South Fork of the American River - The 49ers. This is where thousands of them started. (Not the football team – the miners!) The gold riches of the Sierra had lain for centuries, until something glittered and caught the eye of prospector John Marshall. The Gold Rush of 1849 had arrived on the American River. Surely the ghosts still wander the South Fork's rolling river valley, its oak and pine forests and tumbling gorge. The views, history and wonderful whitewater are just beyond the bow for the duration of this exhilarating trip, which starts only an hour from Sacramento. For overnight vacationers, there's swimming, fishing, R and R, great food and hospitality at O.A.R.S.' convenient base camp.