Tuolumne

(nicknamed the T by river runners)

Location: Northern California, northwest of Yosemite National Park (about 120 miles east of San Francisco).

Length of trips: Lower Tuolumne 18 miles in one to three days; Upper Tuolumne 9 miles in one day. The Upper Tuolumne, one of the most challenging commercially run stretches in the country, is for experts only.

Season: April through September or October, depending on the water level. High, fast water and huge rapids in spring. By July and August the flows are more constant, the rapids less intimidating but still challenging.

Weather: Early spring sometimes brings snow to the Sierras. Be prepared for variable weather—cool and rainy or sunny and hot. While summer offers a respite from melting snow and chilly temperatures, the river flow remains at mid to high levels, depending on dam releases. Summer temperatures can reach into the 80s and 90s (F). You may need to wear a wet suit or dry suit through June—or later in the season on cool days. Poison oak is abundant. It can be rainy in autumn.

Lodging: No camping on the Upper Tuolumne. Lower Tuolumne campsites in groves of trees and on sandbars and cobble bars.

Boats: Kayaks, oar boats, paddle rafts.

Rapids: Class III and IV, with one Class V rapid that can be portaged or walked. Clear, cold water.

Special features:

  • One of the West’s premier river trips.
  • Relatively easy drive from San Francisco and Sacramento.
  • Remote, austere beauty of the California Sierras.
  • Swift-flowing, demanding white water, including a 12-foot free fall over famed Clavey Falls.
  • Ideal for trout fishing (brown and rainbow).
  • Beautiful wildflowers in spring.
  • Great waterfall slides and showers in spring and early summer.
  • Cold but refreshing swimming in summer.
  • Remnants of railroad grades and machinery from building the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.
  • Abundant mountain wildlife, including mule deer, black-tailed deer, coyotes, bobcats, river otters, raptors, and waterfowl.
  • Wilderness solitude.
  • Best for experienced rafters. Outfitters require that participants have extensive prior experience before running the Upper Tuolumne.

Nearby excursions:

  • Yosemite National Park.
  • Gold rush towns of Columbia, Jamestown, and Sonora.
  • Mono Lake.

For a list of outfitters and more information:

  • Groveland Ranger District, Stanislaus National Forest, 24545 Highway 120, Groveland, California 95321; +1 209 962 7825, fax +1 209 962 7412. Try to book at least one to two months in advance.

For more information:

  • California Division of Tourism, 801 K Street, Sacramento, California 95814; +1 916 322 2881 or 800 862 2543, fax +1 916 322 3402.
  • Yosemite National Park story in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER, Winter 1988/89.

 
 
River Finder - Western U.S.

 
 
 
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