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 sections for whitewater rafting and kayaking here in California are often more challenging than in other states, so better not forget that rivers here are not as easy as elsewhere. If you're coming from Madera it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, as you can see on the road map further down. This section has enough mileage for an overnight trip, so why not pack your camp stove too. The natural beauty of Mariposa County and the playfulness of the water make the trip here worthwhile. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a     bit to get to one, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. This is not the only paddling stretch in this river system, there are others too. Great exercise and just hanging out with mother nature have a lot of people coming here. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, around here you'll find a large number of good spots. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. The wild scenery of the Central Sierra Nevada is great. This stretch of Merced River in Mariposa County is 17 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class IV section. Briefly about the general area: A normal amount of rain falls here at Merced River; the month of January is the wettest with most of the rain while July is usually the driest month. A pleasant place   right next door to Merced River is North Fork Halls Gulch. During the warmest time of the year, highs generally are in the 90's at Merced River with nighttime lows in the 50's. The cold days of the wintertime come with highs in the 50's while the cold winter nights at Merced River are in the 30's. 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. Americas Best Value Inn - 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 ... Super 8 Mariposa/Yosemite Ntnl Prk Area, Mariposa 9 miles away * Gateway to Yosemite National Park * Enjoy Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Golfing * Located in Historic Town Mariposa * Yosemite Tour Bus Pick-up Site * 35 miles from the west entrance to Yosemite Nat... Comfort Inn Yosemite Valley Gateway, 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, ...   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, 540 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, 1679 vertical feet June Mountain, California , 62 miles away, 2580 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: Americas Best Value Inn - Mariposa Lodge, Mariposa , 9 miles away Super 8 Mariposa/Yosemite Ntnl Prk Area, Mariposa , 9 miles away Comfort Inn Yosemite Valley Gateway, Mariposa , 9 miles away Best Western Yosemite Way Station Motel, Mariposa , 9 miles away Americas Best Value Inn 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