North Fork American River
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
99Good out of 100 for your dates
5 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 86 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 3.7 mm
Wed 4 · 94 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 24°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 293, good
- Tue 386, good
- Wed 494, good
- Thu 5100, good
- Fri 6100, good
- Sat 7100, good
- Sun 8100, good
- Mon 9100, good
- Tue 1096, good
- Wed 1185, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 7.9 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 93, good | 4 kn | 12kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 86, good | 5 kn | 14kn | 13°C | 3.7 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 94, good | 6 kn | 18kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 100, good | 6 kn | 16kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 100, good | 3 kn | 11kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 100, good | 2 kn | 10kn | 23°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 100, good | 2 kn | 11kn | 24°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 100, good | 5 kn | 11kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 96, good | 6 kn | 17kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 85, good | 5 kn | 13kn | 11°C | 1.8 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
North Fork American River on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About North Fork American River
A river section on the North Fork American River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 7.9 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. The town to stay in is Colfax.
- River North Fork American River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 7.9 km along the river.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,300–US$2,370 each
about US$1,300–US$2,370 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SMF, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$523 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$348–US$583 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$1,300–US$2,370 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Colfax
about 5 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Colfax its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 7h 45m
About 7h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SMF, direct, then 1h 35m by road
Flights MDW → SMF on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Colfax · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Colfax · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits