Mother Lode River Center

I came here on 4^th of July with my friends and had a wonderful time!
Although no longer available, this is the groupon deal we purchased (
). With an additional discount courtesy of groupon, we ended up paying [$ 58 +$ 9 river fee = $ 67] per person, which is really good!
We ventured on the 11-​mile Gorge (South Fork of the American River) rafting trip, which includes of mostly Class II rapids and a bit of Class III rapids. Check in is at 12pm, start time is at 1pm, and then the day ends by 5pm. Our group of 8 + our tour guide was perfect for one raft. I don’t remember our tour guide’s name but it’s not because he wasn’t awesome; it’s just been 6 months since then. He is the dude with the dreads though!
WIthin 3.5−4 hours, we rowed, cliff jumped, swam, cheered, and partied in the river. During one of the rapids, one of our friends completely fell out, but another friend managed to grab a hold of his foot. So crazy! If you want to get a visual of what you’ll get to experience, check out the video I made:
If you’ve never been white water rafting before, do yourself a favor and try it out! It’s the best!!!

I had a great time camping and spending the weekend here. The rafting trip is great as well as the rock climbing and ropes course. I was able to make the leap of faith and hung on to the bar!!! Everyone was so accommodating and I will recommend this place to everyone! I hope one day, they will add a kayaking class with Kayla :)

We had a great experience and loved every minute of the journey. We booked it last min the day of. We ordered the disk of photo because it’s a trip you will remember! I recommend everyone to try rafting at least once. They all had very knowledgeable staff and tour guides. We want to co e back for the up river rafting experience!

My only regret is that I cannot give Mother Lode more than five stars! The family and close friends went rafting down the south fork on Saturday, September 5^th… what an amazing day! The staff is exceptional from the reservations to the trip. Sarah and Fish were extremely helpful when my first choice date was unavailable. Then the day itself is something we will be talking about for a very long time! All of the guides including Davido, Liz, Collin and Chris were outstanding but it was our guide, Bree, that made the trip perfect. At all times she was professional and extremely concerned about our safety. She was also very knowledgeable about the scenery and the river itself. I was blown away how she could anticipate and direct our raft around every rock and wave. But what made her so exceptional is that she was also so much fun! Whether it was with those in our raft or those in other rafts, we did not stop smiling the entire trip!
I would definitely recommend Bree, Mother Lode and all of the other guides for a day that you will not soon to forget. While it is the end of the season now, I have every intention of planning a trip for my entire law firm and their families in the summer of 2016. I also have several friends that I have recommended to embark on this adventure! Thank you Mother Lode — I cannot wait until next summer!

It looks like a very nice place to camp. Right next to American River with beautiful site seeing.
We did not camp there just visited for rope course for Labor day weekend. I was disappointed with this activity. We got it at a discounted price $ 49 per child and it still wasn’t worth it. The course took 4 hours and there was about 15 people with two instructors. Only one person per activity and others are just waiting for their turn. There are four activities and my kids spend total of 20 minutes having fun and there remaining 3 hours (or more) was just waiting for their turn.
I think that water rafting would be a better choice. Rope course was boring.
Since we had a lot of waiting time we walked around and the place looks very nice for camping. Even though it was a holiday weekend the park was fairly empty at least in the area where we were.

We bought a groupon deal to attend this event and let me tell you… BEST EXPERIENCE EVER! Groupon itself was a great deal, and the whole experience was definitely memorable. Our tour guide was Alex, he did a great job! The entire staff was extremely friendly and I highly recommend this to everyone. I cant wait to bring my son so we he can enjoy this outdoor experience. We cant wait to come back! Thank You mother lode staff for making this an exciting day for all of us!

