The American Packrafting Association Is Coming to the South Fork American
Save the date: October 8–10, 2027. We’re partnering with the American Packrafting Association (APA) to host their first ever California packraft meetup, right here on the South Fork American River.
I’ve been packrafting for years, and I’ve watched the community grow from a handful of us carrying boats on our backs to people showing up on every run. The APA has been bringing packrafters together for over a decade, mostly at their Roundups in Montana and Colorado. Having them come to our home river means a lot to our whole crew.
What the weekend looks like
It’s three days on the river and two nights at camp.
- Days on the water: Skills clinics on Class II–III whitewater, split by experience level, and lead by CWC packraft instructors. We’ll share the full clinic lineup once it’s set.
- Camp at Camp Lotus: Beautiful campground right on the river. There’s even a park and play wave just downstream.
- Evenings: Speakers, slideshows, and stories around camp.
- People: Meeting other packrafters is the best part. Find paddling partners, trade beta, and check out each other’s boats.
New to packrafting? Come. Been at it for years? Also come. The South Fork in October has warm days, dam-released flows, and enough rapids to work on real skills without getting in over your head.
My talk: expedition planning
One of the evenings, I’ll be giving a talk on expedition planning. I’ll cover how a trip goes from an idea on a map to actually putting on, including logistics, picking your team, and managing risk when you’re far from help. After that I’ll show a slideshow from my packrafting expedition in the Upper Amazon Basin in Bolivia.
We’ll announce more speakers soon.
Why we’re doing this
The APA works on safety, education, conservation, and access for packrafters. That lines up with what we’ve cared about at CWC for over 11 years: getting more people on rivers safely, and getting them to care about those rivers. A meetup like this does both.
How to get in
Registration opens in spring 2027. Packraft and gear rentals will be available, along with tent and camping gear rentals, so you don’t need your own setup to join.
- See dates and details on the California Packraft Meetup page
- Sign up for our newsletter to hear when registration opens
- Want to get ready before next fall? Join one of our Whitewater Packrafting clinics this season
- Learn more about the APA or become a member at packraft.org
See you on the South Fork.
— Mel