August 11–15, 2026 | South Fork of the American River, California
The USA National Championships are back on the SF American! This is the event that ranks US teams for eligibility to compete in 2027 International Rafting Events under the newly formed United Rafting Federation (URF). Come race, come watch, come camp — the whole raft racing community is welcome.
Run under the URF Adventure Format, the 2026 Nationals will feature three disciplines: Sprint, Slalom, and Head-to-Head (H2H). Each team is four paddlers, and SOTAR rafts will be provided for the competition. Para-Rafting teams are welcomed and will compete under URF Annex A.
The Nugget Campground (outside Placerville, CA) has been reserved for the event. Camping space can be reserved during team registration — max 150 spots, so don’t wait!
Schedule
Tentative — may be modified as event planning continues.
- Tuesday, August 11 — Training Day
Open training on the South Fork. - Wednesday, August 12 — No water realease Setup Day
Course setup and team prep. Mandatory team registration at the Nugget Campground, 4:00–7:00 pm. - Thursday, August 13 — Sprint
Best of two timed runs. Nugget Campground, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. - Friday, August 14 — Slalom
Best of two runs. Nugget Campground, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. - Saturday, August 15 — Head-to-Head (H2H)
Bracket racing. Nugget Campground, 9:00 am start.
Team Categories
Aligned with URF Sport Rules (v. 8/02/2026). Age eligibility is determined by the calendar year of competition.
National team categories:
- Master — 40 and over
- Open (Senior) — 23 and over
- U23 — under 23
- U19 — under 19
- Para-Rafting — open to athletes meeting URF Annex A eligibility; functional classification required prior to competition
Additional domestic racing categories:
- Cadets (ages 12–15) — Sprint and Slalom only; domestic category, not eligible for URF international selection
- Mixed teams — at least one and no more than two men; competes within the applicable URF division
Para-Rafting
The USRA is excited to welcome Para-Rafting teams to the 2026 Nationals! Para-Rafting follows URF Annex A, which uses a functional classification system to ensure fair competition across abilities. Athletes must complete classification before race day — if your team has not yet been classified, please reach out to us well in advance to coordinate. Course and discipline accommodations will be confirmed in the event bulletin.
Registration
Register your team and reserve camping at the link below — registration is listed under the Merch page.
Questions?
Reach out to usaraftassociation@gmail.com. We can’t wait to see you on the river! 🌊
#whitewaterrafting #whitewaterraftracing #unitedstatesraftingassociation #usaraftingnationals
Tentative Schedule (may be modified as event planning continues):
September 15th – Free training day. Mandatory Team Registration at the Nugget Campground outside of Placerville, CA – 4 pm to 7 pm
September 16th – Time Trial Sprint and Head to Head Sprint races. Nugget Campground – 9:00am to 1:00pm
September 17th – Slalom races. Nugget Campground – 9:00am to 1:00pm
September 18th – Downriver races.
Open and Masters Teams – Chile Bar Run (Class III) 10am start
Junior and Youth Teams – Coloma to Lotus run (Class II) 1pm start
To register your team and reserve camping at the Nugget campground, go to the following link https://usaraftassociation.com/order/ (registration is under the Merch page).
National Team Categories: Masters (40 years and over), Open (23 years and over), U23 (under 23 years of age), U19 (under 19 years of age).
Additional National racing categories: Cadets (12 to 15 years old), these teams will only compete in the slalom and sprint events. Mixed teams (at least one, not more than 2 men), no age divisions in this category.