Despite the lack of rain this winter, we’ve scouted three rivers that are brimming. Here's a range of floats from merely chill to raging thrill. Grab a paddle.  

Fancy yourself a rafting guide? Test your mettle with other amateurs on Cali’s only do-it-yourself whitewater adventure. Just two hours from the city, Cache Creek is rated Class III, and with a limit of two people per raft you get to choose the captain and first mate. The eight-mile-long rafting stretch begins with a 15-minute dry-land lesson from resident expert Rick Wilson. After the (very brief) briefing, grab your paddle and a raft and drop into the swiftly moving current of Cache Creek. During your self-guided journey, you’ll be introduced to more than a dozen rapids, one of them a Class III named Mother…(you fill in the blank). If you happen to get ejected, take heart—the water’s warm. The route has diverse scenery, from rolling hills to volcanic-born canyon walls. Keep your eyes peeled for tule elk, black bears, and bald eagles. After the trip, you can hang around the "Cottonwood Bar" (read: picnic table and ice cooler), chugging lemonade or Budweisers and deciding when you’ll run the river next. The waters of Cache Creek are guaranteed to flow all season.

Cache Canyon Whitewater River Trips, (530) 796-3091. Weekend day trips start at $40 per person. Pack food in a small ice chest and don’t bring anything in the raft that you don’t want to get wet. Secure glasses and hats and leave the not-so-waterproof camera in the car.

Directions: From San Francisco, take I-80 east to Vacaville, then I-505 north for approximately 23 miles. Take Hwy. 16 west (turn left from the off-ramp stoplight). You’ll need specific directions from the outfitter about which launch site to park at based on your trip selection.

Sometimes a lazy river is better than a raging one, especially when the sun is shining and you happen to be in possession of an inner tube and a cooler full of your favorite libations. Round up your friends and head to Sacramento’s crown jewel, the lower American River. The water on this three-to-four-hour float is warm, wide, and smooth, and the atmosphere is definitely festive. Sandy beaches along the way let you stop, lounge, and take the river at your own pace. Pack some gigantic pita sandwiches from Ike’s Deli across the highway from the put-in point. For this leisurely cruise, you’ll need two cars and an assortment of pool inflatables (the loungier the better), a cooler, and some rope to make sure you all stay together. Drop one car off at Goethe Park (that’s "gah-tee") and then drive upstream to American River Raft Rentals off of Sunrise Boulevard, where you’ll launch your flotilla.

ALTERNATIVE: For a more structured experience, American River Raft Rentals provides rafts starting at $48 or kayaks starting at $33 and will give you a ride back to your car once you’re done.

American River Raft Rentals, 11257 S. Bridge St., Rancho Cordova; (916) 635-6400. Parking $3 on weekends (free if you rent from them), $4 at Goethe all week.

Ike’s Deli, 3000 Sunrise Blvd. # 6, Rancho Cordova; (916) 635-9808.

Directions: Take I-80 east to I-50 east to Sunrise Blvd., and exit. Go left on Sunrise Blvd. and right onto S. Bridge St.

World class. Action Packed. Totally Remote. Located just west of Yosemite, the Tuolumne—or the “T” to river rats—runs 18.6 miles through virgin wilderness with no road access. Its Class IV-to-V churning rapids give whitewater lovers one raw and rugged ride. Part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, this expedition is so prized that rafting permits are limited to two outfitters with a maximum of 22 clients per day. The Tuolumne offers little downtime: You’re immediately thrust into a steep, secluded river canyon and greeted by Rock Garden and Ram's Head, just two sets in a series of long and thrilling rapids. Zephyr Whitewater Expeditions are the river guides to call. You’ll set off with all the gear you need to navigate famed chutes and rapids like Evangelist, Steamboat, Hell’s Kitchen, and the heart-pounding Clavey Falls. This year, because maintenance requires the lowering of upstream reservoirs, the T will offer the best wilderness Class IV rapids in all of California—excellent flows until at least Labor Day, maybe beyond.

BONUS: If you have a chance, take a side trip up Tuolumne’s North Fork to its hidden swimming-hole oasis with a natural waterslide.

Zephyr Whitewater Expeditions, (800) 431-3636. Weekend one-day trips starting at $225 per person; two days from $430 per person.