In 1984, 83-miles of the Tuolumne River, from its source in California’s Yosemite National Park downstream to Don Pedro Reservoir, were added into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system, an inclusion that lends regard to the river’s esteem. Over the years, travelers wanting to explore the unscathed land and spectacular scenery offered by the Tuolumne have found fulfillment from many different sources but none quite comparable to the combination of thrill and solitude experienced by rafting it.
On the Tuolumne River, commercial rafting trips operate on a government issued permit system implemented to further preserve the river’s essence. Each day, only two commercial rafting trips are able to legally launch on the river. One of the four companies with permit access is O.A.R.S, a well-recognized commercial rafting company founded by George and Pam Wendt. Their son, and O.A.R.S. Operations Manager Tyler Wendt, is well acquainted with the Tuolumne and has a long history in river rafting.
“[The Tuolumne] is one of these destination rivers that people will come from across the country to see, especially in a year like this when we know there’s good snow pack,” conceded Wendt. The Tuolumne River demonstrates a “preservation of the wilderness character that’s unlike some other California rivers [because] the Tuolumne is a less used river which has some advantages…[and] is a pretty great aspect to experience the wilderness without it feeling [crowded].
Whitewater rafting adventure through the rapids at Tuolumne River. [Photo/Picture This]
The rafting portion of the Tuolumne is 18-miles of pristine class III and IV whitewater in the Wild and Scenic stretch of the river starting from the raft put in at Meral’s Pool down to the takeout at Ward’s Ferry Bridge. Getting to Meral’s Pool is an adventure in of itself starting with a 5.5-mile drive dramatically descending down into the canyon via Lumsden Road, a narrow dirt lane with a relatively steep cliff on one side. “So by the time people get to the bottom [at Meral’s Pool], they know they’ve signed up for an adventure,” says Chris Moore, O.A.R.S California Regional Manager and veteran river guide currently in his 20th season of commercial rafting.
Rafters can either choose to take a one day trip of action packed whitewater or to split up the 18-mile excursion into a two or three day overnight option that allows them to camp overnight in the canyon and explore the remote surrounding lands. Moore, who has spent just around 400-nights in the canyon and has guided countless rafting excursions, elaborated on what rafters can expect from a day on the Tuolumne.
“The Tuolumne is really nice because it provides excitement from top to bottom [but] it’s a ‘drop and pool’ river so you'll generally have a rapid and then a pretty calm pool [of flat water] after it,” described Moore. At the top of Meral’s Pool, there’s a large area of flat water that provides ample time for rafters to practice and learn to maneuver the boat and then, “right away we’re in one of the longer class IV sections of the river [starting with] the very first rapid, Rock Garden, [which is] roughly 150-yards down stream from our put in.”
The first five miles of the trip is the steepest portion of the canyon that begins with a staircase of class IV rapids starting at Rock Garden and culminates at Cladey Falls, a wondrous Class V wave and the largest rapid rafters will experience on the trip. “It’s generally a big breath of fresh air at the bottom once you’ve gotten through that section of the river,” acknowledged Moore. “And then there’s a nice long flat section in the middle where its predominately class I and class II [rapids].”
For rafter’s taking overnight trips, the 18-mile whitewater stretch is split up and accompanied by afternoons of relaxing, swimming, and wilderness hiking. There’s also a wide variety of wildlife to be enjoyed ranging from bald eagles to rattle snakes and the occasional, but very atypical, bear. At night, most people decide to sleep under the stars without even a tent as a barrier from nature.
Towards the end of the trip, as rafts approach the takeout at Ward’s Ferry Bridge, Moore reflects, “Everybody has a little different take away from the river trip. I think that not everybody is looking for something different, but everybody has something else that they’ve taken away from the Tuolumne that they feel really special about.”
Much of what feeds the Tuolumne River’s flow is dependent on dam releases from the O’Shaughnessy Dam, a main source of power generation and clean drinking water for the greater San Francisco area. But, as temperatures begin to warm and the melting snowpack of Yosemite’s Mount Dana and Mount Lyell fill the limits of the Hetch Hetchy reservoir, Mother Nature elements unpredictable influence the river level. To that end, there’s much to be appreciated from the restorative water and untouched lands of the Tuolumne, but one should always be humbled by its magnitude. Healing
“It’s an experience that you’ll pursue and chase because it’s an amazingly fun and powerful river,” summed up Tyler Wendt, “and people never forget it when they get out on those high flows.”
Adventure, Business, California, Features, Industry Edge, Outdoors