California whitewater - Carmel River, Santa Lucia Range, Monterey County

Monterey county, Los Padres Reservoir to Carmel Valley section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II-III(IV)     10 miles
  The Los Padres Reservoir to Carmel Valley stretch of Carmel River in California is 10 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class II-III(IV) section. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in California tend to be more challenging than the national average, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that a large number of rivers in this state are not easy. The wonderful California scenery and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream will make you feel great. The campgrounds here at Carmel River are pretty good. You
    might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, this is an area with not too many other places for that. The put-in location is a short drive from Salinas, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. There are no other
stretches to paddle along Carmel River than the Los Padres Reservoir to Carmel Valley stretch. You can enjoy this stretch more if you take your time, so why not pack your sleeping bag too. When you're paddling down a Santa Lucia Range river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too. There are some good hotels near the river, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. Getting some good exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors will have you coming back for more.

Briefly about the general area:
 
These mountains rock, just look at all the entertaining things to do in the Santa Lucia Range. Carmel River is pretty dried out ordinarily; through the month of January you get the most rain around here, and July is when it's the driest.
There's nice hiking along the San Clemente Trail; the Rattlesnake Creek Trail offers hiking at its best. During the warm months, highs mostly are in the 70's at Carmel River, and during the night it cools down to the 50's. The winter brings highs down to the 50's while the cold winter nights at Carmel River are in the 40's.

Carmel River, Los Padres Reservoir to Carmel Valley road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II-III(IV)
Length: 10 miles
Average Gradient: 60 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.38629
Longitude: -121.66771

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.47539
Longitude: -121.7222

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Current weather conditions at Carmel River, Santa Lucia Range, California
WXPort

Local climate location: MONTEREY 11 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Country Garden Inns, Carmel Valley
4 miles away
Nestled in the sunny Santa Lucia Mountains-just minutes from Carmel by the Sea California. Country Garden Inns offers two bed and breakfast inns with European hospitality. Both Hidden Valley Inn and A...

Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley
6 miles away
Nestled on verdant acres with stately pines and California oak trees, surrounded by a vineyard and the Santa Lucia mountains rising majestically in the background, Bernardus Lodge is a premier luxury ...

Ramada Limited Salinas Ca, Salinas
14 miles away
Welcome to the Ramada Limited Salinas, Your Ideal Location as the Gateway to Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz and Gilroy. You will Find our Hotel Within Walking Distance of the downtown area and right around ...



OTHER_INFO
  Santa Lucia Range Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Santa Lucia Range.

Santa Lucia Range Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Santa Lucia Range.

All California Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in California.
Books about whitewater paddling on Carmel River, California
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Carmel River, 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 Salinas, California
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Salinas, California, the metro area neareast to Carmel River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Carmel River.
 Whitewater Near Carmel River:
Little Sur River, Monterey County , 11 miles away, Class III-IV - 7 miles long (Pico Blanco BSouth Carolina to Highway 1)
Big Sur River, Monterey County , 12 miles away, Class II+ - 4 miles long (Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park to Motels)
Arroyo Seco River, Monterey County , 18 miles away, Class IV(V) - 3 miles long (Willowcreek Bridge to Arroyo Seco Picnic Area)
Arroyo Seco River, Monterey County , 23 miles away, Class III - 14.5 miles long (Arroyo Seco Picnic Area to Route G16 bridge)
 Ski Areas Near Carmel River:
Dodge Ridge, California , 155 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Badger Pass, California , 156 miles away, 800 vertical feet
Bear Valley, California , 162 miles away, 1900 vertical feet
Kirkwood, California , 168 miles away, 2000 vertical feet
Sierra at Tahoe, California , 173 miles away, 2212 vertical feet
Sierra Summit, California , 181 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Homewood, California , 182 miles away, 1650 vertical feet
Alpine Meadows, California , 182 miles away, 1802 vertical feet
Royal Gorge, California , 183 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Squaw Valley, California , 184 miles away, 2850 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Carmel River:
Country Garden Inns, Carmel Valley , 4 miles away
Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley , 6 miles away
Ramada Limited Salinas Ca, Salinas , 14 miles away
Howard Johnson Inn, Salinas , 14 miles away
Comfort Inn Monterey, Monterey , 14 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Carmel River:
Rattlesnake Campground, Monterey County, 3 miles away
Tin House Campground, Monterey County, 9 miles away
Little Sur Campground, Monterey County, 9 miles away
 Trails Near Carmel River:
San Clemente Trail, Monterey County , 3 miles away,  7 hiking miles, 714 feet elevation difference
Rattlesnake Creek Trail, Monterey County , 3 miles away,  7 hiking miles, 1350 feet elevation difference
Carmel River Trail, Monterey County , 4 miles away,  29.4 hiking miles, 3023 feet elevation difference
Hennicksons Ridge Trail, Monterey County , 5 miles away, 5.9 hiking miles, 2356 feet elevation difference
Miller Canyon Trail, Monterey County , 8 miles away,  15.6 hiking miles, 2327 feet elevation difference
Pine Ridge Trail, Monterey County , 9 miles away, 20.1 hiking miles, 4802 feet elevation difference
Church Creek Trail, Monterey County , 10 miles away,  3.8 hiking miles, 1279 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near Carmel River:
Pinnacles National Monument, Paicines - CA , 47 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