I saw on the Yosemite website that you can rent rafts for a day trip. We'll be there the last week of July. What will the water be like? How fast is it? (i.e., how long will it take?)

Now remember, here in the midwest the water flows on our rivers at a snail's pace. On OUR river rafting trips you could float around in the same pool ALL DAY without going anywhere.

It will be faster than you are used to, but no rapids or anything like that. The river is largely fed through snow melt, so during the spring thaw, the river is very quick and very cold. By July, it should be reasonably slow. They rent rafts to any yayhoo who walks up and they seem to make it through just fine - lol.

But even in summer the water will will be cooooold.

So what are the logistics like? Do they drive you upstream, or provide transportation back to where you started? How do you get back to your car? And how long would the trip take? A couple hours? All day?

You put in near where you rent the rafts and then you can take a shuttle back. The distance isn't long, maybe a couple miles, so I would plan on a couple hours.

Also in Yosemite Valley you can take a free shuttle around. If you are staying in the valley, no need to move your car for this - keep it parked wherever you are staying. If you are coming in for the day, just park in a main lot and walk around or take the shuttle. Otherwise you will spend too much time trying to repark your car. The Valley is only about a mile wide and 6 miles long.