Kings River Trip Details

The following whitewater rafting information should answer your logistical questions about your Kings river whitewater rafting trip. If you still have questions, feel free to call our office. We look forward to your whitewater trip on the Kings river.

Printable (PDF) Trip Details

Meeting Time & Place

You and the other members of your party are welcome to spend the night prior to your whitewater rafting trip at our Kings river base camp, located approximately 43 miles (1.5 hours) from the intersection of Belmont and Academy, just outside the town of Sanger, which is just outside the city of Fresno, California. Plan on arriving no earlier than 5:00 p.m. and no later than 11:00 p.m. the night before your trip. Our camp generator and lights go off at 11:00 p.m. and our host is no longer on duty, so if you arrive after 11:00 p.m., you will have a harder time setting up. If you are very late, you might consider camping at Kirch Flat Campground (about 1/2 mile before our base camp), which is easier to access after dark.

EXCEPTIONS: Camping the night prior to your trip is only for one-day and full service two-day trip clients. Our 1/2 day trips and our streamlined two day trips do not include camping the night prior. Clients on these lower cost trips arrive the morning of the trip.

If you choose not to camp the night before your trip, you should arrive at our base camp no later than 9:00 a.m. the morning of your trip. We serve breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to about 9:00 a.m., and if you wait until 9:00 a.m. to arrive, you might miss breakfast. Our bus leaves for the 40 minute ride to the launch area either at 9:30, or 10:00 depending on the day of the week.

Note: Our 1/2 day Express trips meet at 12:00 p.m., the day of the trip, and do not include lunch. Eat a hearty lunch prior to your arrival, or feel free to bring your lunch to the river and eat in our base camp. Our bus leaves for the launch area around 1:00, so there is plenty of time to eat. We do provide snacks and cold beverages at trips end usually around 5:30. Please arrive no earlier than 11:00 a.m., and no later than 12:30. Sorry, no camping is available at our base camp for our 1/2 day trips...there are other campgrounds in the area. Feel free to call our office for information on these additional campgrounds.

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Meals

Our full-time head chef will prepare five meals on all 2-day trips (starting with breakfast and ending with lunch on the second day) and two meals (breakfast and lunch) on all one-day trips. Snacks are provided at the end of each day, in addition to cold beverages. We do serve wine with dinner and offer a choice of entrees (beef, chicken,) Note: If your.group has any special dietary needs, please let us know. No alcohol of any kind is allowed during the day on the river.

NOTE: NO LUNCH is served on our 1/2 day Express trips!! Please eat before you arrive, or bring a picnic lunch with you to eat in camp prior to trip departure!

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About Our Camp

Our beautiful five acre base camp boasts sandy beaches for camping, fresh mountain spring drinking water available in the kitchen area, a volleyball court in the sand and a bathroom boasting one pint low flush toilets, sinks, and changing rooms. Picnic tables, a horseshoe pit, and BBQs dot the camp.

You will fall asleep listening to the flowing river...the best sound in the world.  The Kings river is only 50 feel away from your tent, and swimming is fantastic (particularly our late season trips with lower water).  We also have 3 platform tent rentals available which will sleep up to 5 people.                


Lodging

If you elect not to camp with us the night before your trip, there are plenty of motels in the Fresno area.


Wonder Valley Ranch — East of Sanger, and pretty much on your way to our base camp...cabins, meals, and even a conference center for groups. Call them for group or individual price quotes at 1-800-821-2801

The closest camping to our base camp (other than our base camp) is Kirch Flat campground operated by the US Forest Service. Kirch Flat is only 1/4 mile from our base camp, and right on the river.

Camping is also available at the Choinumne campground, regulated by the Fresno Department of Parks and Recreation. For reservations, contact them at (559) 488-3004. Driving time from Choinumne to our base camp is about 1 hour.

For lodging in Kings Canyon/Sequoia Park, try www.sequoiapark.com.
For camping information in Kings Canyon, try National Park Service Campground
Additional lodging in Kings Canyon, try Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP Lodging.

If you do stay in the Fresno area, don't forget it will take you about 2 hours to drive to our base camp, and we need you there by 9:00 a.m.

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Wetsuits

As a service to our clients, Zephyr provides wet suits and paddle jackets free of charge. Wetsuits are recommended on all trips through about mid June, depending on previous winter snowpack. The wetsuits are designed for whitewater rafting, and are very comfortable. The suit is a full-length "farmer-john" style, with sleeveless tops. We also provide an optional nylon paddle jacket which can be worn over the suit when necessary. You are welcome to provide your own suit if you wish. You do not need to make any advanced reservations for your suit unless you have special size considerations.

"What do I wear underneath my wetsuit?"  An important question that comes up often.  We recommend wearing a thin nylon swim suit, or other non-bulky swim attire, underneath your wetsuit.  Also, to provide some friction between you and the raft ( to help keep you from sliding off the raft into the river ), we recommend bringing along a large pair of old shorts to wear on the outside of your wetsuit. 

