Cherry Creek ()[1] is a swift-moving[2] stream in the Sierra Nevada in eastern California, USA. It is a part of the watershed in the Emigrant Wilderness that drains into the Tuolumne River.[3] At its headwaters, it flows through granite valleys similar to those found in Yosemite Valley, though these areas are accessible only to backpackers. The creek is dammed in one location, forming Cherry Lake.
Whitewater rafting on portions of Cherry Creek is classed in the very difficult Class V/V+ category and has been called by one commentator "without a doubt the most difficult commercially run river in the country."[2]