Yosemite Valley Rafting Advice

Rafting on the mostly quiet water sections of the Merced river in Yosemite Valley has restrictions as to when you can raft (in warm weather months, when the water is not too high to safely go under bridges), where you can raft (on only one three +/- mile stretch, not the whole length of the river), and other rules for your safety and the health of the river.

"Rafting is permitted on the Merced River between Stoneman Bridge (near Curry Village) and Sentinel Beach Picnic Area between 10 am and 6 pm." "The entire length of the Merced River is closed to all flotation devices whenever the river gauge at Sentinal Bridge reads 6.5 feet or higher or the combination of air and water temperature is less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit."

You must wear or have a U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation device immediately available. (But if you are wise you will all be wearing your lifejackets.) Rental rafts rules include everyone, adult and child, wearing their lifejacket. The rental company warns that rafting is not recommended for non-swimmers.

If you want to raft you should check for the current rules when you arrive in the park. You might find them in the Yosemite Guide or Yosemite Today newspaper, (see link near the bottom of this page) or by asking at a Visitor Center.

Rentals at Curry Village are usually from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. -last return shuttle leaves at 6 p.m. " A typical season begins the last weekend in May and ends in July" but some years the water level will be too high to get under bridges until late June. Even then rafting might not be open all day, but will not open until the afternoon each day that it does open.

Most people take two hours for one trip, but if you dawdle or stop and swim/picnic you can take a half day or more. If you try to fit in one extra run at the end of the day and you actually paddle you can do it in 35-45 minutes.

How much you pay varies greatly.

You can pay the concessioner to use a “paddle-yourself” raft that holds up to six adults,

carry it to the launch point, go three miles down the river from Curry Village and get a ride on a tram back to where you started from.

You may have to wait awhile for the shuttle ride back. If you want to ride again that day you have to pay again. The concessioner’s website (summer 2013) quotes $30 per person (a child must weigh at least 50 lbs). The release form/website has said, in part, that two 'capable' paddlers, at least 5 feet tall and 12 years old are required for each rental raft. An adult is required in each boat.

A group of six with at least four potential paddlers would be a lot less crowded if they broke up into two groups and rented two rafts (same price) instead of one.

Investigate the costs for yourself: the cost for a family of four rafting twice on one vacation compares to buying their own raft, paddles and lifejackets. The website says "a typical (rental) season begins the last weekend in May" (early June many years) "and ends sometime in July." But people with their own gear can sometimes float along parts of the river (and wade, pulling a raft by a short rope through shallow parts) weeks longer into the summer or launch a little later into each day.

Many people buy just an inner tube, a small raft, inflatable shark or even a wading pool and float in one area all day. (There are no inner tube rentals in Yosemite but if you forgot your lifejacket you can rent one.) Others float a small way down the river and paddle back up or walk on a path back up and start again.

Others with their own equipment float the whole distance the concessioner rented rafts go, and pay a small fee to get a ride back on the concessioner’s shuttle. (Your deflated raft/inner tube must fit on your lap to use the pay shuttle.)

Some groups with their own rafts drive two cars to the end of the route and then bring one back to the start, do their rafting and drive back. This method brings even more traffic on the congested roads (and such rafters can be stuck in that traffic in the process) and creates unnecessary pollution.

In our group we raft for almost all of the route, get a free bus ride back to the start, and go again, sometimes many times all day. Here’s how we do it:

1) We bought our own rafts, paddles and lifejackets. (Do we need to mention only non-motorized rafts are allowed?)

2) We pack our uninflated rafts and other gear in big duffle bags (sometimes we wear our lifejackets on the bus so we have less to tote) and take the free Valley shuttle bus to the Stoneman Bridge launch point (2014 shuttle bus stop #13A/21 Curry Village bicycle/raft rental), and launch where the concessionaire rafts do. AFTER the rental rafts stop running, because of the low water levels, get off at the Housekeeping Camp bus stop #12 and launch just downriver of Housekeeping. You will then have less need for wading with your raft through shallow water.

→ Info about the route, stops and schedule is at: Yosemite Valley free shuttle bus

For many years you could inflate your raft using an electric air pump set up just outside the raft rentals area. It's the orange item in the green box in this photo. But in 2011 they decided to not let the public use any of their equipment to inflate rafts, so you will need your own raft pump unless they change the policy.

OR we sometimes inflate the rafts where we are staying and bungee-cord them to a small, fold-up, wheeled airport-style luggage cart and wheel them to the launch area.

We always bring a hand pump along in case we need to reinflate the raft as we float.

