don76 suggested a 3 hour raft trip from camp curry down the merced river (at end of may). do we need to reserve in advance? has anyone (including don76) done this?

we did this last summer. You do not have to reserve. You just go and pay for the stuff and then you are off. You get picked up at the end and are bussed back. We had a lot of fun doing this- we were 2 adults and 5 children ages 5-15.

We loved this. As I recall, there was one place where the stream ran though a narrow passage under a bridge and had a teeny tiny drop. It was very easy to negotiate. Other than that, it was pretty much a float trip. Be sure to bring a camera to get some beautiful shots of Half Dome. Keep in mind that they require children to weigh at least 50 lbs. When we did the trip, they were serious about it. They even weighed our son on a scale. We got there early, as soon as it opened, and didn't have any problem getting a raft. By the time we got back, the line was long. If you're interested, they also rent bicycles at the same facility.

Double check on the web site when they start the rafting. We've been to Yosemite a couple times 3rd week in May and they aren't renting the rafts yet. I am not sure if the they base when they start renting the rafts on the calendar (ie. starting June 1st or whatever) or the conditions on the river.

thank you, all. sounds great. hopefully it will start next weekend...........

bodhijack
The Yosemite web site(YosemitePark.com)notes that the rafting season usually starts the last weekend of May.
The trip is 3-miles long and costs $20.50 per person.
We usually go to Yosemite each May and miss the rafting season by a day or 2 so this year we are visiting the first week in June for the river trip, the drive over the Tioga Pass and the drive up to Glacier Point.
Both the Tioga road and the Glacier Point road are now clear of snow and passable.