Merced

With the new Merced River plan adopted in 2014, boaters can register and get wilderness permits to run the Headwaters of the Merced through Little Yosemite Valley.

There is no easy access, so boaters will probably have to hike upstream from Yosemite Valley. No boating is aloud below Little Yosemite Valley to the Main Yosemite valley floor. There are a number of access trails that each have their pros and cons. Research will need to be done beforehand to pick your route.

Boaters must obtain Wilderness permits and register to boat this section.

The Wilderness permits are difficult to get for this area, do research on ways to increase your chances before driving to Yosemite Valley. Wilderness permits must be obtain the day before your trip, the office opens at 11AM but hikers recommend arriving as early as possible (some say as early as 3AM, one group of kayakers got theirs by arriving at 9:30AM). These can be difficult to get as they limit the number of groups per day. The cost was $30 to enter the park and the permit was free. Permits allow for more than enough days in the park to kayak the river (3 nights is the minimum you should request).

Whichever permit you get, plan on hiking around 15 miles to reach your put in. Some will choose to break this hike up into two days, with the option to add some paddling on the second day. At the end of the trip, there is a mandatory 4 mile hike out around Nevada and Vernal Falls down to the valley floor.

The Merced headwaters run is split into two sections by Merced Lake, and how much of this stretch is run is likely determined by which permit you can acquire. If you have a permit that requires hiking in from Glacier Point or Happy Isles, it makes the most sense to paddle from Merced Lake down. This stretch has the most bang for your buck, but misses out on some of the rapids upstream of Merced Lake. If your permit has you hiking in from Tenaya Lake or using the Rafferty trail, adding the section

...