You can’t launch from Upper, Lower or North Pines campgrounds or the Ahwahnee.

Rangers really do watch sometimes (you might see a Ranger patrol car parked on the Ahwahnee bridge) and will make you leave the river and walk.

Most years the current at the Stoneman Bridge entry point wants to bring you quickly to the far side of the river, and sometimes under some overhanging tree branches, so act accordingly.

Also note this from the rentals website:

"Help Protect the Resource

In order to protect riparian (riverbank) resources, rafters should disembark only on sand or gravel bars.

Swimmers should enter and exit the river on sandy beaches.Be forewarned that fallen trees, bridge abutments, rocks and other hazards may exist in the river and can create hazardous conditions to rafters. Use extreme caution when approaching trees and other river debris."

3) We float down as far as the pedestrian bridge south of Yosemite Lodge (Swinging Bridge on some maps) and stop on the right hand side of the river in a sandy patch before the bridge. Then sometimes we hang out and swim/picnic. Eventually we deflate the rafts, pack them back into the duffle bags, and walk north on the paved scenic path along the edge of Leidig meadow to the free shuttle bus stop at the east end of the Yosemite Lodge buildings. We use a small, fold-up, wheeled airport-style luggage cart to trundle the gear to the bus stop.

We pack the luggage carrier into its cloth bag, and put it into a raft duffle bag. No, you can’t bring an inflated or even partially inflated raft on the bus. It's too big to fit down the aisle and it's wet, sandy and or dirty and gets others on the bus dirty. Either sew a large drawstring bag or buy a duffle bag big enough to fit each fully deflated raft in. It won't be much bigger than a big backpack that others might be carrying on the bus.

Because people were not careful that their paddles did’t hit people, loose paddles are not usually allowed on the bus, so make a bag for them as well. Many kinds have blades that unscrew from the shaft and make them an easier fit in a bag.

We are quite polite and are sure to dry off enough, (or we just drip dry as we walk to the shuttle bus stop), that we won’t get people on the bus wet. If we are too damp, we don’t sit on a seat and leave a puddle, we stand instead. Then we ride back to the launch point and start again, or ride back to our campsite.

Restrooms on the route are: At the launch site, walk south to the Curry Village rafts rental/winter ice rink. There are more restrooms at Housekeeping Camp on your left as you paddle, and on the left side of the river at our last stop at Swinging Bridge picnic area (also charcoal grates and picnic tables).

HEY- don’t tie rafts together. You might think it’s safer, but the second or third raft can get caught in bushes and make all of them turn over, or the first one or two can go under a bridge safely, but the second or third can get pulled along at the wrong angle and end up running into or firmly catching on a bridge abutment, spilling the people in it into the river or worse. (We’ve seen this happen!)

Don't try to stand up in your raft or lean over the side.

From the National Park Service Morning Report

Monday, August 09, 2004

Saint Croix National Scenic River (WI) Two Drownings in St. Croix River

"... rangers responded to another drowning in the river, this time near the Osceola day use area. Ronald Butcher, 39, was floating on a raft on the river with his wife and 13-year-old son when a rope attached from an inner tube (with cooler) to his ankle snagged on a submerged log and pulled him under. Several other people also floating on rafts in the area tried to locate and assist Butcher, but the swift current prevented them for doing so. The Osceola (Wisconsin) Volunteer Fire Department and St. Croix District rangers managed to locate and bring Butcher to the surface within 15 minutes. CPR was immediately begun. Butcher was transported by boat and ambulance to the Osceola Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead after continued life saving efforts failed. Sergeant Butcher, known to many of the St. Croix District rangers, was a 13-year veteran of the Chisago County (Minnesota) Sheriffs Department." [Submitted by Brian R. Adams, Chief Resource Protection]

Many of the bridges in Yosemite Valley have signs on them in a position rafters can see, saying which part of a bridge to go under. Sometimes the current is tricky and you want to be far to the right or left. If there is no sign, you might still want to go to the side because some kids jump illegally off the bridges, and some actually aim to land in the water very near rafters.

(Yes, there is an actual Yosemite regulation: "Jumping or diving from any bridge is prohibited... This activity has resulted in severe injuries to persons who have jumped from bridges into shallow water. Also, people jumping from bridges cause increased water turbidity and shock waves, both of which have a detrimental effect on fish and other components of aquatic ecosystems.")

There are also signs and bouys marking branches of the river that are closed to rafters, as in the photo below:

In general, as you go along a big curve in the river, the river will try to push you into the bank, so watch the rafts in front of you to see where they are pushed. You may need to paddle hard to keep from the bank. Some places it’s wise to pause for awhile and watch a few rafts, especially where the river splits up into many channels going around various islands. Then you can keep from ending up stuck in bushes.

