Can you freely kayak or paddle in the water in Yosemite Valley?
Yes! The river in Yosemite is called Merced River and most of the year it's calm with a glorious view of Yosemite Valley.
This is how I have found to do it solo or with a partner if you arrive in 1 car.
Start at Curry Village, park your car, set up the paddleboard, leave your pump in the car, and take your paddleboard bag with you. Strap it on the front of the paddleboard like in the photo. Make sure you take a dry bag and a small lunch. Put your keys, wallet, and phone inside the dry bag and enjoy Yosemite from the water.
Your destination is Sentinel Beach. Once you arrive, go toward the shore on the left and let your paddleboard dry on cement or on a table. In the meantime, enjoy lunch at Sentinel Beach picnic area. Once it's dry, pack your paddleboard back into the bag and wait for a bus to take you back to your car at Curry Village.
This is about a 2.5-mile route, which will take about an hour of paddling.
Warning: please call in early spring to see if there are no high water restrictions, like this year with the California rainfall.
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