Several
different river trips are available:
- 2-day overnight trips: These trips cover about 26 miles, with 2 full days of rafting, 4 meals starting with lunch on day 1, and ending with lunch on day 2, and camping right along the river. We are able to truck in all overnight gear and food (including your personal overnight gear) to our camp, so we do not need to carry gear on the rafts during the day. This allows us to run all paddle rafts, and no one has to ride in a gear raft. During high water, we run what we call our "double-upper", and repeat part of the first day trip again. We do this because at higher water flows, the lower section of the river, including a waterfall (which we portage at lower flows), is too dangerous to run. However, on day 2 of our double upper, we normally put in about 2 miles upriver at Redbud, giving you on the second day a new, exciting Class 4 section of whitewater that you did not see on day 1. We then continue downstream and overlap part of the best whitewater of day one, and end the trip at Briceburg around 4:00 p.m. During lower flows (mid to late June on) we run our 2-day trips through Quarter mile rapid and down to Lake McClure, with a power boat meeting the trip and pulling us the last one mile of flat water to our take out.
- 1-day trips: Our most popular trip, our 1-day trip covers 16 river miles and includes a great deli lunch. During high and normal water levels, we raft from Indian Flat to Railroad Flat, stopping for lunch along the way. During low water, the last 2 weeks of the season (normally late June into early July), we launch our 1-day trips at Briceburg and continue through Quarter mile rapid to Bagby, also using the power boat to tow us the last 1 mile across Lake McClure to our take-out point. One day trips include a full lunch served on the river, as well as cold beverages at the end of the day.
- 1/2-day trips during normal water levels: Our normal 1/2 day trip is run from 8:30 to about 12:30, but with a large group, we can also run an afternoon 1/2 day trip on request. This trip covers about 11 miles and does not include lunch. We raft from Indian Flat to Briceburg. 1/2 day trips are nice, but miss the last very scenic and exciting 5 miles of river between Briceburg and Railroad Flat, including Split Rock, Corner Pocket, and the wave trains above these 2 rapids. So if you are debating between the 1/2 or full day trip, definitely choose the full day.
- 1/2 day trips during low water: the best summer family rafting trip near Yosemite (45 minutes from Yosemite Valley). When all other sections of the Merced river are too low to run (usually in early to mid July), this 5.5 mile section of river is a lot of fun, and allows us to squeeze out about 10 more days of rafting. The water is warmer, the air temperature is hot, and the lower water rapids are fun, technical, and the canyon is narrow and intimate. We stop for snacks (which we provide) at a great beach/diving rock area for some great water play, swimming, jumping off the jumping rocks, etc. During calm sections, you can float downriver (with your lifejacket on of course). Because of the slower pace and fun water play activities associated with this trip, we have had clients say that this trip was more fun in a lot of ways than our higher water trips. We usually can accommodate kids down to 8 years old.
| River/Info | Trip Length |
Start Days | Price Adult/Youth |
Trip duration | Min Age | Trip Max |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low water season.
5.5 miles snacks, swimming, rafting |
1/2 | Last 14 days of season | $105/$95 | 8:30-1:00 or 2:00-6:30 |
7 | 50 | Snacks provided on low water 1/2 day trips. |
| Normal season. 11
miles no lunch |
1/2 | Mon-Fri | $105/$95 | same as above | 10 | 50 | |
| Normal season. 11
miles no lunch |
1/2 | Sat/Sun | $115/$105 | same as above | 10 | 50 | |
| Includes
lunch. 16 miles |
1 | Mon-Fri | $150/$125 | 10:00-5:00 | 12 | 50 | Includes lunch |
| 1 | Sat/Sun | $170/$145 | 12 | 50 | |||
| Includes 1 night camping, 4 meals. 26 miles | 2 | Mon-Thurs | $290/$260 | 10:00-5:00 both days |
12 | 50 | Includes 1 nights camping, 4 meals |
| 2 | Fri/Sun | $315/$285 | 12 | 50 | |||
| 2 | Sat | $325/$295 | 12 | 50 |
Deposit & Cancellation Policies:
If you cancel from a
fully booked trip, the following will
apply:
If you cancel 60 days or more before your trip, you
will receive a full refund. If you cancel 31-59 days
before your trip, you will receive a 50% refund at a
minimum, and if either you or we can re-fill your
cancelled spaces, you will receive a 100% refund. If
you cancel 30 days or less prior to your trip, no
refund will be given unless you or we can re-fill
your cancelled spaces, in which case you will
receive a 100% refund. However, no refunds
will be given for trips cancelled within 48 hours of
the trip date.
If you cancel from a trip that is not fully
booked, you will receive a full refund
regardless whether your cancelled spaces can be
re-filled or not! However, no
refunds will be given for trips cancelled within 48
hours of the trip date.
* Please note that any refunds will be issued less a 3% cancellation fee.
Meeting
Spot: The rafting office located right next to
Indian Flat Campground, which is just
outside Yosemite Park on highway 140, and only 3
miles downriver from the small town of El Portal.
From the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley, the
drive is about 45 very scenic minutes to our meeting
spot.
What To Bring On The River:
- Shorts/swim suit
- Tennis shoes or river sandals
- Sunglasses with tie-on
- Camera (see above)
- Light Windbreaker
- T-shirt or long-sleeve shirt
- Wool socks (wool is warm when wet)
- Hat/Visor with tie-on
- Sunscreen
- Wetsuit
Cameras
If your camera is small and inexpensive, a large ziplock bag will give sufficient protection. More expensive cameras can be protected with a watertight inflatable "sports pouch" available at sports stores. Camera insurance is recommended.
Tipping
We are frequently asked whether it is appropriate to tip guides. While our guides are well compensated for their skills, if you feel your trip was exceptional, or that your guide or guides went out of their way to make the quality of your experience a notch above the norm, tipping is a nice way of saying thank you.
Who Can Go
Almost anyone in reasonable physical condition. Our minimum age is 7, except where noted otherwise, and there is no maximum age - you be the judge. We have had many folks in their 70's join us and later claimed it was the best experience of their lives. You do not need to be a great swimmer, as life-jackets are worn at all times while on the rafts. No previous whitewater experience is required on any of the trips.