Kayak through Los Angeles — and be a good river steward!
★★★★★
Paddle with family, friends, colleagues on a one-of-a-kind guided urban river tour. Or, if you've got a large group, book a private tour.
"We had a great time kayaking the LA River with the LARIVX crew! Felt super safe and supported the entire time by the staff, and kayaking was an amazing way to explore and interact with a River I had always passed over but never stopped to explore. We saw tons of birds, turtles, and the surrounding area was green and beautiful. A perfect weekend activity for LA natives for folks visiting the city. Highly recommend!"
In addition to our summer tours, we're also committed to being river stewards. So we do things like:
trash clean-ups
invasive species mitigation
advocate for other waterways
educate in schools about the river
partner with like-minded individuals & organizations
outreach with corporate sponsors to extend our mission
- Christopher W. on Trip Advisor
OUR MISSION
To connect people to their waterways through recreational boating and environmental education.
Established in 2008, we've led more than 20,000 people in kayaks on the river.
OUR VISION
We believe public waterways are the lifeblood of cities and regions. We envision and work toward creating a nondiscriminatory world where our waterways serve as public commons, connecting communities, building civic engagement, creating environmental equity, and providing opportunities for people to play, work and learn together.
We promote public access to waterways in the Los Angeles region and beyond, and work toward keeping them as clean as possible. We provide hands-on innovative recreational and educational opportunities and experiences for individuals, schools, community groups and civic leaders, to allow them to experience and expand the benefits of free and open public access to our protected waters, with environmental justice for all.
OUR STORY
Back in 2008, we stuck our necks out so Los Angeles could have access to its hometown river once again, and so that it could be protected under federal law. Our original LA River Expedition down the full 51 miles of the river demonstrated the navigability of the river and featured a couple dozen Angelenos — teachers, scientists, actors, journalists — who wanted to make a difference.
In 2010, the EPA rendered their decision that recognized the legitimacy of the river and legally protected it under federal law. In 2011, we partnered with the City and other organizations to run a pilot program to see if kayaking could be done safely and if there was enough demand for such an experience. There was overwhelming demand.
Since 2012, we've run our popular tours under LA River Expeditions, a nonprofit organization in association with The Electric Lodge, a 501(c)3. We're proud to have played a valuable role in affecting the fate of the river, and we continue to advocate for the river's revitalization.
RECOGNITIONS
State Certificate of Recognition (2011)
City Certificate of Recognition (2014)
County Commendation (2024)
A River Runs Through Los Angeles (podcast)
PRESS & MEDIA
Rock the Boat: Saving America's Wildest River (doc film, 54 min.)
We've been fortunate to receive wonderful media coverage, which serves and expands our mission. Below are just a few links that have helped shed light on the revitalization of the LA River and our role in it.
Departures series: L.A. River Expeditions (video)
Nancy Pearlman, on the LA River (radio broadcast)
Into the River of Angels, by George Wolfe (adventure novel, set on the river)
George's L.A. River Commute (video)
LA River Boat Race (article)
The LA River is alive and very well (photography)
The 1st Annual LA River Boat Race (article)
Contact us
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