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   Whitewater rafting and kayaking in California is often more difficult than elsewhere, so keep in mind that the rivers in this state are less manageable. The scenic beauty of California and the cool fresh water attract people from near and far. This section of Carmel River is 10 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class II-III(IV) section of whitewater. If you have the time you can make this a two day trip, so go ahead and pack your sleeping bag. There are campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. The wild scenery of the     Santa Lucia Range is great. Great exercise and just hanging out with mother nature will have you coming back for more. The starting location is a short drive from Salinas, as you can see on the road map further down. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way this area has a pretty small number of paddling rivers. There are plenty of hotels here if you want to spend a night, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. Carmel River doesn't have a lot of paddling stretches, the Los Padres Reservoir to Carmel Valley stretch is the only one. Briefly about the general area: These mountains rock, just look at all the enjoyable things to do in the Santa Lucia Range. Good hiking is available along the San Clemente Trail; there's perfect hiking along the Rattlesnake Creek   Trail. Not much rainfall falls here at Carmel River; January is the month that gets the most rain, and the driest month of the year is July. Summertime highs at Carmel River commonly tend to be in the 70's with night lows in the 50's. For the period of the wintertime highs are commonly in the 50's; overnight lows at Carmel River throughout the wintertime regularly sink into 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 Paddler input for Carmel River, California: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Carmel River, Santa Lucia Range, California 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 ... Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur 12 miles away Unique architecture blends into its natural surroundings complemented with interior earth tones, high sweeping arches and skylights. In a spectacular setting, this 100 acre resort showcases the organi...   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.       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)   Hotels Near Carmel River: Country Garden Inns, Carmel Valley , 4 miles away Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley , 6 miles away Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur , 12 miles away Ramada Limited Salinas, Salinas , 14 miles away Howard Johnson Inn, Salinas , 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