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This summer I went to Truckee on an outdoor water adventure where I went river rafting for the first time! So much fun! Perfect for families and a great introduction to river rafting. I had such an amazing time, I went for a second round this summer and brought my little nephews (3 and 6), sister, and mom to experience it before they closed for the season (typically the second/third week of August).
This is a summer MUST, fun guaranteed. It’s a River Rafting experience perfect for the whole family.
River Rafting Options
There are two main companies you can rent your river rafts from with very similar names so make sure you know which company you’ve selected to arrive at the correct location!
Truckee River Rafting has yellow paddles and Truckee River Raft Co. has orange paddles. Both of my experiences have been with Truckee River Raft Co. which was closer to where I live. Leave a comment if you have experienced the other company, Truckee River Rafting. I would love to hear all about it!
If you are seeking a more affordable option you can also bring your own raft, kayak, swimming tubes, or other floating devices. The caveat to this would be to figure out logistics when you start from one end of the river to the end of your floating experience.
Here are some suggestions based on what I saw were the most popular floating devices on the river:
Location
Both rafting companies are located off of River Road/Highway 89 of Tahoe City. Located just 10 minutes from Squaw Valley and about 25 minutes from the popular Kings Beach in North Lake Tahoe.
River Rafting Experience
The Truckee River is a perfect combination of thrill and relaxation for all ages to enjoy and you can also bring your fur babies along for this adventure, it’s a bit of a lazy river with sections of rapids.
If you choose the Truckee River Raft Co., you will park your vehicle at their designated parking lot where you will park, sign in, get your wristband, and catch the shuttle to take you on a ten-minute drive up to the launching area at Tahoe Raft & Gas where you can stock up on ice, beverages, hats, souvenirs, and other items you could use for your rafting experience. As you line up for launching, the friendly staff are there to greet you, inform you of all safety rules, provide a trash bag, and provide all kids on board with life vests (adults are optional). The water level in the more “deeper” areas is about 3-4 feet deep making it easy to walk along with your raft in the shallow parts of the river if you wanted to!
This rafting experience is all about the journey rather than the destination. I highly recommend and emphasize taking your time, even though you are slated for a 3-hour experience, you can stay as long as you like until closing time. Stop at a few coves, have some snacks, listen to music, and just enjoy the sunshine and ambiance. I can’t express enough to really just enjoy the journey and not rush, if you finish within the slated 3-hour window you will probably regret not staying longer. I would highly suggest getting an earlier time rather than later to allow for more time to just relax and enjoy. In the first experience, we booked the last possible time and learned the valuable lesson of booking earlier than later. The following time with my family we booked at 11:30 am which was absolutely perfect!
As with other outdoor nature adventures, please follow the “Leave No Trace” principles and utilize the trash bag provided and respect the nature around you.
Rapids
There are five rapids throughout the five-mile river experience with the last rapid being the most thrilling and dare I say “challenging”? Since kids are much lighter in weight than adults, I highly recommend them sitting in the center of the raft versus the sides during the rapids to avoid “man overboard”! Due to the boulders and rocks located along the river if you are bringing your own water device make sure it is durable enough when going through the rapids to avoid puncture. The ones I mentioned earlier in this post were some that I saw along the way, so safe to say those will do the job.
On your last rapid as you arrive at the end you will be helped by the friendly staff of Truckee River Raft Co. onto the River Ranch Patio. The direct access and exit to this restaurant make this the only rafting company with this special easy access to enjoy a drink or your next meal. The outdoor patio provides a spectacular view of the river and the ambiance and food are fantastic.
If you are near the North Lake Tahoe region I highly recommend carving out a day to enjoy this summer’s outdoor recreation activity.
What to Bring
- Oversized Sun Hat I love this one I wear this one all summer!
- Sunglasses
- Beach Bag
- Sunscreen
- Snacks and a small lunch
- Waterproof Speaker
- Stainless Steel Water Bottle
- GoPro Camera
- Waterproof Cell Phone Protector with Lanyard This case was awesome! It protected all of our phones onboard
- Cooler Bag
- (Optional) Drink koozies to keep your drinks cold in the hot sun
For more Sun Hat, Cover-Ups, Beach Bags, and Purses check out my post on Summer Must-Have Accessories.
What to wear
I will link the items of what I wore below to inspire your outfit but for more details about the two outfits I wore, I have a blog post here. 🙂
- Sun Hat
- Hat Chin Cord
- Swimsuit
- Shorts
- Waterproof Sandals
- Sports Fanny Pack
- Waterproof Cell Phone Protector with Lanyard (MUST HAVE)
Tips for a great experience
- TAKE YOUR TIME. ENJOY THE JOURNEY
- Highly suggest making your reservation earlier than later for optimal time and warm weather.
- Bring an extra trash bag for any recycling items 😉
- The waterproof portable speaker was a lot of fun and your fellow rafters will appreciate it. We played “Row, Row, Row your Boat” for my nephew and it was absolutely hysterical! (there are children around so be mindful of music selection)
- Do not bring anything on board that you don’t want getting wet! Including a towel.
There you have it, my friends! I hope this post prepares you for a memorable river rafting adventure in Truckee, CA.
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