The South Fork American is THE Sierra rafting river — a dam-released,
snowmelt-fed Class III run through the Mother Lode foothills between
Slab Creek Reservoir and Folsom Lake. The two iconic commercial reaches
are Chili Bar (rocky, technical Class III with Meatgrinder and Triple
Threat) and The Gorge below Lotus (Satan's Cesspool, Hospital Bar).
Predictable summer flows (1,200–2,000 cfs) make it the busiest commercial
whitewater river in California and one of the busiest in the country.
Click any point for details. Sections without stored geometry are drawn as straight put-in → take-out lines — actual courses follow the river.