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Tuolumne River
 The rapids will capture your attention but the canyon will capture your heart.
The Tuolumne canyon is the setting for one of the greatest river trips ever offered and the backdrop for some of the greatest river stories ever told. It is a rare combination of world-class scenery, classic campsites, and Class IV and V whitewater.
The Tuolumne’s headwaters are high in the rugged Sierra Mountains in Yosemite National Park. Our whitewater rafting trips cover 18 miles through a remote and isolated canyon in the Stanislaus National Forest near Groveland. No roads or houses intrude upon this magnificent stretch, a true wilderness treat in California. There are over 20 Class IV rapids in the 18 mile stretch, including Nemesis, Leap of Faith, Rinse-Away and the legendary Clavey Falls. Providing an enchanting and memorable balance to the wild rapids are the idyllic and peaceful side stream sanctuaries of the
Clavey River
and the
North Fork
of the
Tuolumne.
"All of your guides were AMAZING.
They: saved my life a hundred times over, were friendly without being fake, knew "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episodes and could recount them in great detail, did comedy routines from that Disney movie "Madagascar", and took us to some of the most beautiful places on earth. I mean, lots of people can make good food and I suppose lots of people know how to guide rafts down whitewater with a bunch of amateurs, but really, those guides you employ are what make your trips special. They were just wonderful, real people."
Laura Boles
ARTA GUIDE
MIKEY JOHNSON
 Mikey walks his own path (and it isn’t always predictable). He grew up in the heart of metropolitan San Jose but found his heart in the mountains of the west. He asked his fourth-grade teacher to start calling him “Mike” (instead of “Mikey”), then forgot to respond when she called on him, (so he’s been Mikey ever since). He enrolled at San Francisco State as a photography major and passed a lot of students heading in the other direction as he transferred through the Recreation Department on his way to graduating with a Degree in Civil Engineering. Last year he ran the biggest rapids he could find, flipped three times and came back to tell us how beautiful the Illinois was and how remote the Selway was. He thinks of himself as simple, but he is one of the most intriguing people we know.
Meet more of our guides...
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For Left Brained People:
In one word: World-class
In another word: Heavenly
Expect to: Not want to leave
Meeting Place: Groveland, CA
Length in days: 1, 2 or 3
Length in miles: 18
Gradient: 38 feet/mile
Overall difficulty: IV+
Highest difficulty (#): V (1)
Rapids/day: ~ 15
Signature Rapid: Clavey Falls
Types of boats: Oar, paddle  and combo
Hiking: B+
Scenery: A
Wilderness: A
Fishing: A
Campsites: A-
Wildlife: B-
Swimming: A-
For Right Brained People:
There’s a lot of whitewater. A whole lot. Over 40 named rapids in 18 miles and probably another 40 that would have names if they were anywhere else. In the early part of the season the rapids are big and fast and cold; we wear wetsuits and cross our fingers. Later in the summer, the rapids are tricky and frequent and the water is a bit warmer (and the air is hot); we wear sunscreen and laugh a lot. But there’s more, like the side streams and the swimming holes; idyllic places with cool water to swim in, pebble beaches to bask on, waterfalls to swim behind and rocks to jump from; the kind of places you see in movies or read about in romantic novels. And we often get to camp near them. The three day trips are almost too relaxing, perfect for those who like an entire day at the beach; the two day trips are well-paced, perfect for those who like a two-person, one-bottle-of-wine-dinner; the one day trips are rushed, perfect for those who like a one hour visit to the Louvre.
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