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
  This stretch of Big Creek is 1 miles long and is a class IV-V+ section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking here in California are often tougher than in other states, so better not forget that quite a few of the sections here are not easy. The natural beauty of Mariposa County and the playfulness of the water make the trip here worthwhile. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way this is an area with plenty of places for that. Getting a good workout
    and just hanging out with mother nature are great attractions for lots of people. This stretch is very short so better bring some good walking shoes. No need to look hard for hotels, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. You can pitch a tent
or park your RV at a nearby campground. If you're coming from Madera it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. The Central Sierra Nevada scenery is wonderful. There are no other sections to paddle along Big Creek than the Chowchilla Mountain Road to South Fork Merced River section.

Briefly about the general area:
If you like the outdoors you'll like it here in the Central Sierra Nevada. Big Creek gets much water; most of the rain falls all through January
 
while July is the month with the least amount of precipitation.
High temperatures at Big Creek during the summertime months are in the 80's; through summer nights temperatures are in the 50's. During the wintertime this place gets highs in the 40's while the cold winter nights at Big Creek are in the 20's. Don't miss out on a tour to Yosemite National Park since you're here at Big Creek, and if you're here you can take a hike 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

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Current weather conditions at Big Creek, Central Sierra Nevada, California
WXPort

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,...



OTHER_INFO
  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.
 

   

OUTDOORS
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, 540 vertical feet
Sierra Summit, California , 39 miles away, 1679 vertical feet
Dodge Ridge, California , 41 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
June Mountain, California , 42 miles away, 2580 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
dnc -- Housekeeping Camp, Yosemite National Park , 8 miles away
Ahwahnee Hotel, 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

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater