Summer on the Merced River: Rafting, Sentinel & Cathedral Beaches, and Camp 4 Rock Climbing

When summer afternoon temperatures on the floor of Yosemite Valley climb to 29°C to 33°C (85°F to 92°F) in late June, July and August, follow the lead of locals and spend your afternoon in the crystal-clear, snowmelt-fed waters of the Merced River, which meanders gently for 13 kilometres through the flat meadows of the Valley floor with sandy beaches at every bend.

1. Floating & Rafting the Merced River (June to Mid-August, Water Levels Permitting)

Once the high May spring floodwaters drop to a safe level (typically from mid-June through late July or mid-August, whenever the river gauge at Pohono Bridge reads below 6.5 feet and water temperature is at least 13°C), the gentle 5-kilometre stretch of the Merced River through Yosemite Valley opens for lazy-river floating and rafting:

• Option A, Rent a Raft at Curry Village Recreation Center (Includes Paddles, Life Jackets & Return Bus): staff hand you a sturdy inflatable 4-to-6-person raft at the Stoneman Bridge launch beach near Curry Village. For 1.5 to 2.5 hours, you drift down 5 kilometres of calm emerald water under historic stone bridges with views of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Rock and El Capitan, before pulling out at Sentinel Beach for the return shuttle to Curry Village.
• Option B, Bring Your Own Inflatable Tube or Lounge at the 3 Best Sandy River Beaches: park or hop off the shuttle at Sentinel Beach Picnic Area, Cathedral Beach (facing El Capitan) or Swinging Bridge Picnic Area (where a wooden bridge crosses a calm swimming hole framing Yosemite Falls).

2. Historic 'Camp 4' & Watching Big-Wall Climbers on El Capitan

Walk 5 minutes west of Yosemite Valley Lodge (Shuttle Stop #7) into Camp 4, the mountaineering campsite where the golden age of rock climbing was born (and where Alex Honnold prepared for his 2017 rope-free Free Solo ascent of El Capitan). Stop by the giant granite Columbia Boulder in the centre of camp (marked with the white chalk lightning bolt of the Midnight Lightning V8 bouldering problem), or join a beginner-friendly 1-Day 'Welcome to the Rock' Climbing Class with the certified guides of the Yosemite Mountaineering School (operating since 1969 at Curry Village).