Front-Row Action
Whether you’re looking for a mellow ride or an adrenaline rush, these boating and floating adventures will give you your river fix.
MILD Take a history cruise
Hornblower’s leisurely one-hour river cruise takes you past Old Sacramento’s famous historical sites, including the Delta King, I Street Bridge, Tower Bridge and the Air Force docks. (916) 446-1185; hornblower.com
Rent a pontoon boat
Cruise the Sacramento River in a shaded, cushy pontoon boat, the largest of which can hold up to 16 people. All watercraft come with large couches, a canopy and a hookup for music. (916) 223-2220; sacramentoboatrentals.com
Sightsee by paddleboard
Sacramento Stand Up Paddlesurf offers paddleboard tours of the Sacramento River from West Sac to Riverbank Marina. After all that exercise, reward yourself with bites and libations at Chevys on the River. (916) 607-5720; sacramentostanduppaddlesurf.vpweb.com
Learn to kayak
Sacramento State Aquatic Center’s two-day river kayaking course gets novice kayakers (12 years and older) acclimated with downriver paddling along the calmer waters of the lower American River Parkway. (916) 278-2842; sacstateaquaticcenter.com
Mother Lode River Center
Load up the family and head to this activity-packed park in Lotus for a full day of river action. You’ll hit the challenge ropes course and zipline from 9 a.m. to noon, enjoy lunch on the grounds, then raft the South Fork American River from 1 to 5 p.m. (Heads up: Minimum age is 8 years old.) 6280 Highway 49, Lotus; (530) 626-4187; malode.comWILD
Drink up
On American Whitewater Expeditions’ Wine & Whitewater trip, you’ll spend one day tasting El Dorado County’s finest varietals, the next rushing down the Class III rapids of the American River’s South Fork. (530) 642-0855; americanwhitewater.com
Kiteboard with a pro
Head to Rio Vista (one hour south of Sacramento) for an exhilarating, one-on-one kiteboarding session on Sherman Island, one of the top kiteboarding locations in the country. (707) 374-3053; sheldonkiteboarding.com
