California whitewater, Merced River Mariposa county, Routes 120-140 Junction to Arch Rock Entrance Station section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS V     4.8 miles   The natural beauty of Mariposa County and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream make the trip here worthwhile. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in California tend to be more challenging than the national average, so keep in mind that a lot of the rivers here are not suitable for beginners. There are plenty of other sections in this river system that can be paddled as well. 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 stretch is mid length, it's perfect for a one day trip. Whitewater paddling here in the Central Sierra Nevada is a great experience. This stretch of Merced River in Mariposa County is 4.8 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class V section. If you're coming from Madera it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. Getting a good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors will make you glad you came. Since you're on this   site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way around here you'll find a large number of good rivers. Briefly about the general area: The Rostrum is an interesting thing to catch a sight of while you're here at Merced River, and on a perfect day you can take a hike along the Pohono Trail. And if that's not enough there's heaps more amusing things to do in the Central Sierra Nevada. Pulpit Rock is an exciting location to stop at while at Merced River. There are plenty of folks from Yosemite National Park here at Merced River, and don't leave Merced River without first paying a visit to Wildcat Falls. 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.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Merced River.   Whitewater Near Merced River: Merced River, Mariposa County, 2 miles away       Class V - 4.8 miles long (Routes 120-140 Junction to Arch Rock Entrance Station) Merced River, Mariposa County, 7 miles away       Class II-V - 29 miles long (El Portal to Route 49 at Lake McClure) Merced River, Mariposa County, 9 miles away       Class IV - 17 miles long (Red Bud to Bagby Reservoir) Merced River - South Fork, Mariposa County, 10 miles away       Class III-IV - 7.4 miles long (Snyder Gulch to Route 140 Bridge) Big Creek, Mariposa County, 10 miles away       Class IV-V+ - 1 miles long (Chowchilla Mountain Road to South Fork Merced River) Yosemite Creek, Mariposa County, 12 miles away       Class IV-V - 8 miles long (Tioga Pass Road to Yosemite Falls) Tuolumne River - South Fork, Tuolumne County, 17 miles away       Class IV-V - 7 miles long (Highway 120 to Rainbow Pool Picnic Area) Tenaya Creek, Mariposa County, 17 miles away       Class V - 1 miles long (Super Slide) Merced River - South Fork, Mariposa County, 19 miles away       Class V+ - 16 miles long (Upper) Fresno River, Madera County, 20 miles away       Class IV-V(V+) - 11 miles long (Road 600 to Road 415)   Ski Areas Near Merced River: Badger Pass, California , 3 miles away, 540 foot drop, 5 lifts, 10 runs Dodge Ridge, California , 32 miles away, 1600 foot drop, 10 lifts, 59 runs June Mountain, California , 42 miles away, 2580 foot drop, 7 lifts, 37 runs Sierra Summit, California , 45 miles away, 1679 foot drop, 11 lifts, 45 runs Mammoth Mountain, California , 48 miles away, 3100 foot drop, 27 lifts, 156 runs Bear Valley, California , 49 miles away, 1900 foot drop, 11 lifts, 67 runs Kirkwood, California , 59 miles away, 2000 foot drop, 15 lifts, 65 runs Sierra at Tahoe, California , 66 miles away, 2212 foot drop, 12 lifts, 46 runs Heavenly, California , 69 miles away, 3500 foot drop, 31 lifts, 94 runs Homewood, California , 82 miles away, 1650 foot drop, 8 lifts, 56 runs   Hotels Near Merced River: Tin Lizzie Inn At Yosemite, Fish Camp , 13 miles away Tenaya Lodge, Fish Camp , 13 miles away Z-TO BE DELETED - Little Valle, Mariposa , 18 miles away Sierra Sky Ranch, An Ascend Hotel Collection Member, Oakhurst , 19 miles away Best Western Plus Yosemite Gateway Inn, Oakhurst , 20 miles away   Campgrounds Near Merced River: Tamarack Flat Campground, Mariposa County, 4 miles away Yosemite National Park - Tamarack Flat, El Portal, 4 miles away Yosemite National Park - Bridalveil Creek, Yosemite National Park, 6 miles away   Trails Near Merced River: Pohono Trail, Mariposa , 2 miles away, 11.4 hiking miles, 3527 feet elevation difference El Capitan Trail, Mariposa , 4 miles away, 14.7 hiking miles, 4758 feet elevation difference Yosemite Falls Trail, Mariposa , 7 miles away,  9.4 hiking miles, 3958 feet elevation difference Eagle Peak Trail, Mariposa , 7 miles away,  9.4 hiking miles, 3939 feet elevation difference Hetch Hetchy Trail, Mariposa , 8 miles away, 7.7 hiking miles, 3804 feet elevation difference Four Mile Trail, Mariposa , 8 miles away, 3.7 hiking miles, 3869 feet elevation difference Chilnualna Fall Trail, Mariposa , 9 miles away,  7 hiking miles, 2879 feet elevation difference   Public Lands Near Merced River: Yosemite National Park, Yosemite National Park - CA , 7 miles away Devils Postpile National Monument, Mammoth Lakes - CA , 67 miles away Stanislaus National Forest, California , 30 miles away Sierra National Forest, California , 35 miles away Echo Canyon State Park, Nevada , 39 miles away   Golf Courses Near Merced River: River Creek Golf Course, Ahwahnee , 19 miles away Ahwahnee Golf Course, Oakhurst , 19 miles away   Lakes Near Merced River Givens Lake, Madera , 17 miles away Tenaya Lake, Mariposa , 18 miles away Bare Island Lake, Madera , 18 miles away