Tenaya Lake is the best place to paddle board in Yosemite: a large, clear lake ringed by granite domes, right beside the Tioga Road, where the park allows paddle boards. In summer you can also float the Merced River through Yosemite Valley, below Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, on the days the river is low enough.
Yosemite isn’t a lake-and-launch park like Tahoe. The National Park Service bans motorboats everywhere, closes Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to all boats, and only lets you launch at a short list of places. Within those rules, Tenaya Lake and the Valley stretch of the Merced are two of the most beautiful paddles in the country. Just outside the park, Tioga Lake (near the east entrance) and Bass Lake (south of the park) give you more options.
Quick answer
- Best paddle in the park: Tenaya Lake, launching from the east beach.
- A river float: the Merced River from Stoneman Bridge to Sentinel Beach in Yosemite Valley, in early summer when flows allow.
- High and quiet: Tioga Lake, just outside the Tioga Pass entrance (Inyo National Forest).
- A full-service lake: Bass Lake, about 14 miles south of the park in the Sierra National Forest.
- Not allowed: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which is closed to all boats.
The best places to paddle board in Yosemite
Tenaya Lake
Directions
Best for: everyone with a board and a calm day. Flat, cold alpine lake.
Tenaya Lake is the largest lake in Yosemite’s frontcountry, at about 8,150 feet between Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows. It’s surrounded by granite domes and lodgepole forest, and the water is clear and cold. The park lists paddle boards, kayaks and canoes as allowed here.
Where to launch: The park’s rules only allow launching from the unvegetated shore at the eastern edge of the lake, which is the sandy east beach. Park in the lot at the east end, which has accessible parking, a vault toilet and a short paved path to the water, then carry your board to the beach. You can’t use a trailer or wheeled cart to launch, and you can’t drag boats over vegetation.
When it’s open: You can only drive to Tenaya Lake while the Tioga Road is open, usually from late May or early June until sometime in October or November.
Good to know: At 8,150 feet the water is cold and the air is thin, so take it easy. Mornings are usually calmest. There are no rentals at the lake, so bring your own board; an inflatable is easiest to carry from the car.
The Merced River in Yosemite Valley
Directions
Best for: a gentle early-summer float through the Valley. River current (Class I–II).
The sections of the Merced open to boats in Yosemite Valley are rated Class I–II (easy to novice), with views of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and El Capitan. The park allows boats, including paddle boards, on two Valley sections, depending on the river level that morning.
Where to launch: The usual float runs from Stoneman Bridge, near Curry Village, to Sentinel Beach. You may launch or take out only at these spots:
- downstream of Clark’s Bridge for about 100 feet, or as signed (only on days the Pohono Bridge gauge reads below 4.5 feet at 8 a.m.)
- downstream of Stoneman Bridge for about 100 feet, or as signed
- the sandy, unvegetated area of Sentinel Beach
- about 100 feet upstream and downstream of El Capitan Bridge
The stretch from Stoneman Bridge to El Capitan Bridge is open on days the gauge reads below 7 feet at 8 a.m. Below El Capitan Bridge the river becomes Class III–V whitewater, so take out at El Capitan Bridge at the latest.
Rentals: The park concessioner rents rafts (not paddle boards) at the Curry Village activity desk, typically in June and July when river levels and water and air temperatures allow. It also sells a return-shuttle ticket from Sentinel Beach for people with their own rafts ($8.50 at the time of writing); ask at the kiosk whether it will take a board.
Good to know: Everyone must wear a life jacket when the Pohono Bridge gauge is above 4 feet at 8 a.m.; otherwise you must carry one, and children 13 and under must always wear one. The river is snowmelt, so it’s cold, and fallen trees can block the channel. Use a quick-release leash or none in current, so it can’t snag.
Tioga Lake (outside the park, near Tioga Pass)
Directions
Best for: a quiet, high-altitude paddle on the way in or out of the park’s east side. Flat, cold alpine lake.
Tioga Lake is a small glacial lake about two miles from the Tioga Pass entrance, on the Mono County side in the Inyo National Forest. The Forest Service recommends it, along with nearby Ellery Lake, for non-motorized boating.
Where to launch: Pull off Highway 120 at the lake and carry your board to the shore. The Forest Service runs a small first-come, first-served campground on the lake at about 9,500 feet, with vault toilets and potable water.
