Kayak Love

California · river

Tuolumne River A Grand Cyn of Tuolumne above Hetch Hetchy

Live conditions for this USGS-monitored stretch of water, updated every 15 minutes.

80of 100

Good

Paddle Score, from live wind and water conditions

Photograph taken near Tuolumne River A Grand Cyn of Tuolumne above Hetch Hetchy
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, Yosemite National Park, California (21572917035).jpg by Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

12 mph

gusting to 13 mph

Air temp

93°F

1% chance of rain

River flow

33.6 cfs

normal for this date

Best day to paddle this week

Friday · 84

  • Today

    77

  • Fri

    84

    Best

  • Sat

    79

  • Sun

    75

  • Mon

    74

  • Tue

    75

  • Wed

    73

Scored from each day's peak forecast wind, heat, and rain chance — river flow isn't forecastable, so check back before you load the boat.

Wind, next 12 hours

mph
Hourly wind forecast
HourWind (mph)Gusts (mph)
3p1213
4p1214
5p1215
6p1114
7p811
8p68
9p45
10p35
11p67
12a47
1a35
2a48

Is this flow normal for August 20?

Today's 33.6 cfs is 14% below the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 39 cfs, across 18 years of USGS record at this gauge. Whether that is runnable depends on the stretch — this is context, not a recommendation.

Why this score

  • Wind12 mph — noticeable but manageable-15
  • Heat93°F — bring more water than you think-5

We don't have launch notes for this one

This page is built from the USGS gauge at this location, so the flow and weather are real — but we haven't verified where to put in, what the hazards are, or whether this stretch is legal or sensible to paddle. We'd rather say that than invent it. The links below are where to find out.

We also don't have a verified safe-flow range here, so the Paddle Score reflects weather only. Judge the flow number against local knowledge, not against our score.

Do your own homework

We show you live conditions. For local knowledge — where to put in, what the hazards are, whether it's worth the drive — here's where paddlers actually talk about this water. We don't vet these sources; check the dates and judge for yourself.

Nearby water

All paddling spots in California