree heat. On to the review: The campground: Beautiful, clean and right on the river. there are communal propane BBQs to use in well lit areas with running water and deep sinks. There are showers that actually have strong water pressure and nice hot water. That is a welcome luxury after swimming in the snow melt waters of the river. I would highly recommend bringing your own lifejackets so that you can safely swim and float down the fast moving waters at the campground. I am an extremely strong swimmer and I still wore one. Its just more fun anyways. The Guide: We were told by several guides from a competing company that if we were lucky, we would get Blake as our guide. Jackpot! We got Blake! We did a bunch of things that none of the other rafts even tried doing. ( All after Blake asking us if we wanted to or not first of course) If you do get lucky and have Blake (OR BETTER YET, REQUEST HIM UPON BOOKING!) don't pass up anything he suggests. It made the rafting so much fun! Blake is also one of those guides that don't just guide the boat and direct the crew from arms length but become part of your group. He was in the water fights, he threw overboard my 14 yr old son when he wasn't paddling hard, he was in on the jokes and bantering and even sang an epic song about rafting that he wrote. Seriously! We thought it was going to be a joke with all the singing skills of your drunk neighbor in the shower but it was legit! Thank you Blake for an amazing time!! Lunch: Lunch was standard for rafting except for one major difference. Almost all raft trips have lunch provided. The guides set up, prep, and clean up. Thank you to all of you! But what was a standout was that I have been on trips where there wasn't enough food for everyone. By a long shot. This was not the case here. H2O provided more than enough for everyone and then enough for anyone who wanted to get seconds. Thank you H2O!! The company (h2O): And lastly, after doing 20+ rafting trips worldwide, I need to acknowledge the mostly overlooked aspects of rafting. Usually you get picked up by a driver that looks like they are working through a rough night in a bus that is held together with duct tape and transported on a winding road that's inches from a cliff. The whole time you are praying that the brakes will hold or a wheel doesn't fly off. H2O picked us up in well maintained vans by the most pleasant and professional drivers. They were great!! And when you look at the top notch rafts, the well organized and great quality and condition of all the safety equipment, and the mindset of the guides, it is very clear that H2O puts a priority on safety. If you haven't rafted much, I can assure you that this is a big deal. Not just for safety but when your rafting trip is cut short or you have to wait for another bus to rescue the broken one or the trip is simply not as good because of equipment failures, trust me...it sucks!! This is where its the owners choice to do what's right and safe or do whatever it takes to make a few extra bucks by skimping here and there. So a BIG thank you to H2O for this "behind the scenes" and all-to-often aspect of rafting!!! So camp with H2O, raft with H2O and request Blake!! Cheers and happy rafting!!