Booking any trip for 23 people is normally be a pain, but with the staff of Mother Lode River Center, especially Sarah, whom I bothered multiple times with phone calls prior to our requested date, coordinating the half-​day gorge trip was breeze. As mostly first-​timers to the activity, we were all quite nervous about falling out of the boat or even getting hit by rocks, but our amazing guides, Sarah, Scotty, and Ryan did a terrific job keeping us all safe and ensuring we had a memorable time. Because of Mother Lode and their great staff, we are already thinking about our next trip with them (Hopefully the class IV rapids). :)

The staff is what really makes this place GREAT! We purchased a 2-​day trip on LivingSocial for 8 people: rafting on day 1 and the high rope challenge course on day 2. Tents with cots, meals and smores were include in the deal.
Chris was our guide for the rafting portion and he was beyond awesome. We had a non-​swimmer in our group who was deathly afraid of the water, but Chris was attentive and made sure she didn’t fall in the river. We were able to play games, pick berries, swim and jump off the rocks in between the rapids. All of the guides seemed really fun, but I think that we got the best one!
On day 2, our group did the challenge courses: rock wall, high balance on a log, pipe challenge on a cable, and the leap of faith. Ryan, Samara, and Olivia were all so patient, especially with those of us that had a fear of heights. You can really tell that they wanted you to have a good time.
I have to mention that the food was much better than what I anticipated. I expected store bought danishes and some toast for breakfast, but was pleasantly surprised. The staff got up early and made 3 different flavors of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and coffee. Dinner one night had the most delicious risotto (thanks Samara!) and the next night was you-​pick-​the-​toppings pizza from scratch.
I can’t say enough about how great the staff is. Everyone is so friendly and you can tell that they really care about your experience. This trip was amazing and I recommend it to everyone. Our group had ages 9 – 65 and everyone had a blast. We are already talking about plans to go again next summer.

WOW — What an amazing time we had here. I cannot recommend these guys enough. It was obvious on many levels that we had picked the best rafting experience. How do I know?
1) While all the other boats were just rushing to the bottom of the river, we were jumping off rocks, picking berries and really enjoying the river.
2) We jumped out of the boat and floated down the river many many times. Ryan our guide was super cool. Definitely made the trip so much more fun.
3) We swam in an awesome whirlpool part of the river that was just amazing.
4) After finding out we needed a Gluten Free meal they went out of their way to make a GF pizza crust from scratch. They wanted EVERYONE to join in on the pizza party. It was DELICIOUS!
5) Everyone was super helpful, always checking in with me. Making sure I was going to the right place. Definitely felt super welcome.
6) The canvas tents were amazing. Super comfortable, very clean. Left my tent in the truck.
7) The location is just gorgeous. Camp fires next to the river.
8) Very chill atmosphere. Not in a rush.
9) Super accommodating to my 8 year old son. Ryan was talking to him and including him in the fun. I really appreciated that.
10) The staff are like personal cheer leaders, really positive and encouraging.
We are definitely coming back again and staying longer with more rafting and the ropes course again.
Here’s a short 2 minute action packed video showing some of the action. This was shot during 2015 even in the middle of our terrible draught.

My «sisters» and a friend and I came on a two day trip because of the living social deal we found on-​line. We had a blast and was convinced to forgo the ropes activity and upgrade to a second day instead on the more challenging middle fork. We never were so glad we did… it was a fun, wild ride! Umesh and Bepe were incredibly skilled guides and Bree too was very knowledgeable about the river. Chris aka «lumpy“was great also! He was very passionate about this place, he kept us updated on things going on and convinced us to change our minds and go for the second day rafting. All of the staff was very nice and seemed genuinely happy that we were there and made sure we had the best experience possible. We will definitely come back and do it again with more family and friends soon!

If there were 10 stars that’s what I would rate this place! I was given a gift for Father’s day, a weekend at the Mother Lode River Center/​Camping and I couldn’t have known how much of a gift this was going to be. From the time my kids and I walked into the Mother Load we were greeted by Scott and Reme and we were made to feel like part of their extended family.
The camp grounds were pristine and Penny got us a tent right by the river. After settling in and making our own, handmade dough pizzas, we hunkered down in our tents and talked into the night about our days ahead. I woke up early to the sound of the running river and made my way up to the camps outdoor kitchen. I was meet by a adorable girl named Emily and asked her if I could get some hot water for the coffee I brought? She grabbed a huge old school kettle and started the water a bubbling. Emily was a doll, and her vivacious personality and cute as hell little laughs made her so much fun to chat with.
After the kids staggered their way to the kitchen we had a great breakfast and explored the camp. We meet a wonderful family who we bonded with quickly and started off on the days lower gorge rafting experience. Our guide, Christy, was AWSOME! With years of experience and enthusiasm it was looking like we were going to have a great day.
From the level 1’s and 2’s to the exhilarating level 3’s my kids and I were hooked on rafting! My son is a bit afraid of heights as well as other things and I was worried that the rafting might be to much for him… But as we pulled off the river to watch some rafters climb a HUGE rock and jump off into the water below, I turned to him and surprisingly he was already off the raft and climbing up the Rock?! I followed behind him and my daughter up to the top of the rock and without hesitation… He yelled YOLO, and Jumped! I had to do a double take to make sure it was MY son?
I could go on and on about this place and the supportive caring staff at the Mother Lode, from Reme, Bree, Chris, Emily, Christy and on and on we only hope the staff will be there next year because the Roberts family has found a new place to call our summer vacation spot.
Thank you all for making my father’s day one I will never forget.
Scott Roberts
Meoooooow!

I can’t put into words the run we took down the Middle Fork. Scott is the best guide I’ve ever had. He put us on the spot all the way down the river. All the staff were knowledgable and made the entire day full of laughs and memories.
You should hit these guys up for the ride of your life!

Such a fantastic company! The guides were not only knowledgeable, but fun as well! I loved seeing girl guides kill it on the river! I will definitely be returning! Keep up the good work!

Just did Guide School with Mother Lode and it was awesome. Very well organized, the instructors were fantastic and I got so much out of six days of training. Would recommend taking Swift Water Rescue before Guide School if you are planning on doing it — not required but very helpful to have those skills. Could recommend them more highly.

My husband, daughter and I were there for the rafting and camped overnight in May. It was an amazing weekend, we were with a large group of father and sons but our guide Gina made sure we felt included and went out of her way to make our weekend a great experience. Our tent was set up further away from the large group so that we would not get bothered by the noise. We purchased a deal that included meals, Gina made sure someone would come and get us since we where to far to hear the bell. She even set up a camp fire for us in the evening so that we could make smors. She was also very knowledgeable about the river and surroundings. We will definitely go back next year! This place is great for families.

My fiancé and I were looking for something fun and adventurous to do for our first night away from our nearly one-​year-​old son… and we were not disappointed with our choice!
We found a great deal for the whitewater rafting/​challenge ropes course, dinner/​breakfast and canvas tent with cots, so we thought, why the heck not!
I emailed with someone in their office and was always replied to promptly even for what I thought were stupid questions, i.e. if there was cell service in case of emergency with our son (FYI…for AT&T customers there is not).
Upon arrival at noon, our rafting meeting time wasn’t scheduled until 1 p.m., we were a little confused as to where to go and quite frankly no one even tried to help or ask if we needed anything for nearly ten minutes when we finally asked. (This would garner a 4.5 rating but I didn’t find it significant enough to note in the star rating)
The rafting guides were extremely knowledgeable, informative and helpful. We split up into groups and were assigned PFDs, helmets and paddles. I have to say, I’m pretty sure our guide, Kyler, was perfect for our group! He was funny and friendly, but was also an AMAZING guide! Our group even had to rescue some folks that had flipped over and were floating helplessly down the rapids! After our rafting trip, which included classes 1, 2 and 3 rapids, we had some down time before dinner. (Before I forget to include this… the center has heated, private showers, private bathrooms and separate changing rooms as well!) We retreated to our canvas tent, with cots, to relax for a few and explore. Dinner was at 7:30 and it was so very satisfying! Pulled pork, baked potatoes, scalloped sweet potatoes, grilled green beans and carrots, cole slaw, apple and blue cheese salad, with a chocolate berry bread pudding! We were surprised at the quality and quantity to say the least. We chose to hang with some new friends (Hi Aussies and Kiwis!) around one of a few campfires before retiring for the night.
Coffee was ready and available at 7 a.m. which is great for early risers like us. Breakfast was at 8, complete with stuffed french toast, eggs, bacon and fresh fruit.
Following breakfast we had the ropes course. The staff made every effort to make us feel comfortable climbing 45ft tall trees, scaling a very thin wire cable and climbing rock walls. That’s some scary stuff if you ask me!
Anywho, now that I’ve basically detailed our trip, I’d just like to encourage you to give Mother Lode River Center a try! It was so worth every penny and we’d do it again in a heartbeat!!!
Thanks again to Kyler and the entire staff for creating a wonderful weekend!