Stay upstream of any craft you are trying to dislodge from bushes or rocks so when you get it loose it doesn't hit you or knock you over!

Sometime is isn't safe to go after a stuck raft or other craft and it should just be left until the water level on the river drops.

Yosemite whitewater rafting trips you see advertized are outside of the park and will not have the same views as this valley rafting route.

The only part with 'white water' worth a real wheeee is right at/after the footbridge downriver from Sentinel Bridge. When we raft late in the season we carry the rafts around this bridge because the water isn’t deep enough to float and doesn’t look like it has good enough footing to wade. Exit on the sandy bank on the left before the bridge and re-enter on the sandy shore on the far side.

Enter and exit the river for rafting, swimming or picnicking at sandy or gravelly places, not on grassy, muddy or dirt banks that wear away. The bottom rocks can be very slick, and the current can be stronger than you think, watch your step.

Teton County (Wyoming) Search and rescue would like you to know:

"Do not stand in moving water, even if shallow. If your foot gets trapped in the rocks, the current will push you over, wedging you foot tighter, and pushing your head underwater. You will drown. Others have drowned in 2 feet of water this way."

If you or your kids don’t swim well, look for a shallow inlet safely separate from the main river for a water play area, or pay to use one of the swimming pools with lifeguards (Curry Village or Yosemite Lodge, $5 adults/$4 kids for non-hotel-guests, (prices from the website in summer 2013), open about Memorial Day to Labor Day). The raft rental company prohibits kids under 50 pounds, and families who raft on their own should follow this recommendation, but little ones could have lots of fun in a shallow river water play area if they are watched constantly by adults in arms reach.

If your family does swim well, watch other people at a 'swimming hole' before you go in. Notice where the current is faster, or where the current tries to bring people under overhanging or partially submerged tree branches, abandoned cables, or narrow gaps between rocks. Notice where the water is too deep, how cold it is and set boundaries for your kids’ use accordingly. The best way to check an area out for safety is to watch others first, then get in and wade/swim yourself. You can do all this without making a scene and embarrassing your teenagers.

The pressure of water against your lower legs as you wade may make it feel like a slow current, but if your whole body is pushed against a rock by that same current you can find yourself submerged and stuck against that rock.

Stay awake and in very close proximity of your kids who are playing or swimming (arms reach to the little ones). Have the weak swimmers wear their lifejackets.

If you have the little ones wear their lifejacket while swimming, remember, these aids don’t guarantee safety! Kids who wear these get overconfident and swim out too far. Stay in arm's reach of them and keep them in shallow water with no current.

Waterwings are not recommended, even at a swimming pool, as they have been known to creep up or quickly slip up to wrists and leave the child with their face held underwater with not enough strength to get their face to the surface to breathe.

It’s not safe to enter the river head first or hand first in a dive anywhere.

Be sure you are not wading, playing, swimming or trying to cross a river above a waterfall or rapids. People drown in Yosemite or are even swept over waterfalls every year.

If there is a sign that says DO NOT SWIM . . . don't swim OR wade.

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Yosemite National Park Search and Rescue describes a couple of reasons they have to rescue people:

"Becoming complacent because nothing went wrong the last time you tried this stunt.

Thinking your skills in one environment (e.g. a strong swimmer in surf) will transfer to a new one (e.g. swiftwater)."

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See also: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/watersafety.htm

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From the National Park Service Morning Report

Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River (NY,PA)

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Drowning in Delaware River

Michael Miranda-Ruiz, 22, and friends were walking and playing in shallow eddy water in the Delaware River near Kittatinny Campground in Minisink, New York, around 8 p.m. on July 23rd. As they moved along, they wandered into the deeper main current. Members of the group began to panic and struggled to get to the shoreline. Bystanders helped them, but noticed that Miranda-Ruiz was missing. They called for help via 911, and rangers and local rescue units responded. Miranda-Ruiz’s body was recovered around 9:40 p.m. by divers. Miranda-Ruiz was a non-swimmer and was not wearing a life jacket. None of the members of the group had ever been swimming in a river. Rangers and state police are investigating. [Submitted by Al Henry, Chief of Protection]

_______________________________________________________

The Red Cross book Small Craft Safety has these notes about

what to do if you fall into moving water from a raft:

"Capsizes, falls overboard and collisions are common paddling accidents in moving water. If your boat capsizes or you fall overboard into moving water-

1) float downstream on your back with your feet in front of you. This will help you fend off rocks and avoid trapping your feet."

