The Merced river tumbles and twists out of Yosemite Valley, gradually mellowing into a runnable whitewater river just below the town of El Portal. It is here that our trips begin. Offering abundant whitewater confined by a narrow corridor, this river is a must for the whitewater enthusiast.
Indeed, the Merced river offers one of the best whitewater rafting paddle-boat trips in California. For part of its course, the Merced follows the old Yosemite railroad bed, passing abandoned gold mines and water flumes.
Our lower water 2-day Merced river trips include the famed "Quarter Mile Rapid"- over 500 yards of exceptional white water (except at high water level). Just below this intense section is a 20 foot waterfall which we must portage (a portage necessitates lining or carrying the rafts around the obstacle. Full passenger participation is required).
- The South Fork is the most popular river in California for everyone to enjoy beautiful wilderness, comfortable river-front camping, nutritious and hearty meals, and fun, exciting, and safe rafting.
- Our luxury riverside campground is private (no other rafting companies share it), has a well-equipment camp store which provides last-minute items you may have forgotten, flush toilets, and hot-water shower.
Tour Itinerary
Evening before your trip: We have 2 meeting locations on the Merced River. If you are coming from Yosemite, meet us at our Indian Flat Campground office just outside Yosemite Park on highway 140 and only 3 miles downriver from the small hamlet of El Portal.
If you are coming from the Mariposa, San Francisco, or Los Angeles areas, meet us at Yosemite Trail Camp in Midpines. Having the choice of meeting locations can save you valuable driving time…you will not have to backtrack when your rafting trip is over to get where you are going. Both locations offer camping, with motels very close. There are nice restaurants nearby where you may enjoy a lovely dinner.
Day 1: The day begins when we meet you either at 8:45 A.M. at the Yosemite Trail Camp, or at 9 A.M. when we meet you at Indian Flat Campground. You will receive a thorough, 30-minute presentation given by your Head Guide. He/she will go over the safety features of the trip, and demonstrate paddle techniques. You will receive your waterproof dry bags into which you will pack your overnight gear. Your gear bags will be delivered by truck to our overnight campground.
The Merced is intense and challenging from the start, with many Class III and IV rapids in the first nine miles. At mile seven we reach Ned's Gulch, a pure-fun Class IV rapid which begins with a series of standing waves, each coming toward you at an angle and building in size, and culminating in one big wave and a deep drop. We'll have a picnic lunch on the riverbank and continue the day's run in the early afternoon.
The next nine miles offer enjoyable Class II-III rapids until we reach Split Rock and Corner Pocket, both exciting solid Class IV rapids. When we reach our overnight campsite in the late afternoon we will ferry your overnight gear across the river to our wilderness camp. While your guides prepare a hearty, nutritious meal you can enjoy the remote river canyon, followed by a glowing campfire and a good night's sleep under the stars.
Day 2: On the second day if the water is excessively high we will shuttle back upstream to repeat our previous day's exciting run. With moderate water levels we continue rafting down river, enjoying good rapids leading up to Quarter Mile-a stretch of tough and exciting Class IV rapids that call for precise maneuvering.
We then have a short and fairly easy portage around North Fork Falls, a 25 foot waterfall, rewarding ourselves with lunch and an easy float to our take-out at Lake McClure. We then drive back to our meeting spot and your car. You'll have an opportunity to purchase souvenir T-shirts and photographs before heading out for your next adventure. You should be ready to leave for home by about 4 P.M.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
- Minimum deposit: $75.00
Price Includes:
- 2 days of rafting
- 1 night of camping
- 5 meals
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California
Canoeing/Kayaking/Rafting
Camping
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