Rivers carve out the history of our lives. They define cultures, impact economics, provide hydropower and water supply to communities. They also offer lifelong memories of adventure and astounding beauty to those that visit their beaches, rapids and gorges. There’s a reason why rivers are highlighted and revered across the world as preservers of life, both metaphorically and literally. Experiencing a river is a pleasure that is not age bound, but there will always be that first visit to the river for every person. If your youth group organization is looking for a river expedition trip to introduce or revisit this awesome experience to your members, we hope you’ll enjoy our resort and all it has to offer any youth group.

Our resort offers a setting steeped in history; from the geological formations of our area to the native indigenous first people to the Gold Rush of 1849, there is something to learn in every nook and cranny of our resort. Camp overnight with us at our tent sites, cabins or platform tents and try your “pan” at finding gold in the South Fork of the American River which runs along our resort. Go for a hike, take a trip to the Gold Marshall State Historic Park, take a White-Water Rafting Trip with us or hone your field training and outdoor skills. Enjoy fully prepared, delicious and healthy meals from our kitchen!

If you seek even more adventure, you may enjoy a day trip to trails at any of the three National Parks which surround us: The Desolation Wilderness , The Granite Chief Wilderness  or The Tahoe National Forest.

If you are with Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts of America, please review some of the information below about excursions and experiences we offer to these organizations which frequently choose the American River Resort for their troop trips.

If you are with a School Group looking for a field trip, please see our School Trips Page.

Boy Scouts of America

Many Boy Scout Troops come to our resort every year to experience camping, outdoor skill training, whitewater rafting and hiking on our property. We provide lodging and whitewater trips for every troop size from small to large! We also offer river experiences which meet the requirements for Merit badges in Kayak and the kayak / water demo portion of the Whitewater badge. Please see the links below for information on requirements for the Boy Scouts of America Kayak and Whitewater badge.

Merit Badges

Kayak Badge

Whitewater Rafting Badge

Girl Scouts of America

From the Daisy to the Ambassador, we have many features which will offer the perfect addition to your Girl Scout Troop experience and even help your troop earn badges! Our Resort has lots of outdoor activities and adventures, including hiking, camping and whitewater rafting. Our direct river access has natural animal habitats, bird watching opportunities and an abundance of native plants and flowers for identification purposes.

Here are some of the badges past campers have earned after a troop outing at The American River Resort:

Troop Camping Badges
Brownie: Cabin Camping
Junior: Eco Camping

Naturalist Badges
Brownie: Bugs
Junior: Flowers
Cadette: Trees
Senior: Sky
Ambassador: Water

Art in the Outdoors
Brownie: Outdoor Art Creator
Junior: Outdoor Art Explorer
Cadette: Outdoor Art Apprentice

Outdoor and Outdoor Explorer Badges
Brownie: Hiker / Outdoor Adventurer
Junior: Camper
Cadette: Trailblazing
Senior: Paddling / Adventurer

Please call our reservations office to discuss your specific youth group outing and activities! 530-622-6700