(Can you see your toes? If not, your legs are too low in the water and you risk getting your legs stuck.)

"2) Swim toward shore or into an eddy" ... "(the sheltered area behind or downstream of an obstruction, where the currents flow upstream toward the obstruction)" ..."as soon as it is safe to do so. If you are close to shore, if the water is cold, or if there are hazards further downstream, consider swimming toward shore.

--In shallow water, swim on your back at an angle against the current and toward shore.

--In deep water, swim on your front at an angle against the current and toward shore.

3) Do not stand up, you could catch your foot at an angle under a rock and become entrapped and pinned, even in just a few feet of water.

4) If necessary or practical, hold on to the craft for flotation

--hold on to a grab loop" (or other rope built into the raft), "keeping the craft in front of you.

--stay on the upstream end of the craft to avoid being caught between the craft and a rock.

--try to swim with the craft toward shore or into an eddy as soon as possible

--if necessary, let go of the craft and swim for shore."

HERE’S OUR LIST OF STUFF WE PACK TO RAFT:

Various rafts (four person rafts are most comfortable for only two people and some gear) and a duffle bag for each raft with room for extra stuff. We carry a small repair kit. Paddles for steering, backpaddling. A duffle bag for the paddles.

Fold-up luggage cart in its own cloth bag so it can’t puncture a raft; bungee cords to attach things to it.

Some 3 foot cord to tie to the raft to be able to drag it though any walking depth portions of the river, especially late season when the rentals have stopped for lack of depth. This can be a great time to raft, because there are stretches of the river with no people. We see more deer near dusk. Floating on the river, even if you have to wade a lot, (hey, not with bare feet) is a great way to sightsee when August has temperatures in the 90s.

Lifejackets on everybody. Yes, we wear the lifejackets, because some of us are Red Cross certified lifeguard instructors and we have respect for the power of water, even on a fairly gentle river stretch like that in Yosemite Valley. Plus we found it easier one summer to rescue a small child overturned from a raft because we had lifejackets on (the screaming child and screaming parents didn’t).

Hand-powered pump for inflation amd re-inflation; Ahwahnee Hotel room service coffee-stirrers to hold the raft valves open to deflate them.

Towels in a waterproof bag. We own real drybags and have never regretted the extra expense, but you can use strong plastic bags. Trash compactor bags are 3 mil and will hold up longer than other, lighter plastic bags.

A waterproof camera (most of these float). If you raft in a group you can paddle slowly or paddle/backpaddle to hold your place on the river while your friends float by and get pictures of each others’ rafts with Yosemite Falls or Half Dome in the background.

In the afternoon you may see deer along/in the river or meadows. If you are really careful you can videotape this adventure, but have a dry bag to quickly stash the camera in if trouble occurs. Decades ago we risked getting binoculars wet, then we bought waterproof ones and attached a few floats to them in case we were to drop them in the water.

A topographical map to identify sights. (Or the “Map and Guide to Yosemite Valley” published by the Park and the Yosemite Assn.). Or at least a shuttle bus map to find your way to free bus stops.

Mini ice chest, preferably with a lid that locks in some way, with an extravagant picnic. HEY- don’t bring any Styrofoam ice chests!! In an accident they break up and leave bits of Styrofoam all over the river. It’s always uncool to use glass containers rafting, poolside or on any beach because people are often barefoot and don’t want cut feet from broken glass. Possession of a glass container within 50 feet of any riverbank, lakeshore, on the water or in a vessel is prohibited by Yosemite rules.

We put on sunscreen before we go to the river so we won’t forget to use it and we bring extra. The sun reflects off the water, so you’ll need some on the underside of your chin and the underside and maybe even just up into your nose, just like you need when you’re out in the snow all day. Don’t wreck the rest of your vacation by failing to use strong, really waterproof sunscreen. SPF 5 is a joke. We use 36 SPF or stronger. Most brands need to be put on a half hour before swimming or they will wash right off and make an oil slick on the river. Try Bullfrog instead. (‘Kids’ sunscreens often are overly scented and will attract mosquitoes.) If you try a new brand, test a little on a small area of skin in case it turns out you are allergic. Our group jokes that two ways to tell a real amateur who wasn’t prepared for a trip to Yosemite are peeling sunburn and people wearing Yosemite logo rain ponchos.

There's advice at insect repellant.

We wear swimsuits under shorts and shirts. We bring polypropylene long sleeve shirts, the kind you wear under everything else winter camping, for warmth in case we stay wet and out too long and get cold. Cotton is the wrong thing to get warm in or stay warm in when you are damp or wet.

