Whitewater Rafting the Trinity River Outside of Redding

With the amount of rain we have had in California this year (2017), I figured it would be a perfect time to get out and do some whitewater rafting. On a recent trip up to Northern California, some friends and I went over to the Trinity River and booked a trip with Trinity River Rafting for a half day on the water. This was a great, family-friendly way to explore the river and get into whitewater rafting as the rapids were only class 2-3, which is suitable for beginners. We all had a blast on the water, and here is all the information.

Details

Cost: $65 a person for a half day
Location: 31021 State Hwy 299 W Big Flat, CA 96010
This information is from my visit in 2017

Getting There

From Redding on Highway 5, you will head west on Highway 299. It’s about 60 miles of windy roads, and when you get to Weaverville, you are getting close. Be sure to grab the address before you get out of Redding as the cell service is pretty bad the further you go. In the small town of Big Flat, you will reach your destination on the right side of the road, across from the little store.

Upon arriving, we checked in our group and got set up with helmets and life jackets then loaded on the shuttle to go 6 miles up the road.

The ten-minute ride gave you a chance to look down on the water you will be rafting through for the next 3 hours.

When we got to the drop-off, the boats were unloaded, and we were given a safety talk before floating down the river.

The first 45 minutes was relatively calm with a few rapids but nothing crazy, making it a good way to get the hang of paddling and to enjoy the area.

After that, we hit our first class 3 rapids, and we were prepared for the adventure since our guide had helped us understand what was in store.

The rapids were a ton of fun, and they provide a lot of adrenaline when you go over them.

After an hour or so, we docked the boats at an area with a big cliff you could jump off, and two of the people in the group took the jump.

From there, we got back in the raft and headed to the most intense of the rapids, a class 3+ with a 6-foot drop known as the hellhole. This was also where the professional photos were taken, and you can see the progression of the drop in GIF form below.

No one fell out of the boat on this rapid, so we all celebrated and from here stopped on the shore to have a chips and salsa break.

The last 45 minutes was more class 2-3 rapids and even a few chances to swim before getting back to the parking area where we began.

We had a great time out on the water for 3 hours, and I highly recommend it. Maybe it is due to the location, but $65 also seemed like a very fair price for the adventure.