The Stanislaus River and Knights Ferry are located about 2 hrs East of San Francisco. The river winds its way out of the Sierra Nevada’s, travels North along Oakdale and Modesto, before eventually emptying into the delta. The stretch of river from highway 99 up to the town of James town there are 19 River Parks that were built by the Army Core of Engineers.
Some of these parks have camping facilities and all have river access. Several times I have gone rafting down the river and the multiple parls allows you to decide the length of your trip.
There are several Rafting companies that do trips down the river. One of the most popular trips is from “Knights ferry to Horseshoe Bar”.
You can opt for one of these companies or tyou can bring your own gear. I have several simple inflatable rafts that I use when I go.
I typically park at the river park just West and down river of Horseshoe Bar, “Honolulu Bar” and then pile into a friends car to make the 5 mile trip up to “Knights Ferry”.