California whitewater - Chowchilla River, Central Sierra Nevada, Madera County

Madera county, Road 810 to Road 800 section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III-IV     7 miles
  The starting point is not too far from Madera, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. The wonderful Madera County scenery and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream beats anything. This is the only paddling section along Chowchilla River. This stretch of Chowchilla River in Madera County is 7 miles long and is a class III-IV section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside California you might
    find the rivers here a bit more challenging, so you'd better keep in mind that the rivers in this state are less manageable. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, in this general area you'll find lots of paddling spots. The nearby hotels are
a bit away from the river, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. The Central Sierra Nevada scenery is wonderful. Getting some good exercise and spending some quality time in nature are great attractions for lots of people. On this section you do get some distance, it's perfect for a one day trip.

Briefly about the general area:
A journey to Chowchilla River wouldn't be complete without taking a look at Specimen Springs, and Chowchilla River is in close proximity to Leland Gulch which is without doubt worth checking out. All year
 
is a magnificent time in the Central Sierra Nevada if you go for the outdoors.
The annual rain here at Chowchilla River is about average; January is the month that gets the most rain, and the driest month of the year is July. The warmest time of the year brings highs in the 80's to Chowchilla River. During the dark hours of summer temperatures descend down into the 50's. Throughout the winter highs are in the 40's, and nighttime lows through the wintertime for Chowchilla River tend to be in the 20's.

Chowchilla River, Road 810 to Road 800 road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III-IV
Length: 7 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.33679
Longitude: -119.81961

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.28799
Longitude: -119.86811

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Current weather conditions at Chowchilla River, Central Sierra Nevada, California
WXPort

Local climate location: CHERRY VALLEY DAM 25 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Americas Best Inns-Brinkley, Brinkley
7 miles away
39 Rooms/Free Continental Breakfast. Hbo/Espn Non Smoking Rooms/No Discounts On Special Events. Pets Allowed. Memphis And Little Rock Airport Is 65 Miles Away. Shopping Center Is 1/2 Mile Away. Duck H...

Little Valley Inn, Mariposa
8 miles away
The Little Valley Inn is a special place to stay when visiting Yosemite National Park and Californias gold country. Just 7 miles south of historic Mariposa- this Inn is centrally located to 2 Yosemite...

Best Western Yosemite Way Station, Mariposa
13 miles away
This Mariposa, California hotel offers convenient access to Yosemite National Park, the Sierra National Forest and the Giant Sequoia Trees. Welcome to the peace and beauty of central California's Si...



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 Chowchilla River, California
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Chowchilla 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 Madera, California
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Madera, California, the metro area neareast to Chowchilla River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Chowchilla River.
 Whitewater Near Chowchilla River:
Fresno River, Madera County , 6 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 11 miles long (Road 600 to Road 415)
Fresno River, Madera County , 8 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 12 miles long (Road 415 to boat ramp Close to dam at Lake Hensley)
Fresno River, Madera County , 8 miles away, Class III-V - 3 miles long (Goldside Drive off road 600 to Road 600)
Coarse Gold Creek, Madera County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V - 5 miles long (Coarsegold to Spinelli Road)
Big Creek, Mariposa County , 17 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 1 miles long (Chowchilla Mountain Road to South Fork Merced River)
Merced River - South Fork, Mariposa County , 18 miles away, Class III-IV - 7.4 miles long (Snyder Gulch to Route 140 Bridge)
Merced River, Mariposa County , 20 miles away, Class II-V - 29 miles long (El Portal to Route 49 at Lake McClure)
Willow Creek, Madera County , 20 miles away, Class V - 3 miles long (Chilkoot Campground to Bass Lake)
Merced River, Mariposa County , 20 miles away, Class IV - 17 miles long (Red Bud to Bagby Reservoir)
Willow Creek, Madera County , 21 miles away, Class V - 3 miles long (Greys Mt. Campground to Chilkoot Campground)
 Ski Areas Near Chowchilla River:
Badger Pass, California , 23 miles away, 800 vertical feet
Sierra Summit, California , 48 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Dodge Ridge, California , 49 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
June Mountain, California , 58 miles away, 2590 vertical feet
Mammoth Mountain, California , 61 miles away, 3100 vertical feet
Bear Valley, California , 66 miles away, 1900 vertical feet
Kirkwood, California , 77 miles away, 2000 vertical feet
Sierra at Tahoe, California , 83 miles away, 2212 vertical feet
Heavenly, California , 89 miles away, 3500 vertical feet
Homewood, California , 100 miles away, 1650 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Chowchilla River:
Americas Best Inns-Brinkley, Brinkley , 7 miles away
Little Valley Inn, Mariposa , 8 miles away
Best Western Yosemite Way Station, Mariposa , 13 miles away
Super 8 Motel Mariposa /Yosemite National Park Area, Mariposa , 13 miles away
Comfort Inn Mariposa, Mariposa , 13 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Chowchilla River:
Park Sierra, Coarsegold, 10 miles away
Yosemite South-coarsegold Rnch, Coarsegold, 10 miles away
Sierra Meadows Country Club, Ahwahnee, 10 miles away
 Trails Near Chowchilla River:
Hite Cove Trail, Mariposa County , 17 miles away,  14.4 hiking miles, 1185 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near Chowchilla River:
Yosemite National Park, Yosemite National Park - CA , 19 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