North Fork American River
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
97Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 5.3 mm
Wed 4 · 92 out of 100
- Wind
- 0 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 96 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 99 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 97 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 290, good
- Tue 380, good
- Wed 492, good
- Thu 596, good
- Fri 699, good
- Sat 7100, good
- Sun 8100, good
- Mon 997, good
- Tue 1089, good
- Wed 1192, 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 | 90, good | 3 kn | 12kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 80, good | 3 kn | 11kn | 13°C | 5.3 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 92, good | 0 kn | 9kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 96, good | 2 kn | 8kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 99, good | 1 kn | 8kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 100, good | 2 kn | 11kn | 23°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 100, good | 1 kn | 11kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 97, good | 4 kn | 14kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 89, good | 3 kn | 11kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 92, good | 3 kn | 12kn | 15°C | 0 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.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov7of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
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$2,380 each
about US$1,300–US$2,380 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 2 November 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$349–US$584 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$1,300–US$2,380 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Colfax
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
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 2 November 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 · AviasalesAd
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
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.