River Runners - Lotus, California

Adam Carson

John and his team were amazing. The river was amazing. Perfect mix of fun, excitement, relaxing and safety. We took a group of 40 with 23 kids ages 8-12 on the 3/4 day trip. Can’t say enough good things. It was the highlight of our weekend!! Definitely recommend to anyone looking to go rafting, from beginner to experienced.

Jason Couto

Wow what a blast…. This was my third time white water rafting…. River Runners was by far the best experience I have had…. John our guide was so knowledgeable and his experience was second to none! If you’re thinking about it I would say just do it! You won’t regret it! I would rate this 10 stars if it was available!

Paula Yoshida

Highly recommended for weekend with a mix of relaxation and adventure.
I just had a great weekend with these folks and I can't wait to do it again.
I've choose the "Two Day/Two Night -South Fork of the American River (Class 3) Rafting Vacation" and everything was perfect.
Because of my vegan diet it is really hard to find a place where vegan meals are really well cooked but the River Runner team made it really good (soy ice cream, vegan patty, vegan pancake, tofu scramble ?)!!!! Sarah thanks for took care of it so nicely=)
All team is really nice and helpful at all time. I had a lot of questions prior to the weekend and they promptly answered all of them either by email or Facebook messenger.
During the rafting our guide Ari was always nice and show a lot of knowledge and experience throughout the whole river. I'm not a very good cold resistant but they have a splash jacket that kept me warn in the second day during the rafting.
The structure of the camping and boats are really good.
The temperature of the showers in Camp Lotus vary a little but it's not too bad.

Monica Denosta

First time rafters. Forever hooked. Scottie was our guide. Highly HIGHLY recommend him. He kept us entertained, safe and taught us a lot about rafting techniques, the area and nature. Great spread for lunch (build your own sandwiches with ALL the fixings). We'll definitely be back.

Janet M

I had family visiting ad wanted to give them a safe, special trip on the river. As a Coloma resident and kayaker, I asked local friends & fellow whitewater enthusiasts for recommendations for a good raft outfitter for a 2-day South Fork trip. One of the companies that was repeatedly recommended was River Runners.

As soon as I spoke to the owner, John, I knew River Runners would be a great choice. John was accommodating and professional. He went out of his way to help me deliver a custom, intimate experience for my family. Everything about our river trip was top notch.

Our guide Chris was fantastic!! He navigated our desire for maximum FUN while keeping everyone safe. His decades of experience shined as we surfed & spun on waves that I wouldn’t have thought possible. At the same time, he displayed the infectious enthusiasm and energy of a newer guide. In our rafting photos, you can see pure joy on Chris’ face…this is a guide who is truly present and loves what he does.

The River Runners team did not take any shortcuts. Chris, along with another awesome guide Wyatt, showed us the best blackberry spots, swimming eddies, and jumping rocks. The team served up a great BBQ for lunch one day and a fantastic lunch spread the next. It was a class act from start to finish.

I thought I was hiring River Runners mainly to make the logistics easier for me (vs. having a local rafting friend take us down.) What I didn’t realize is that after hundreds of trips down the South Fork, I would experience the river in a whole new way!

Thank you John, Chris, Wyatt and team for providing an unforgettable experience for us all!

Andrew Coleman

If there were more than five stars, I would certainly give them to River Runners, as they definitely deserves them! From my very first phone conversation with Sarah, and there were several of them as I constantly wanted more information, to the morning we had to pack up and head home, was an absolute delight. We were so impressed with their service, food, accommodations, and knowledge of the river and all that surround it. From the moment we arrived we were made to feel super welcomed and comfortable. The staff are all so friendly and like a big family. Our guide John, being our first time, put us all at ease from the start and was so gracious in taking his time to point out so many unique spots along the 19 mile trip. As we made our way down the river, over the course of two days, I noticed several other rafting companies pass by us and not participate in any of the fun activities River Runners offers. I asked John about it, and he informed me that the other companies don’t do it. We were able to jump off rocks, surf the tide, get out and swim, and a multitude of other activities. Thank you John, Sarah and the entire staff at River Runners. We will be back and cannot wait. Sending you all our best,
Andrew & Michael
The gay/straight buddy duo.

Brandon Carroll

I had such an amazing experience with River Runners last weekend for Labor Day with the wife we decided to go down this weekend with our kids and it was amazing all the things we did along the trip down river. The guides were amazing with the knowledge of the area the family and I have learned so much about trees , wildlife , edible plants and berries. I look forward to next season we will definitely be out there.

Carol Cunningham

I went river rafting with my son's scout troop on Sunday and had an *amazing* time, despite the somewhat smoky air quality due to the Mosquito fire! I had already heard a great review about this company from another parent and everything she told me was accurate. They took their time guiding us down the river (~5 - 6 hours!), so it wasn't a rush to get to the finish line, and stopped at so many places to let the kids (and adults) play in the rapids, swim or jump from cliffs, where it's safe. The guides also seemed to tailor each boat's experience based on the passengers. Our boat was all adults and the guide (Kylie) was very personable and knowledgeable about the river and we also learned a lot about how the company is run and what makes them so special, as well as the art of guiding a raft. Kyle had a boat with the older scouts and was so funny to watch with them. He would get their raft purposefully(?) stuck on rocks, "surf" almost every rapid they could and do other fun things with the boat. He even jumped in at one point to rescue my hat. My son and the younger scouts were with Wyatt as their guide and I felt like they were taken care of and safe. All of the guides instilled in me full confidence in their capabilities and we all had a blast! Everything was well run, the campsite is beautiful with nice/clean facilities and the whole experience was top notch. It was very memorable for me and I would highly highly recommend this company if you're planning to be in the area.