River Dancers — Rafting on the Klamath River for a Memorable Family Adventure

River Dancers Whitewater Rafting Company, headquartered in Siskiyou County, is the go-to place for rafting adventures with professional guides on the Klamath River. From short splashes to overnight excursions, most families can enjoy time together on the river swimming, navigating rapids, relaxing on sandy beaches and reveling in the natural surroundings far from cars and loud city noises. North State Parent recently sat down with Aaron Beverly, River Dancer owner, to learn about family rafting adventures.

NSP: Which of your trips are best for families, and what is the youngest age for children?

AB: The Tree of Heaven run, about 20 minutes from Yreka, is appropriate for all ages and the best run for families with small children as young as three years old. Some young children might be bothered by getting splashed at first, but they quickly get used to it and enjoy the ride.  This is a class II run, so there are some fun rapids, and it is also a very relaxing trip. Teenagers enjoy it and we bring inflatable kayaks for them to use during the run.

The lower Klamath is a class III run. We recommend this trip for children five years and up, and we manage rapids of concern by having kids walk around. Families really enjoy our multi-day trips which include camping, great food and lots of opportunities to play in the water.

NSP: How are the rafting guides trained? How much experience is required to be a guide for River Dancers?

AB:  Most of our guides have 10+years of experience on many different types of rivers in the western states (CA, NV, UT and ID). We have a Whitewater School each year and guides attend the school to review their skills.

NSP: How are your guides equipped for emergencies?

AB: Safety is our top priority. Each guide has a safety kit that includes a boat repair kit, ropes to help get rafts off the rocks, and a first aid kit. Guides do a safety talk before each trip.

NSP: Can you talk about how families bond on the river?

AB: Everyone is always happy on the river. I used to be a mountain guide and I observed that people were cold and tired and stressed when mountain climbing. It’s different on the river. It’s warm; it’s relaxing. The river puts people in a good mood. It relieves tension. Families spend the whole day together on the river enjoying sandy beaches to camp on, good food, just hanging out. And on multi-day trips, by the end of the trip the guides and the families are all friends, and it feels like the guides are part of the family. People want to come back, and in fact, they do year after year.  From the guides’ perspective it’s great to see the kids grow up over the years.

NSP: What kinds of meals are offered on the river rafting trips? Can special food requirements or allergies be accommodated?

AB: We cater to all dietary needs; vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, food allergies. I call the meals “River Gourmet.”  We don’t serve backpacking food or freeze-dried food. We serve meals such as sushi, Thai, pesto risotto, gumbo, spaghetti and meatballs, burritos and tacos.  Lunches are deli style sandwiches and wraps. Breakfasts are often veggie scrambles, pancakes or fancy bagels.  You won’t go hungry!

NSP: Can you accommodate children with special needs?

AB: Yes, we offer adaptive river rafting trips for families with cognitive and/or physical special needs. We partner with Rotary Club of Mt. Shasta, which, for the last 30 years, has provided financial support and volunteers for these special trips. The volunteers go on the trips to help with caregiving to provide caregivers a break for the day. This year we have two special group trips planned for families with adaptive needs, one on June 10 and one on August 26.  These trips are free, use of boats and gear is donated by River Dancers and our guides volunteer to lead the trips.  The trips start on Saturday, with camping and dinner Saturday night, and breakfast Sunday morning. Families bring a picnic lunch for Saturday. Call River Dancers to sign up for these free group trips.

We can also accommodate families with special needs throughout the rafting season. Just call River Dancers to make arrangements.  If you would like to support these special trips, have questions about the Rotary volunteers or the Rotary Club of Mt. Shasta, call Donna Boyd at (530)925-4750.

NSP: How far in advance should a family plan to book a river rafting trip?

AB: For multi days, booking in fall for the following year or in spring for the summer will assure you’ll get a trip booked before they all fill up. But there is still time to book a multi-day trip this year for August or September. For one-day trips you can book as late as a few days in advance. June and July are the busier times and tend to fill up fast.

NSP: What is the best time of year to schedule a rafting trip for a family with young children?

AB: In previous years, June and July have been best, with August and September being smoky because of fire season. But this year, we hope fire danger will be low due to above average precipitation, so August and September should be great months to book a river rafting trip.

NSP: What is the maximum number of people you can accommodate on a rafting trip? How many passengers fit in one raft?

AB: The maximum number of people we can accommodate on a trip is 24-25 plus the guides.  Rafts can accommodate 6-7 passengers, plus the guide.

NSP: What else would you like our readers to know about River Dancers River Rafting Company?

AB: We are locally owned. All our guides are local. We are not a large corporation with out-of-state guides. We have a friendly, family atmosphere. Because our guides are local, they know a lot about the local ecosystems and love to share their knowledge of the river and its native fish, animals and plants with rafting families.

For more information:  riverdancers.com or call (530)918-8610.