| Difficulty | IV-V(V+) |
| Length | 13 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 130 fpm |
| Gauge | North Fork Middle Fork American River Above Circle Bridge |
| Flow Rate as of 188 days | -1 cfsstale data |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 12, 2026 |
The North Fork Middle Fork American River is a gem that rarely gets run due to access. In the average year, if the river has water, the road is still snowed in. In big water years it's possible to drive right to the trailhead, and hike in on the Western States Trail, which is very similar to the Giant Gap put in; a few miles with lots of switchbacks down to the river. On the water the run starts off high quality with good read and run, and the occasional scout. Then it gets harder for a while, most will make a few portages around large boulder gardens before paddling into Devil's Gate.
Devil's Gate is the highlight of the run with vertical cliffs on both sides, and a tall rapid. A retentive hydraulic leads to a large sliding falls. The hydraulic can be portaged with a 10' seal launch on the right, taking the teeth out of the rapid. Below, one more large rapid is not far downstream and portaged by most. After this it's possible to really soak in the scenery as the last few miles taper off to class III until Mosquito Ridge Road where a steep trail on the right leads up to a dirt pull out by the bridge.
Placer County Water Agency maintains a gage and posts flow data to its website. February 2023 update: American Whitewater is working to add this flow data to this river page.
Other Information Sources:
American River Ranger District (530) 367-2224
The Best Whitewater in California, Holbeck & Stanley
SIERRA WHITEWATER, MARTIN, 1974 descr
...One of the larger boulder gardens in the first half of the run
The Devil's Gate Slide is a mandatory rapid and spot of scenic beauty on the run. The first drop is often portaged with a seal launch on the right, but does get easier to run the whole rapid as flows drop.
Last big boulder garden that often gets portaged.
A trail comes down to the river from Mosquito Ridge Road, somewhere in this area.