California whitewater - Merced River, Central Sierra Nevada, Mariposa County Mariposa county, Red Bud to Bagby Reservoir section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS IV     17 miles   The beautiful scenery of California and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside California you might find the rivers here a bit more challenging, so if you're not from around here don't forget that quite a few of the sections here are not easy. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. This section is long     enough for an overnight trip if you take your time, so go ahead and pack your sleeping bag. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking there are lots of good places for that around here. This river system is full of great paddling sections, the Red Bud to Bagby Reservoir section is just one of them. The Red Bud to Bagby Reservoir stretch of Merced River in Mariposa County is 17 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class IV section. 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. Getting a good workout and spending some quality time in nature will have you coming back for more. When you're paddling down a Central Sierra Nevada river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too. And of course, there are campgrounds   nearby. Briefly about the general area: North Fork Halls Gulch is next to Merced River and is a great place. High temperatures at Merced River during the warmest time of the year are in the 90's. Once the sun is down it plunges down to the 50's. Highs through the wintertime are typically in the 50's while the cold winter nights at Merced River are in the 30's. Merced River is a good place of common precipitation; through the month of January you get the most rain around here, and the driest of the months is July. Merced River, Red Bud to Bagby Reservoir road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: IV Length: 17 miles Average Gradient: 34 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.66999 Longitude: -119.8185 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.61249 Longitude: -120.1346 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: SONORA R S 17 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Best Value Mariposa Lodge, Mariposa 9 miles away The Americas Best Value Inn- Mariposa Lodge is truly a unique 45 room lodge centered in the heart of historic Mariposa Village only 28 miles from Yosemite National Park. The property is surrounded by ... Comfort Inn Mariposa, Mariposa 9 miles away Shops and restaurants within walking distance. California State Mining and Mineral Exhibition 2 miles. Hotel located in historic Gold Country on year round highway to Yosemite National Park. Boating, ... Super 8 Motel Mariposa /Yosemite National Park Area, Mariposa 9 miles away Gateway to Yosemite National Park Enjoy Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Golfing Complimentary Super Start Plus Breakfast Outdoor Seasonal Pool (summer only) Microwave/Refrigerator available Located...   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: Merced River, Mariposa County , 1 miles away, Class II-V - 29 miles long (El Portal to Route 49 at Lake McClure) Merced River - North Fork, Mariposa County , 5 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 17 miles long (Greeley Hill Road to Merced confluence) Merced River - South Fork, Mariposa County , 9 miles away, Class III-IV - 7.4 miles long (Snyder Gulch to Route 140 Bridge) Tuolumne River - South Fork, Tuolumne County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V - 7 miles long (Highway 120 to Rainbow Pool Picnic Area) Tuolumne River, Tuolumne County , 14 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 9 miles long (Cherry Creek to Meral's Pool) Clavey River, Tuolumne County , 18 miles away, Class V+ - 8.5 miles long (Upper Bridge to Lower Bridge) Tuolumne River, Tuolumne County , 18 miles away, Class IV-V - 18 miles long (Lumsden Campground to Wards Ferry Bridge) Merced River, Mariposa County , 20 miles away, Class V - 4.8 miles long (Routes 120-140 Junction to Arch Rock Entrance Station) Clavey River, Tuolumne County , 20 miles away, Class V+ - 20.8 miles long (Lower Bridge to Ward's Ferry) Chowchilla River, Madera County , 20 miles away, Class III-IV - 7 miles long (Road 810 to Road 800)   Ski Areas Near Merced River: Badger Pass, California , 22 miles away, 800 vertical feet Dodge Ridge, California , 30 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Bear Valley, California , 47 miles away, 1900 vertical feet Kirkwood, California , 57 miles away, 2000 vertical feet Sierra Summit, California , 61 miles away, 1600 vertical feet June Mountain, California , 62 miles away, 2590 vertical feet Sierra at Tahoe, California , 64 miles away, 2212 vertical feet Mammoth Mountain, California , 67 miles away, 3100 vertical feet Heavenly, California , 71 miles away, 3500 vertical feet Homewood, California , 80 miles away, 1650 vertical feet   Hotels Near Merced River: Best Value Mariposa Lodge, Mariposa , 9 miles away Comfort Inn Mariposa, Mariposa , 9 miles away Super 8 Motel Mariposa /Yosemite National Park Area, Mariposa , 9 miles away Best Western Yosemite Way Station, Mariposa , 9 miles away Best Value Yosemite Westgate Lodge, Buck Meadows , 10 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Merced River: Yosemite/Mariposa KOA, Midpines, 4 miles away Yosemite Trail Campground, Midpines, 5 miles away Midpines Koa Kampground, Midpines, 7 miles away   Trails Near Merced River: Hite Cove Trail, Mariposa County , 9 miles away,  14.4 hiking miles, 1185 feet elevation difference Pilot Ridge Trail, Mariposa County , 10 miles away, 2.1 hiking miles, 1023 feet elevation difference   National Parks Near Merced River: Yosemite National Park, Yosemite National Park - CA , 22 miles away