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River Guide School on the Upper Trinity

Guided

Duration: 5 days

Junction City

Features

Free Cancellation
On the Water
Beginner Friendly
Instant Book
Shuttle Included
Locally Owned
$600 Person

Description

Upper Trinity River Guide School

In this beginner-friendly, noncompetitive five-day class, you’ll learn the basics of how to be a professional commercial whitewater raft guide! But you don't have to want to be a raft guide to take this class.
Most of your instruction will take place on the Class III+ Pigeon Point section of the Trinity River. You’ll experience outdoor classroom time each morning and lots of hands-on practice on the river during the day. Training will include: 
  1. How to prep/rig a raft
  2. Steering a raft with a paddle
  3. Using your crew to maneuver through rapids
  4. Avoiding obstacles
  5. Hitting holes
  6. Reading the river 
  7. Lines for rapids
  8. Catching and using eddies
  9. How to get off rocks
  10. How to swim safely in rapids
  11. Rescuing yourself and others
  12. Flipping a raft back to right side up
  13. Hand signals
  14. How to make lunches, river style
  15. How to use a rescue bag
  16. How to give safety and paddle talks
By the end of the class, you’ll have the basic knowledge to apply for a job as a whitewater raft guide. And you’ll be able to take your friends and family out safely on the river.

Duration of Adventure

Five days of instruction and four nights of camping.

Location / Where to Meet

You’ll meet us at our office on the Upper Trinity River in Junction City, CA, (38400 CA-299).

Ages

18 is the minimum age to take this class.

What’s Included

  1. All rafting gear, including life jacket, helmet, paddle, and water bottle; splash jacket, wetsuit, and booties will be provided as needed
  2. Free camping and parking onsite on Six Rivers Rafting’s property in Junction City 
  3. Lunch each day

Not Included

  1. Breakfast, dinner, snacks
  2. Camping gear - bring your own, or rent from us!
  3. Gratuity

What to Bring / Wear

  1. Camping gear
  2. River-appropriate clothing, including a long-sleeve shirt for sun protection
  3. Hat, with a strap to secure it
  4. River sandals, water shoes, or old tennis shoes with rubber bottoms. No flip flops on the river, please!
  5. Sunscreen
  6. Sunglasses, with a strap to secure them
  7. Reusable water bottle. We have a unique no-plastic-on-the-river policy and ask that guests not bring plastic disposable water bottles. If you don’t have a reusable water bottle, we’ll provide one for your use.

FAQs

What is the teacher-to-student ratio for this class?
1:4
What is the maximum number of students for this class? 
We cap the class at 15 students.
How much rafting experience do I need to take this class?
None!
Do I get any type of certification after completing this class?
You’ll get a certificate of completion upon completing this course. (A guide license is not required to work as a raft guide in California at this time.)

About the Outfitter

All of the guides here at Six Rivers Rafting are thoroughly trained and have a river or swiftwater rescue cert, an advanced first aid cert (usually of the wilderness variety), and a CPR cert. Guides also have completed a guide training/school and have proved proficient on all sections of the river they are taking clients on. The experience level of our guide team ranges from well over 20 years to first-year rock stars. Our guides tend to come back and work for us for many years, providing a wealth of experience and stability to our operation. All of our guides are also knowledgeable when it comes to river ecology and the surrounding wildlife. They passionately share information about local species, landmarks, and conservation issues in a friendly and interesting way.

ADVENTURE PROVIDED BY Six Rivers Rafting Inc.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation for River Guide School is 2 Weeks in Advance of the Trip for a Full Refund.

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Availability

May 2025
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Location

Address

Junction City, CA,

US

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