Dear Tuolumne Boaters,

Your help is needed to restore access to the Tuolumne River whitewater runs.

Private boater access to the Tuolumne River has been closed since Lumsden Road and Wards Ferry Road washed out in the winter storms of 2023. This has all but shut down private boating on the Tuolumne River since then. We need to get these vital roads fixed, but this will only happen with your support.

The Tuolumne is the premier whitewater run in California, and one of the few that reliably runs throughout the summer. We cannot let access be totally abandoned, which is a real threat!

Lumsden Road is maintained by the Stanislaus National Forest. Several significant debris flows on this road are scheduled for repair in the next two years. While funding has been identified and secured, a final repair design has not. Advocacy is needed to keep this project tracking forward, funded, and a priority for the US Forest Service.

Ward’s Ferry Road is maintained by Tuolumne County. With an estimated $3.25 million dollar repair price tag for the South Side slides of the river, Tuolumne County’s repair of this road requires significant advocacy and support. A repair timeline and solution have not been identified for this road and FEMA has not yet distributed funding to the County to pursue its repair.

American Whitewater and the Tuolumne River Trust are organizing efforts to build a coalition and bring boater voices to managing agencies and elected officials.

Without these road repairs, the Tuolumne could be lost to kayaking and rafting forever.

The Tuolumne whitewater outfitters (Sierra Mac, ARTA, OARS, and All Outdoors) have collectively committed $6,000 to this campaign. We hope to raise an additional $9000 of donations to keep this campaign moving ahead through 2025. I am writing to ask you to please donate to the Tuolumne Access Fund for this effort by going to American Whitewater’s website and donating generously today. In the “additional comments” dialogue box put “Tuolumne River Access.”

Please make a generous tax-deductible contribution to American Whitewater today to help reopen these roads. The Tuolumne River is an incredible river and we need to make sure we have access to it. Please consider a donation of $100 or more. Thanks for your donation!

Don’t let access to the Tuolumne River become permanently abandoned!

Take action today! Let me know if you want to be actively advocating solutions.

Thank you, Marty McDonnell

Sierra Mac River Trips

Tuolumne River Shuttles