Good to know: This is high-mountain water: cold, often windy in the afternoon, and only reachable while Tioga Pass is open. Since April 2026, Mono and Inyo counties require inspections for trailered boats to keep out golden mussels; paddle boards and kayaks are generally excluded but must still be cleaned, drained and dried.
Bass Lake (outside the park, near Oakhurst)
Directions
Best for: a classic summer lake day with resorts, marinas and beaches. Flat water, busy with boats.
Bass Lake is a reservoir in the Sierra National Forest, about 14 miles south of Yosemite National Park and outside it, so park rules don’t apply. It’s a busy summer lake with resorts, marinas, cabins and ski boats.
Where to launch: Carry your board in from a beach or day-use area, or use the public ramp at Wishon Point on the south shore.
Rules: The Madera County Sheriff’s boat patrol enforces the lake’s rules. Paddle boards may only be used inside the 5 mph/no-wake zone, which runs from the shoreline out to the orange buoys. Stay out of swim areas marked by white buoys. Children 12 and under must wear a life jacket on a paddle board, and you need a sound device and a light after dark. The county requires a Pollution Control Permit for vessels on the lake; ask the boat patrol whether your board needs one.
Good to know: Weekends in July and August are busy with ski and wake boats. Paddle early, stay inside the buoys and wear a leash.
When to go
Paddling season around Yosemite is short and depends on snow.
- Late May to July: the Merced in Yosemite Valley is usually floatable from June, once flows drop below the limits. Snowmelt keeps it cold.
- July to September: Tenaya Lake and Tioga Lake are at their best once the Tioga Road and Tioga Pass are open. Mornings are calmest; afternoon wind and thunderstorms are common in the high country.
- October onward: the Tioga Road can close with the first big snow, which ends the season at Tenaya and Tioga Lake.
All the water here is fed by snowmelt and stays cold even on hot days. Our wetsuit check helps you decide what to wear, and the Trip time calculator estimates how long a float or lake loop will take at your pace.
Rules and safety in Yosemite
Inside the park, Yosemite’s own rules (in the Superintendent’s Compendium) apply on top of California law:
- No motors: motorized boats are banned on all lakes and rivers in the park.
- Hetch Hetchy is closed to all boats. Lake Eleanor is closed to motorized boats only.
- Launch only at designated spots: Tenaya Lake’s east shore, the listed Merced River sites and wilderness lakes. No trailers or wheeled carts, and don’t drag boats over vegetation.
- Life jackets: carry one per person at all times, and wear it on the Merced when the Pohono Bridge gauge is above 4 feet at 8 a.m. Children 13 and under must always wear one in the park. See our pick of the best PFDs for SUP.
- Invasive species: the park requires boaters to make sure their boat is free of invasive species. Clean, drain and dry your board before you arrive, especially if you’ve paddled in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta area, where golden mussels were found in 2024.
California’s paddlecraft rules also apply everywhere, according to the state’s Division of Boating and Waterways: a life jacket for each person, children under 13 wearing one while underway, a whistle, and a white light ready to show after dark.
FAQ
Can you paddle board in Yosemite?
Yes. Tenaya Lake is the easiest place, and the park lists paddle boards as allowed there. You can also paddle the Merced River in Yosemite Valley from the designated launch spots when flows are within the limits. Motors are banned, and Hetch Hetchy is closed to all boats.
Where do you launch at Tenaya Lake?
Only from the unvegetated shore at the east end of the lake, by the east beach parking area. Carry your board; trailers and carts aren’t allowed.
Can you rent a paddle board in Yosemite?
We couldn’t find a paddle board rental inside the park. The Curry Village concession rents rafts for the Merced in summer, so bring your own board. An inflatable is easiest to carry to the launch spots.
Is Bass Lake in Yosemite?
No. Bass Lake is in the Sierra National Forest, about 14 miles south of the park, near Oakhurst. Paddle boards must stay inside its 5 mph zone near shore.
Do I need an inspection to paddle board in Yosemite?
The park’s rules don’t list an inspection for paddle boards, but you’re required to make sure your board is free of invasive species, so arrive clean, drained and dry. Just outside the park in Mono County, paddle boards are generally excluded from the mussel inspections that apply to trailered boats.
Planning a bigger Sierra trip? See our guides to where to paddle board in Lake Tahoe and Folsom. Our Board Fitter can suggest an inflatable that’s easy to carry to the launch.
