California whitewater - Big Creek, Central Sierra Nevada, Mariposa County Mariposa county, Chowchilla Mountain Road to South Fork Merced River section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS IV-V+     1 miles   The average California whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be harder to run than those in other states, so if you're not from around here don't forget that rivers here are not as easy as elsewhere. This stretch of Big Creek in Mariposa County is 1 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class IV-V+ section. Big Creek doesn't have a lot of paddling stretches, the Chowchilla Mountain Road to South Fork Merced River stretch is the only one. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking there are lots of good spots for that around here.     Getting a good workout and just hanging out with mother nature have a lot of people coming here. The scenic beauty of California and the water flowing gracefully down Big Creek make the trip here worthwhile. This is an extremely short stretch so you'd better be prepared to walk your kayak back to put-in a few times. If you're coming from Madera it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. There's camping available near Big Creek. If you'll be staying in a hotel you're in luck, lodging is available very near the river, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. The beauty of the Central Sierra Nevada is a great plus for this river. Briefly about the general area: Summer at Big Creek comes with high temperatures   in the 80's. Summer night lows sink down to the 50's. Daytime highs through the winter are in the 40's; night lows throughout the winter for Big Creek tend to be in the 20's. Big Creek sees pretty high levels of rain; January is the month that gets the most rain, and the driest of the months is July. If you like the outdoors you'll like it here in the Central Sierra Nevada. Yosemite National Park is a good local destination here at Big Creek, and you can have a great hiking adventure along the Chilnualna Fall Trail. Big Creek, Chowchilla Mountain Road to South Fork Merced River road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: IV-V+ Length: 1 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.51559 Longitude: -119.66481 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.5396 Longitude: -119.66561 Paddler input for Big Creek, California: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Big Creek, Central Sierra Nevada, California Local climate location: CHERRY VALLEY DAM 8 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, Fish Camp 3 miles away Experience the breathtaking splendor of Yosemite National Park from the award-winning Tenaya Lodge. Awarded with the prestigious AAA Four Diamond award every year since opening, Tenaya Lodge proudly f... dnc -- Wawona Hotel, Yosemite National Park 8 miles away Wawona is one of the oldest mountain resort hotels in California and a National Historic Landmark. Its verdant meadows, rushing streams, and tranquility make this a favorite of those who prefer a rela... Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, Yosemite National Park 8 miles away As the closest property to Yosemite Falls, Yosemite Lodge is an idyllic spot for families, group retreats and visitors seeking to blend the comforts of a hotel while exploring the wilderness. In 1998,...   Central Sierra Nevada Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Central Sierra Nevada. Central Sierra Nevada Outdoors Info Complete outdoors info for the Central Sierra Nevada. All California Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in California. Books about whitewater paddling on Big Creek, California List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Big Creek, California. Find a whitewater outfitter in California Whitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info. Outdoors Recreation Near Madera, California Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Madera, California, the metro area neareast to Big Creek. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Big Creek.   Whitewater Near Big Creek: Merced River - South Fork, Mariposa County , 9 miles away, Class V+ - 16 miles long (Upper) Merced River, Mariposa County , 10 miles away, Class V - 4.8 miles long (Routes 120-140 Junction to Arch Rock Entrance Station) Fresno River, Madera County , 11 miles away, Class III-V - 3 miles long (Goldside Drive off road 600 to Road 600) Willow Creek, Madera County , 12 miles away, Class V - 3 miles long (Greys Mt. Campground to Chilkoot Campground) Willow Creek, Madera County , 12 miles away, Class V - 3 miles long (Chilkoot Campground to Bass Lake) Merced River - South Fork, Mariposa County , 14 miles away, Class III-IV - 7.4 miles long (Snyder Gulch to Route 140 Bridge) Fresno River, Madera County , 15 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 11 miles long (Road 600 to Road 415) Yosemite Creek, Mariposa County , 16 miles away, Class IV-V - 8 miles long (Tioga Pass Road to Yosemite Falls) Coarse Gold Creek, Madera County , 16 miles away, Class IV-V - 5 miles long (Coarsegold to Spinelli Road) Chowchilla River, Madera County , 17 miles away, Class III-IV - 7 miles long (Road 810 to Road 800)   Ski Areas Near Big Creek: Badger Pass, California , 7 miles away, 800 vertical feet Sierra Summit, California , 39 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Dodge Ridge, California , 41 miles away, 1600 vertical feet June Mountain, California , 42 miles away, 2590 vertical feet Mammoth Mountain, California , 46 miles away, 3100 vertical feet Bear Valley, California , 59 miles away, 1900 vertical feet Kirkwood, California , 69 miles away, 2000 vertical feet Sierra at Tahoe, California , 75 miles away, 2212 vertical feet Heavenly, California , 79 miles away, 3500 vertical feet Homewood, California , 92 miles away, 1650 vertical feet   Hotels Near Big Creek: Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, Fish Camp , 3 miles away dnc -- Wawona Hotel, Yosemite National Park , 8 miles away Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, Yosemite National Park , 8 miles away Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite National Park , 8 miles away Curry Village, Yosemite National Park , 8 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Big Creek: Wawona Campground, Mariposa County, 1 miles away Summit Campground, Mariposa County, 2 miles away Summerdale Campground, Mariposa County, 3 miles away   Trails Near Big Creek: Chilnualna Fall Trail, Mariposa County , 3 miles away,  7 hiking miles, 2879 feet elevation difference Pohono Trail, Mariposa County , 10 miles away, 11.4 hiking miles, 3527 feet elevation difference Mono Meadow Trail, Mariposa County , 12 miles away,  5.2 hiking miles, 1019 feet elevation difference El Capitan Trail, Mariposa County , 12 miles away, 14.7 hiking miles, 4758 feet elevation difference Buena Vista Trail, Madera County , 12 miles away,  22.4 hiking miles, 2797 feet elevation difference Panorama Trail, Mariposa County , 13 miles away, 7.1 hiking miles, 3896 feet elevation difference Four Mile Trail, Mariposa County , 13 miles away, 3.7 hiking miles, 3869 feet elevation difference   National Parks Near Big Creek: Yosemite National Park, Yosemite National Park - CA , 3 miles away Devils Postpile National Monument, Mammoth Lakes - CA , 64 miles away