ARTA’s Stanislaus River trips in the 1960s

ARTA was likely the second river company on the Stanislaus River – the pioneer was Bryce Whitmore’s Wilderness Waterways, which started in 1962 (learn more here). By 1966, ARTA had 169 passengers annually, while Bryce’s company was likely up to 5-600 people per year. For comparison, at its peak in the late 1970s/early 1980s, the Stanislaus saw at least 60,000 people per year going on river trips. This document shows the state of rafting for ARTA in the late 1960s. By 1974, ARTA had become by far the largest rafting company, probably in the world, running rivers all over the West and internationally – and was running 6-8 trips a week on the Stanislaus alone. In a 1971 presentation to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors, ARTA’s David Kay made these comments:  “The big jump in 1970 is due to the national emphasis given to matters of ecology and a growing national awareness of the spiritual and physical need for wilderness..”