EL DORADO COUNTY

If ever there were a year for river running in California — careful river running — this is it. The winter’s rains have given us green landscapes just about everywhere and currents to carry us through them.

The state capital of river rafting is California’s Gold Country and guides say the South Fork of the American River is a perfect spot for first-timers and a solid option for return customers, thanks to its evocative scenery and relatively mild Class II and III rapids. (I’ve done it at ages 11 and 57.) Whether you’re a rookie or not, it makes sense to sign on with a licensed, experienced company; there are more than a dozen, many based in the Coloma-Lotus area.

Family-friendly river floats typically begin north of Placerville, below the Chili Bar Reservoir. One-day floats usually cover 10 miles. Two-day trips, 20 miles. This year, it probably makes sense to let the seasoned river people book the spring trips, when the water will be at its most fierce, with the rest of us following in summer and fall as the flow eases.

Statewide, you’ll find plenty of rafting companies and thrills along the middle and north forks of the American and the Merced, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Lower Klamath, Kern, Kaweah and Truckee rivers. On the American River’s South Fork, half-day and allday rafting trips typically cost $125 to $175 per person. The season usually runs April through September or October.

BONUS TIP: Less than 10 miles from the South Fork’s Chili Bar put-in, you’ll find Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where the Gold Rush began. Placerville, the nearest town to the rafting, has a pleasant selection of restaurants and shops along its historically outfitted Main Street.