1 Day Upper Tuolumne Cherry Creek Rafting Trip

6:00 am: Meet, greet, and sign in with your head guide.

7:00 am: Depart for Put-in. Receive trip orientation, swim test at the river, & breakfast.

8:00 am: Launch your boats and begin your river journey.

Noon: We provide high energy snacks & drinks throughout the day. Lunch at noon.

1:30-2:00 pm: Take-Out; bus ride back to where your cars are. You should be ready to depart for your next destination by 2:30PM.

We meet in the parking lot of Sierra Mac Headquarters at 27890 Highway 120, 13 miles east of the town of Groveland. If coming from the west, after you pass Buck Meadows look for the Vista Point/Rim of the World overlook on your left, followed by Packard Canyon Road on your right. We are just beyond on the north (left) side of the road. If you are coming from the Yosemite area, we are about ½ mile beyond the Cherry Lake Road. Pay attention–our place comes up quickly!

Driving time from the Bay Area is about 3 ½ hours; from Manteca, about 1 ½ hours; from Los Angeles, about 7 hours; and from Yosemite’s northwest entrance gate (Big Oak Flat), about 25 minutes. We can also arrange local pickups at the Pine Mountain Lake Airport for travelers arriving by private plane.

Each trip begins with an energy breakfast, followed by wet suit, helmet and floatation vest fitting and an extensive two-hour whitewater seminar which includes training in swiftwater swimming, navigation and safety techniques. If, in our opinion, you are not ready for this rigorous experience following the training seminar, you will be asked to return to the shuttle van. (In this case you will receive a 50% refund.)

Welcome to Class V; the ultimate challenge in white water rafting! We at Sierra Mac are excited to share this thrilling adventure with you. As you contemplate taking a Class V trip, it is imperative to realize that these trips are intense and demanding passenger participation experiences, particularly on the paddle boats, and that a successful run depends upon you and your boat team.