Sacramento County parks bans alcohol on American River ahead of Rafting Gone Wild event

Another summer in Sacramento, another Rafting Gone Wild. And along with it, another alcohol ban.

The typically raucous event, planned for Saturday and organized primarily over social media, has prompted the Sacramento County Regional Parks director to restrict drinking along the American River “to protect public safety,” county officials said in a news release.

Drinking during the event poses “potential risks to the community including park visitors, rescue personnel and law enforcement,” according to the statement.

The alcohol restrictions will apply to the waterway between Hazel and Watt avenues, and violations will be strictly enforced by park rangers, officials said.

The county also reminded attendees to socially distance themselves from other rafters by 6 feet to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This is not the first time Rafting Gone Wild — a non-permitted event — has caused the river to run dry, so to speak.

Since 2013, Sacramento County officials have banned drinking on the American River in anticipation of dangerous intoxicated antics which might occur at the event. The 2012 gathering was especially unruly, including a drunken brawl that resulted in 23 arrests along with destruction of public and private property, according to previous Bee reporting.

The following year, the county began to restrict alcohol around such events.

In 2019, a Rafting Gone Wild event took place on the Feather River near Yuba City, where alcohol was not banned for the weekend, Fox 40 reported. The party failed to draw its usual crowds, which have often numbered in the thousands. A week later, at a party dubbed Rafting Gone Wild 2, at least 30 people had to be rescued by firefighters on the American near Rancho Cordova.

This story was originally published June 19, 2020 at 1:44 PM.