Where to Camp near our Main Tuolumne and Cherry Creek Rafting Trips Many of our Main Tuolumne and Upper Tuolumne/Cherry Creek rafting guests ask about the location of campgrounds where they might stay before or after their trip. We now offer camping at our meeting location, please inquire! This article focuses on designated campgrounds located within 30 minutes of…
Looking for a good campsite on your Merced River rafting trip? There are several excellent options for camping along the Merced as it flows downstream outside Yosemite National Park. Guests on spring and summer rafting trips often choose to overnight at nearby campgrounds before or after their rafting expedition. This article focuses on campgrounds located outside…
Springtime is waterfall season in Yosemite National Park. The snow pack and warming temperatures create a spectacular display of flowing water. Yosemite’s waterfalls usually reach their fullest capacity in May of each year as snow in the high country is melting, this can vary depending on each year’s accumulated snow pack and spring weather conditions….
Beer and rafting go way back. In the 1970’s, Schlitz Beer commissioned some local talent for a commercial highlighting the exciting world of whitewater rafting. It features Sierra Mac founder Marty McDonnell, as well as Joe Daly and Dick Linford of Echo River Trips. Still looks like a lot of fun. So go ahead, Make…
All New Yosemite Resort Looking for deluxe lodging or an outstanding restaurant before or after your rafting trip? The new Rush Creek Lodge has it all. This brand new contemporary resort is located on Hwy 120 just minutes from both Yosemite National Park and Sierra Mac River Trips’ meeting spots for our Cherry Creek /Upper…
Sierra Mac River Trips was the first commercial outfitter to lead rafting trips on both the Main Tuolumne (1969) and Merced rivers. In 1973 owner Marty McDonnell pioneered rafting on the Cherry Creek/Upper Tuolumne section, upping the bar for class V rafting in California. Rivers have always attracted adventurers, and the urge to paddle down…
The storm systems that have been impacting the Sierra continue to bring record-breaking precipitation, with some areas seeing as much as 14 feet of snow in the last 2 weeks. Yosemite issued a mandatory evacuation on the 7th, the Merced River in Yosemite Valley reached flood stage, above ten feet on the gauge at Pohono…
Fishbio is a fisheries and environmental consulting company dedicated to advancing the research, monitoring, and conservation of fishes around the world. One of their recent projects included an extensive study of the Tuolumne River which provides drinking water for nearly 2.5 million people in the Bay Area. Fishbio chose Sierra Mac River Trips as their…
This rafting season offered its share of rafting excitement. Our guests experienced excellent flows on the Merced, Tuolumne and Cherry Creek. High water hit around Memorial Day when the Main Tuolumne peaked at around 8000 cfs. As summer progressed, upstream reservoirs provided ample flows for trips through Labor Day weekend. The 100th Anniversary of the…
Most of the rafting photos that you see on our website were shot by the photographers of Picture This/Rapid Shooters. Owner Mark Leder-Adams has been shooting California rivers since the 1980’s, first on the American River and its forks, then later focusing his lens on the Kern, Merced, Tuolumne, Kings and Cherry Creek. Mark, along…
Planning a California Adventure trip? Learn the best time of year to visit for fewer crowds, better weather, and smarter trip timing.
Master Class V whitewater rafting preparation with expert steps, fitness training, gear checklists, and safety essentials. Get ready for intense rapids.
Explore the rapids on the Tuolumne River with a mile-by-mile breakdown of Class III through Class V whitewater sections and flow conditions.
Rafting the Rivers of Yosemite
Marty & Tom McDonnell – Outfitter
