The American River Calendar of Events

Registration is now open for the 6th Annual Motherlode Century ride! The Motherlode is conveniently staged in the foothills of the  El Dorado County Gold Country, and offers four tours from 35 leisurely to 95 challenging miles.  Please see our Routes page for maps and descriptions.

The start/finish is located in the beautiful Coloma Valley just upstream of the gold discovery site that brought the 49’ers west.  Our host camp is American River Resort located in Coloma, CA on the South Fork of the American River.

This bike ride partners with Friends of El Dorado Trails, building a trail from South Lake Tahoe to Folsom, Susan G. Komen , meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer, and the American River Conservancy, ensuring healthy ecosystems within the Upper American and upper Cosumnes River Watersheds through land conservation, stewardship and education.
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Come visit a living history encampment of the Gold Rush era. Pan for gold, listen to music of the miners, and hear the re-enactors tell stories of the days of old. Call the museum at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park for more. (530) 622-3470
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January 24th marks the anniversary of James Marshall’s momentous discovery of gold in the tail race of Sutter’s Mill. This event is commemorated every year at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park with living history, interactive period trade demonstrations, music and a Gold Rush Symposium featuring noted authors and scholars on gold rush history. Time: 10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m. Parking is $8.00 per car. For more information and the exact date for 2018, please contact the Park museum at (530) 622-3470.
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Robin and Bill Center lead this annual one-of-a-kind Poppy Walk. With glowing orange fields overlooking the crystal water of the South Fork of the American River, the stunning contrasts and vibrant colors are a sight few have the fortune of witnessing. The river trail is steep in places but has a good flat bed. Hiking to the flowers takes about 15-20 minutes. The river trail also has views of some of the earliest land that the American River Conservancy (ARC) protected around Triple Threat Rapid. Desserts, healthy snacks, and punch will await your return to the house.

Actual date depends on bloom time. Requested donations support ARC’s American River Trail Campaign. Please call ARC at 530-621-1224 for more information. 

The South Fork Film Festival celebrates all river recreation paddle sports with headliner films from the National Paddling Film Festival 2017 collection. Opening the FilmFest will be submitted short films and classic films from local community members.

Join us June 10th from 5 PM to 10 PM at the Gold Trail Grange in Coloma, CA. FilmFest tickets are $5, which includes a drink ticket, and from 5 to 6 PM children under 12 are free. There will be food for sale and a variety of beverages. Proceeds will go to maintaining the Grange as a Coloma-Lotus community hall and restoring the Grange riverfront.
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This years Community Raft Swap will take place at Camp Lotus on Saturday, October 6th, from 9-4. This is a great community gear garage sale, with rafts, kayaks, canoes, inflatable kayaks, SUP’s, life jackets, paddles, oar frames, throw bags, wet suits, dry suits, repair gear, coolers and camping gear.

At the Raft Swap, you can drop your gear off at 7:00 a.m., and we will tag it/sell it for you. You can go out and paddle the South Fork, then return in the afternoon to pick up your cash.

For seasoned paddlers, it’s time to clean out your stash and get some cash. For new paddlers, this is a great opportunity to get a used kayak or raft and join us on the river.

Drop off your no longer needed gear on Friday the 29th between 6pm & 9pm or early on Saturday morning from 7am to 9am. If you are selling your gear the fee is 10% of the sale price and will be donated to a non-profit of your choice (FOR, SoFAR, ACME or ICO). There are several to choose from. Just ask the folks at the gear swap and they will make it happen for you.

Camp Lotus is located at 5461 Bassi Road, Lotus, CA. About 45 minutes from Sacramento, east on Highway 50.

Thank you to all the dedicated folks who put on the gear swap each year – you know who you are and we appreciate all of your hard work on this event. And thanks to Camp Lotus for the great venue.

An Evening to Benefit the American River Conservancy & Friends of the River
October 27th
6:00 – 9:30
Gold Trail Grange Ballroom
319 Highway 49
Coloma, CA 95613
Join us at the Gold Trail Grange Ballroom for an evening to benefit two organizations vital to preserving the South Fork of the American River that flows through the Coloma Valley – the American River Conservancy and Friends of the River.
The evening will kick off with the multi-platinum music of Nancy Cassidy with special guests Ed Tree and Jim Klotz. Nancy will be playing selections from her just released 9th album of original material; RIVERS RISING. The festivities will continue with the local premiere of Patagonia’s film “Blue Heart”; the battle to preserve the free-flowing rivers of the Balkans. Beer and wine will be available in the Mirror Room Bar and delicious snacks and desserts will be available for sale.
Children 12 and under Free.
Tickets: https://rivers.bpt.me/
More information: https://sites.google.com/view/riverlegacy/home
http://www.nancycassidymusic.com
https://blueheart.patagonia.com/film
https://www.arconservancy.org
https://www.friendsoftheriver.org