This is definitely worth your time! Great experience too! I came here this past weekend with my friends (group of 12ppl) and they setup tents and feed us dinner and breakfast. The people/​staff there are great and very friendly.
We did white water rafting first! Totally safe and I don’t swim so I was frantic before going. We went on levels 1,2,3, and a bit of 4. Made me think that I can even handle level 5! Then we did ropes the next day. I do urge you to try everything. As scary as it looked, it was very safe and they are very careful.
I’m already looking forward to the next time I go :)
Warning: at night, it does get chilly, so bring something to keep you warm

My uncle got a great deal at Mother Lode thru Living Social. Our party of 8 arrived at 1pm on Saturday. We started with the rafting excursion. It took approximately 4 hours to go down 10 miles of river, the rapids were exciting. At the end of the rafting trip, our group was exhausted. Our guide Naomi offered us water and granola bars to snack on. Instead of having us facing the sun going down the river, Naomi paddled us backwards while she faces the sun, so we can enjoy our snacks, she was very thoughtful. We caught the camp bus to get back to the camp site, took a shower to freshen up, and dinner was ready. After we ate, we started a camp fire by our tent, and did smores, then went to bed around 10pm. We brought a lot of blankets, but did not bring a sleeping bag, so we all suffered from the cold and didn’t sleep well. However, it didn’t prevent us from having a good time the next day. After breakfast, we did several rope courses, they were intimidating when you look at it, I wasn’t going to participate at first. My group encouraged me to try them, and I was glad I did all of them. All the staff at the camp were very friendly and positive, they’re always yelling out encouraging words. What a great experience.

Wow! My husband & I had a great time on the ropes course and rafting! We did the ropes course in the morning from about 9:30-noon, then they made us a delicious lunch (marinated chicken or pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, potato salad, fruit & veggies) and after lunch we went rafting.
All the guides were truly amazing — during the ropes course they were so positive (we heard phrases like «you CAN do this!,» «come on, you got this,!» «great job!» throughout the morning), down to earth, very helpful — they ALL had the best attitudes. It was such a positive and fun environment, even for me who is very afraid of heights. I was able to jump off the 35 foot tree platform and catch the trapeze («Leap of Faith»), which I thought I could never do!
The white water rafting was great with several rapids and a nice spot to stop and jump off a 15 foot rock into the water. The same guides from the ropes course led the rafting trip and they were very experienced on the water as well.
Just a great day overall — highly recommend them to couples, singles & families! :)

I had a blast here this past weekend. My gf found a nice deal online for a ropes course/​lunch/​rafting bundle.
The staff was awesome, and really friendly in general. They definitely had control over what was going on and made sure everyone understood how to participate in all these activities safely. I am so horrible with names, more so than people who always say they are. Unfortunately I can’t remember the names of the staff members there that day. I met so many people that day that all of the names and faces were jumbled by the end of the day.
I had never done a ropes course so I was pretty eager to get up there and try everything. I would say the hardest ones were the two-​person cable balance which involved great teamwork and balance, and the trapeze jump. The trapeze jump requiring you to climb a tree 35ft up to a ledge, jump off that ledge, and try to grab a trapeze bar hanging about 6−7ft out from the ledge.
At midday we took a break for lunch which was sandwiches with fresh veggies and watermelon. Nice and simple snack. At this point we had a chance to change into swimsuits if we wanted to for the rafting.
Our raft guide was very friendly and made the experience very fun for everyone in the raft. She was a great guide and let us know what landmarks to lookout for. She even let us get out of the raft and go down tame rapids while she followed us in the raft, which was pretty fun.
The best part was probably when we rammed a rock straight on and did this kind of 360-​thing. I knew she was preparing us for something when we kept paddling for the rock but I had no idea we were gonna spin around like that. She also had us do 5 – 6 360s in a row down the river which was fun.
When the stream slows the rafts get towed the rest the way by jet skis to a boat dock. There we got some snacks and loaded a bus headed back towards the River Center. We were soaked!
I didn’t have water shoes so I thought, «heck I’ll just wear a pair of shoes I don’t care about». I wouldn’t advise that to anyone. I learned that soaked shoes are really strange to swim in, and almost act like ankle weights. Next time I’ll probably just get water shoes.
also, they take you car keys and lock them up while you go rafting. Don’t want to lose it out on the water. Those key fobs probably aren’t water proof anyways.
Fun guests and staff, I would go again!