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Cars

Your cars are parked just above our base camp and are accessible when you are in camp. Since we do not need to carry gear on the rafts, you can bring along that extra-large tent, sleeping cot, guitar, etc. No radios or portable TVs however.

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What to Bring:

On the river

In camp

Optional

Cool weather items

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Directions

Area Map
Area Map

Street Map
Detail Map

Zephyr Base Camp is located on the banks of the mighty Kings River, approximately 63 miles east of Fresno. Travel time from the Fresno area is about two hours. You will be traveling around the entire northern edge of Pine Flat Reservoir on what seems like an endless windy road. Stay on all paved roads until you reach the Kings River Bridge. Cross the bridge, and stay on the paved road for another 1/4 mile and you will see our base camp. Follow directions from one of the next three sections depending on where you are coming from.

COMING FROM THE NORTH (Sacramento/Stockton) on Highway 99: Stay on Highway 99 through the main part of Fresno.  Just about one mile past the Belmont Ave exit, take the Highway 180/Kings Canyon Exit.  This exit will take you over Highway 99, and you will then be heading EAST towards the mountains. Stay on this new Hwy 180 Freeway about 8 miles to where it ends (currently at Clovis Ave). Take the Clovis Ave exit, turn right on Clovis Ave, and immediately get in the left lane. Go 300 yards to BELMONT AVE, and turn left. Continue east on BELMONT AVE approx. 7 miles to the BELMONT/ACADEMY AVE intersection. Now follow directions below under "EVERYONE".

COMING FROM THE SOUTH (Los Angeles) on Highway 99: As you approach the town of KINGSBURG, take the MENDOCINO AVE exit (also know as exit # 111).  Turn right, and follow the signs to SANGER, which is 14 miles away. You will actually be on 18th Avenue for several blocks, but don't worry, 18th will turn into Mendocino! Heading north on Mendocino, go through Kingsburg and into Parlier. Go approximately nine miles on Mendocino until you hit ADAMS AVENUE. Turn left (west) on Adams, and drive 1/2 mile to ACADEMY AVENUE. Turn right on Academy, and you are again heading North towards the town of Sanger. Continue traveling through Sanger, until you come to the stop sign at BELMONT AVENUE, which will be about 1.5 miles out of Sanger. Turn right(East) on Belmont. Now follow directions under "EVERYONE". Last gas stops for night arrivals are in Kingsburg, or in Sanger on Academy Avenue. Last gas stops during the day will be at Doyal's Market in Piedra.

COMING FROM THE COAST ON HIGHWAY 41: Heading North on Highway 41, turn right on Jensen Avenue (the first stoplight before entering Fresno), and travel East approximately 12 miles. Jensen dead ends into Academy Avenue in the town of SANGER. Turn left on Academy and proceed through Sanger approximately 3.5 miles to the stop sign at BELMONT AVENUE. Turn right on Belmont. Now follow directions under "EVERYONE". Last gas stops for night arrivals are on Jensen, or Academy Avenue in Sanger. Last gas during the day will be at Doyal's Market in Piedra.

EVERYONE: At the BELMONT AVE/ACADEMY AVE intersection, set your trip odometer to zero. You have a 1.5 hour drive to go.  Proceed East on Belmont, which eventually turns into Trimmer Springs Road. Stay on Trimmer Springs, and match your trip odometer with the following checkpoints:

At approximately 13 miles you will pass the tiny community of Piedra (day time gas and store). The community of Trimmer (no services) will be at mile 25.6. At mile 30.7 you will pass Sycamore Campgrounds. Big Creek bridge is mile 33.3. You will be getting close when you pass a power station on your right (brightly lit at night). At mile 42, you will pass Kirch Flat Campground (good campground), and immediately past Kirch Flat you will cross the Kings River bridge. Once across the bridge, follow the paved road and go approximately 1/4 mile to our Base Camp. The sign there says ZEPHYR RIVER EXPEDITIONS BASE CAMP. You will also see our blue busses with "ZEPHYR" on the sides and front.

Important:  Make sure you have a full tank of gas before you leave Fresno.  Last gas stops during the day will be at Doyal's Store in the small community of Piedra, which you will pass on the way to our Base Camp if you forget to fill up in Fresno.  Doyals is open until at least 7 pm.

NOTE: Driving time from the Belmont/Academy intersection to our camp is approximately 1.5 hours

As you approach our Base Camp, there will be a large marked parking area on your right. This is where your vehicles will be left for the duration of your trip. To unload your gear, go 100 yards or so past our main parking area, and there is a small turnout on your left. There are steps leading down into our main camping area from this turnout, and this is the best place to unload your car. After your gear has been unloaded, please drive back to the main parking area to park your car for the duration of the trip. Up until 11:00 p.m., this turnout spot is lighted, and it is easy to find.

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