We like to think that Tahoe/Truckee has something for everyone in the summer. Your two year old can play in the sand on one of our glorious lakeside beaches. The more culturally inclined can spend an evening watching a concert or a Shakespeare performance along the lakeshore. The adrenaline junkie can hop on a road bike and climb to the top of Donner Summit, join in a mountain biking race, kayak around the lake, or take a hike into the wilderness. But perhaps the quintessential Tahoe activity that will make everybody happy on a warm summer day is to take a rafting trip down the Truckee River.
You begin just below the dam in Tahoe City, and travel downstream four miles to The River Ranch. While there are a few stretches of minor rapids to keep you on your toes, in comparison to real white water, it’s a piece of cake. So what’s the attraction? While it’s often close to the busy highway and bike trail, being on the river feels like another world. It’s a ribbon of water pulsing through a zone of green, and it’s an incredibly relaxing way to spend a few hours.
On a mid-summer weekend, it’s also a lively place. Water shooting devices are highly recommended to help those poor overheated folks in the next raft over get a chance to cool down. It’s also doesn’t require any forethought. You just drive right up to one of the two rafting companies, and in fairly short order you will find yourself in a boat. Once you disembark at River Ranch, you can dine alfresco with several hundred of your new friends on the patio and then catch the rafting company shuttle back to town. You can also buy your own float or tube, and arrange your own shuttle. Obviously this is a more cumbersome procedure, but if you plan on taking the trip a number of times per summer it might be worth it. Do remember to find a floating object that is built strong enough to actually make it down the river still full of air. It is not fun to have to walk several miles along the river carrying the remains of your $12 raft that couldn’t quite make it all the way downstream.
Note, From July 1st to July 7th , alcohol is not allowed in rafts or on the shore of the Truckee River.
Where to go: Contact Truckee River Rafting by Mountain Air Sports, at 530-583-1111 or http://www.truckeeriverrafting.com
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