California whitewater - Merced River, Central Sierra Nevada, Mariposa County Mariposa county, Routes 120-140 Junction to Arch Rock Entrance Station section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS V     4.8 miles   If you're coming from Madera it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. 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 a lot of the rivers here are not suitable for beginners. The beautiful scenery of California and the playfulness of the water beats anything. The beauty of the Central Sierra Nevada is a great plus for this river. There are campgrounds quite near     the river where you can camp. Getting a good workout and just being out on the river for a while have a lot of people coming here. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking around here you'll find a large number of good rivers. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. This is not the only paddling section in this river system, there are others too. The Routes 120-140 Junction to Arch Rock Entrance Station stretch of Merced River in California is 4.8 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class V section. This stretch has has enough mileage, you can easily run it on an afternoon. Briefly about the general area: You simply must take a look at Pulpit Rock while you're here at Merced River, and The Cascades is always   fun to check out. And if that's not enough there's plenty more cool stuff to do in the Central Sierra Nevada. Take a hike on the Pohono Trail; nearby you discover The Gateway which is a magnificent spot to visit. So many entertaining things to do at Merced River, so little time. During the days of summer highs here at Merced River get into the 80's, and the nighttime is a bit colder of course, ordinarily in the 50's. For the duration of the wintertime highs are usually in the 40's while Merced River nighttime low temperatures throughout the winter are in the 20's. What would a place like Merced River be without exciting nearby characteristics like The Rostrum, and if you like skiing, you're in luck; Badger Pass is rather near. The surroundings of this river have so much to offer. Wildcat Falls is a beautiful place to take a look at while you're at Merced River; you can have a wonderful hiking adventure along the El Capitan Trail. Merced River is a relatively wet place ordinarily with a good deal of rainfall; January is the wettest month with most rain while July is the month with the least amount of precipitation. Merced River, Routes 120-140 Junction to Arch Rock Entrance Station road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: V Length: 4.8 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.7168 Longitude: -119.6652 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.6864 Longitude: -119.73001 Paddler input for Merced River, California: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Merced River, Central Sierra Nevada, California Local climate location: CHERRY VALLEY DAM 12 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. dnc -- Wawona Hotel, Yosemite National Park 5 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 5 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,... Curry Village, Yosemite National Park 5 miles away The largest lodging facility in Yosemite Valley, Curry Village offers a motel, cabins with and without private bathrooms, and canvas tent cabins without plumbing. Although Curry Village is the largest...   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 Merced River, California List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Merced 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 Merced River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Merced River.   Whitewater Near Merced River: Yosemite Creek, Mariposa County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V - 8 miles long (Tioga Pass Road to Yosemite Falls) Big Creek, Mariposa County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 1 miles long (Chowchilla Mountain Road to South Fork Merced River) Merced River - South Fork, Mariposa County , 11 miles away, Class III-IV - 7.4 miles long (Snyder Gulch to Route 140 Bridge) Merced River - South Fork, Mariposa County , 14 miles away, Class V+ - 16 miles long (Upper) Tuolumne River, Tuolumne County , 15 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 32 miles long (Tioga Road Bridge to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir) Tenaya Creek, Mariposa County , 16 miles away, Class V - 1 miles long (Super Slide) Merced River, Mariposa County , 18 miles away, Class II-V - 29 miles long (El Portal to Route 49 at Lake McClure) Merced River, Mariposa County , 20 miles away, Class IV - 17 miles long (Red Bud to Bagby Reservoir) Tuolumne River - South Fork, Tuolumne County , 20 miles away, Class IV-V - 7 miles long (Highway 120 to Rainbow Pool Picnic Area) Fresno River, Madera County , 20 miles away, Class III-V - 3 miles long (Goldside Drive off road 600 to Road 600)   Ski Areas Near Merced River: Badger Pass, California , 3 miles away, 800 vertical feet Dodge Ridge, California , 32 miles away, 1600 vertical feet June Mountain, California , 42 miles away, 2590 vertical feet Sierra Summit, California , 45 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Mammoth Mountain, California , 48 miles away, 3100 vertical feet Bear Valley, California , 49 miles away, 1900 vertical feet Kirkwood, California , 59 miles away, 2000 vertical feet Sierra at Tahoe, California , 66 miles away, 2212 vertical feet Heavenly, California , 69 miles away, 3500 vertical feet Homewood, California , 82 miles away, 1650 vertical feet   Hotels Near Merced River: dnc -- Wawona Hotel, Yosemite National Park , 5 miles away Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, Yosemite National Park , 5 miles away Curry Village, Yosemite National Park , 5 miles away Wawona Hotel, Yosemite National Park , 5 miles away Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite National Park , 5 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Merced River: Indian Flat RV Park, Yosemite National Park, 3 miles away Mather Family Camp, Yosemite National Park, 3 miles away Tamarack Flat Campground, Mariposa County, 4 miles away   Trails Near Merced River: Pohono Trail, Mariposa County , 2 miles away, 11.4 hiking miles, 3527 feet elevation difference El Capitan Trail, Mariposa County , 4 miles away, 14.7 hiking miles, 4758 feet elevation difference Yosemite Falls Trail, Mariposa County , 7 miles away,  9.4 hiking miles, 3958 feet elevation difference Eagle Peak Trail, Mariposa County , 7 miles away,  9.4 hiking miles, 3939 feet elevation difference Hetch Hetchy Trail, Mariposa County , 8 miles away, 7.7 hiking miles, 3804 feet elevation difference Four Mile Trail, Mariposa County , 8 miles away, 3.7 hiking miles, 3869 feet elevation difference Chilnualna Fall Trail, Mariposa County , 9 miles away,  7 hiking miles, 2879 feet elevation difference   National Parks Near Merced River: Yosemite National Park, Yosemite National Park - CA , 7 miles away Devils Postpile National Monument, Mammoth Lakes - CA , 67 miles away