The Tuolumne River is the best overall rafting trip in California. It offers 18 miles of Class IV rapids in a spectacular river canyon. Most people take two days to run the Tuolumne so that they have time to run the rapids safely and spend a night in the canyon. For those that love spending time in an amazing place, three days is recommended. The first six miles of the trip are the most action packed as the rapids come in quick succession. Around mile six, the Clavey River enters on the right and just below here is the Class V Clavey Falls. Beyond Clavey Falls there are many great rapids including Grey's Grindstone which is nearly a mile long and a most people's favorite rapid. The best time to run the Tuolumne is during May and June with the water is high an the wildflowers are in bloom. The Tuolumne is still fun in the hot summer months when the river flow is controlled by upstream dams. The lower dam controlled flows start at a different time each year depending on the Sierra snow pack. Many people also combine and overnight trip on the lower Tuolumne with a trip down the Upper Tuolumne (also known as Cherry Creek) which is a challenging Class V day trip. For more information, visit Tuolumne River Rafting Information.

Written by  Zach Collier.

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