The Southfork of the Tuolumne River is one of many branches of the Tuolumne. The Tuolumne River starts in the Yosemite National Park and contains three major and many minor branches. The Main Fork of the Tuolumne River actually starts from the Lyell glacier at the Sierra crest near Tuolumne Meadows. It rushes down the west side of the Sierra and then wanders through the Lyell Canyon where it meets Tuolumne Meadows. From there it cascades down the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River and flows into Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. As it cascades down the canyon it provides many beautiful waterfalls and spin wheels. As it leaves the reservoir it converts to the Main Fork of the Tuolumne where it flows past Early Intake and into Don Pedro Reservoir near the Moccasin hatchery. The Lyell and Main Fork of the Tuolumne River are the main body of water with the vast majority of stream flow since it serves as the primary watershed of northern Yosemite.
The Middle Fork of the Tuolumne River starts in the park above White Wolf near Lukens Lake. It is the smallest of the three tributaries. It flows through White Wolf and then diverts northwest near Bald Mountain, where it then flows in the steep canyons between Ackerson Meadow and Mather. A day use access point along Evergreen Road provides great fishing access, as well as the Forest Service campground down the road. From this point it flows north of Sawmill Mountain where it cascades down into the slide and meets up with the Southfork before meeting the Main Fork. The Middle Fork has brown, rainbow and brook trout throughout its run. Upstream from the day use access point on Evergreen Road provides some excellent dry fly fishing when the water is just right. I have been there many times and never ran into another person the entire time.
The Southfork starts at about 8,750 feet in Yosemite National Park and drops over 7,000 feet to the wild and scenic Tuolumne River known for its river rafting experience. Much of the South Fork is inaccessible as it drops through backcountry canyons and flats. The accessible spots for this river are in the park near its headwaters, at the Carlon day use spot, at the junction of Highway 120 near Italian Bar, at Berkeley Camp and Hardin Flat and at Rainbow Pool. It contains many falls and long glides as it wanders through meadows and canyons. Carlon Falls is a great day hike out of the Carlon day use area on the Evergreen Road. Rainbow Pool as mentioned above is a great swimming hole and Berkeley Camp makes use of the river for its swimming hole. Yosemite Lakes trailer park in Hardin Flat also has a series of dams that make use of the river for recreation. Hardin Flat was the site of an old sawmill in production during the early 1900's, and the mill pond is where the main lake stands today.
Wild and hatchery trout are prevalent throughout its entire run. Fish are planted at the primary highway access points outside the park and wild trout propagate along its entire course. Brook, rainbow and brown trout are abundant throughout the river. Brook trout are found in the headwaters of the river inside Yosemite Park, along with rainbow trout. Once it drops out of the park, rainbow and brown trout is the mainstay. Hatchery trout from the Moccasin Hatchery at the bottom of Priest Grade are common in the accessible areas of the river. However, in recent years, the hatchery suffered damage from flooding and is making its way back to production.
The Tuolumne River provides many recreational opportunities. It provides fresh water and excellent fishing from its headwaters in the park to Don Pedro Reservoir. Fly fishing can be done anywhere in the park and outside the park as it heads down the canyon. Wild trout and hatchery trout can be caught in many locations. It provides wonderful swimming and cliff diving opportunities and serves as the water source for San Francisco. White water rafting is also prevelant on the main fork. If you have not visited any of the Tuolumne River forks, you should plan on doing so in the near future. You will not regret a moment of it!