Rarely you might wish you had your rain jacket, maybe not for light rain (you’re wet already anyway), but for afternoon hail on the walk to the bus.

Something to tie back or braid long hair. A hat with a brim for sun protection or to keep low-angled afternoon sun from your eyes, and a strap or clip to your hair for afternoon wind.

Old tennis shoes or rubber type sandals that velcro all the way around your ankles to stay on your feet. You can’t swim well with them, but for launching, wading, portaging, and walking to the bus stops they beat the risk of cut feet.

When the water level is low and you have to carry your raft part of the route you'll be glad you had shoes on.

When you make stops you will want mosquito repellant, but it will wash off as you splash and swim, so you’ll need more.

24 hours a day have a whistle on each person and a first aid kit. While kayaking don't have your whistle on a string around your neck, tie it to the lifejacket.

A quart size plastic bag for trash you pluck out of the river or find along the bank. Bigger items like a lost tennis shoe or discarded water bottle can be stashed in the raft.

Secure your car keys, credit cards, etc. carefully so you can’t lose them in the river. Yes, I know you don’t need money with you while you are rafting, but your route back from rafting to your overnight accommodations might take you by some ♥ ice cream or another necessity and you could wish you had a little cash.

See the list of day hike or kayak gear at: Camping equipment checklist

Hey! Personal headphone radios and tape players are so much less rude than a boombox. Give your neighbors who are rafting or at picnic areas and campsites a break.

The 2003 release form from the concessioner said, in part "Certain risks cannot be eliminated without destroying the unique character of this activity. The same elements that contribute to the unique character of this activity can be causes of loss or damage to your equipment, or accidental injury, illness or in extreme cases, permanent trauma or death. We do not want to frighten you or reduce your enthusiasm for this activity, but we do think it is important for you to know in advance what to expect and to be informed of the inherent riaks. The following describes some, but not all, of those risks: Rocks, trees, river currents, cold water, hypothermia, submerged objects, changing weather conditions, drowning, capsizing or collisions, and damage to personal property."

The Yosemite park website has safety notes about rafting and swimming at:

http://www.nps.gov/plan your visit/yoursafety.htm

Some flowers along the way: (for weeks around the summer solstice there are a few azaleas so fragrant you can smell them as you float by them):

Especially if you've never been to Yosemite, the Yosemite Guide newspaper has lots of safety info, a calendar of park activities including Ranger walks, and hours of operation for visitor centers and museums. It has hours of operation for tours, stores, food service, post offices, laundromat, showers, auto service, gas stations and more. It usually has detailed maps of the exact locations of stores, etc. at Wawona, Tuolumne Meadows, Curry Village, Yosemite Village and Yosemite Lodge.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/guide.htm

National Park Service on-line books

Glimpses of Our National Parks, Yosemite chapter is at:

http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/glimpses1/glimpses4.htm

I usually post the spring snow pack statistics for the Merced River drainage at How much water will there be in the Yosemite waterfalls? This can give you a guess as to how long into the summer the river will be deep enough for raft rentals.

If at any point thunder is heard or lightning seen, you should get out of/off of the water and get inside a building. Don't get zapped! Don't use your cell phone or IPod. Read Thunderstorm and lightning safety.

Why can't you swim during a lightning storm? A strike on a lake doesn't kill all the fish in the lake.

We can find the answer from the Charolotte observer Posted on Sat, May. 31, 2003

GLAD YOU ASKED Why don't fish get fried by lightning? JEFF ELDER

"Q. They always urge you to get out of the water when a thunderstorm begins. Why doesn't lightning kill fish? -- Mel Helms, Charlotte

"...The best answer to Mel's question we found comes from Don MacGorman, a physicist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla. When Sciencenetlinks.com asked him why fish don't get fried by lightning, Don said it's probably because they're underwater.

"Basically lightning stays more on the surface of the water rather than penetrating it. That's because water is a reasonably good conductor, and a good conductor keeps most of the current on the surface," he said. So, when lightning hits the water, the current zips across the surface in all directions. And if you're swimming anywhere in the vicinity, it'll probably zap you. But below the surface, most of the electricity is neutralized, and the fish are generally spared. Some fish underwater near the strike are probably hurt or killed by electricity that penetrates to some extent...

De Anza Outdoor Club Yosemite trips index

True stories of people who were swept over waterfalls in Yosemite can be found at:

fatal, near fatal or close call incidents/accidents in camping, backpacking, climbing and mountaineering