4. Ruck-A-Chucky Campground to Mammoth Bar

This is a great section of class II whitewater with reliable summer flows thanks to releases from the upstream Oxbow Reservoir. More scenic than Coloma to Greenwood, this run winds its way through a deep canyon far from paved roads for most of its length. Paddlers will find an open riverbed with relatively forgiving class II rapids. One larger rapid at mile 3.5 may take beginners by surprise, although it has an easy channel down the right. A small retentive wave-hole can be found around mile 6, making for excellent play and surfing. Do not miss the large take-out eddy on river right once you reach Mammoth Bar OHV area, for around the next bend is Murderer’s Bar Rapid, class V+. Releases generally occur from late May through September. Flows from the dam take around 6 hours to reach the put-in at Oregon Bar, making this an afternoon run on most release days. View the release schedule here: Dreamflows Oxbow Release Schedule Both put-in and take-out for this run are controlled by California State Parks, and are typically closed during the winter. If you are attempting this run outside of summer, it’s best to call Auburn SVRA (530-885-4527) and inquire about access ahead of time. When open, the takeout at Mammoth Bar requires a fee or a CA State Parks pass. See Bill Tuthill's California Creeks for a thorough description of this run.