California whitewater - Pescadero Creek, Santa Cruz Mountains, San Mateo County
San Mateo
county,
Portola State Park to Memorial County Park section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.
CLASS II 9 miles
The Portola State Park to Memorial County Park stretch of Pescadero Creek in San Mateo County is 9 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class II section. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in this state tend to be more challenging than the national average, so if you're not from around here don't forget that many of the sections here are not safe for beginners. The beautiful scenery of San Mateo County and the water flowing gracefully down Pescadero Creek attract people from near and far. You might have to settle for a hotel
a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. There are no other stretches to paddle along Pescadero Creek than the Portola State Park to Memorial County Park stretch. Some people prefer whitewater
rafting and some kayaking, either way this is an area with not too many other spots for that. The campgrounds here at Pescadero Creek are pretty good. The beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains scenery is an added bonus. Getting some good exercise and spending some quality time in nature are great reasons to come. This stretch is mid length, you can easily run it on an afternoon. The put-in is not too far from Santa Cruz-Watsonville, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost.
Briefly about the general area: The
amount of precipitation that falls at Pescadero Creek is close to the national average; January is the wettest month with most rain, and the driest month of the year is July. Throughout the summer months, highs mostly are in the 60's at Pescadero Creek. Once the sun is down it
sinks down to the 50's. For the period of the winter this place gets highs in the 50's; night lows in the 40's for Pescadero Creek. Be careful coming to the Santa Cruz Mountains, you might not ever want to return home again. You must have a look at Indian Point when you're
here at Pescadero Creek, and if you're here you can take a hike along the Butano Ridge Loop Trail. A magnificent place to visit right next door to Pescadero Creek is Dark Gulch; on a perfect day you can take a hike along the Coyote Ridge Trail. This river is a great place to visit.
9 miles away
Located on the California coast one hour south of San Francisco at the edge of the historic town of Pescadero, the Pescadero Creek Inn is a 100 year-old farmhouse with three guest rooms in the main ho...
9 miles away
Connected to four state parks, 30,000 acres of hiking trails and a vibrant wildlife reserve, Costanoa offers the unique opportunity to experience outdoor living in comfortable, stylish surroundings. A...
12 miles away
Across the street from the Stanford campus, you will find the Stanford Terrace Inn, an oasis of unexpected elegance. In the midst of Silicon Valley, you will discover a tradition of old world hospita...
All California Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in California.Books about whitewater paddling on Pescadero Creek, California List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Pescadero Creek, California.Find a whitewater outfitter in CaliforniaWhitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.Outdoors Recreation Near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California, the metro area neareast to Pescadero Creek. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
These outdoors activities are available near Pescadero Creek.