California whitewater, Merced River - South Fork Mariposa county, Snyder Gulch to Route 140 Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS III-IV     7.4 miles   The natural beauty of California and the water flowing gracefully down Merced River - South Fork are reasons enough to come here and paddle. The put-in is not too far from Madera, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state are often tougher than in other states, so keep in mind that a large number of rivers in this state are not easy.     You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. There are campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. This section of Merced River - South Fork is 7.4 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class III-IV section of whitewater. Getting your paddling muscles activated and spending some quality time in nature are great reasons to come. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way around here you'll find a large number of good places. The Central Sierra Nevada scenery is wonderful. This is not the   only paddling stretch in this river system, there are others too. This is a pretty decent length section, good for a one day paddling trip. Briefly about the general area: Nutmeg Gulch is in the neighborhood of Merced River - South Fork and is unquestionably a great spot to explore, and skiing at Badger Pass is one of those things you just ought to do. But wait, there's more entertaining things to do in the Central Sierra Nevada. Have a tremendous hiking adventure along the Pohono Trail; there are plenty of folks from El Portal here. This river is a wonderful place to visit. Take a hike on the Hite Cove Trail, and a tour to Yosemite National Park is recommended. Merced River - South Fork, Snyder Gulch to Route 140 Bridge 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 - South Fork.   Whitewater Near Merced River - South Fork: Merced River - South Fork, Mariposa County, 3 miles away       Class III-IV - 7.4 miles long (Snyder Gulch to Route 140 Bridge) Merced River, Mariposa County, 3 miles away       Class IV - 17 miles long (Red Bud to Bagby Reservoir) Merced River, Mariposa County, 5 miles away       Class II-V - 29 miles long (El Portal to Route 49 at Lake McClure) Tuolumne River - South Fork, Tuolumne County, 11 miles away       Class IV-V - 7 miles long (Highway 120 to Rainbow Pool Picnic Area) Merced River, Mariposa County, 14 miles away       Class V - 4.8 miles long (Routes 120-140 Junction to Arch Rock Entrance Station) Merced River - North Fork, Mariposa County, 14 miles away       Class IV-V(V+) - 17 miles long (Greeley Hill Road to Merced confluence) Big Creek, Mariposa County, 15 miles away       Class IV-V+ - 1 miles long (Chowchilla Mountain Road to South Fork Merced River) Chowchilla River, Madera County, 16 miles away       Class III-IV - 7 miles long (Road 810 to Road 800) Tuolumne River, Tuolumne County, 16 miles away       Class IV-V+ - 9 miles long (Cherry Creek to Meral's Pool) Tuolumne River, Tuolumne County, 17 miles away       Class IV-V - 18 miles long (Lumsden Campground to Wards Ferry Bridge)   Ski Areas Near Merced River - South Fork: Badger Pass, California , 13 miles away, 540 foot drop, 5 lifts, 10 runs Dodge Ridge, California , 31 miles away, 1600 foot drop, 10 lifts, 59 runs Bear Valley, California , 49 miles away, 1900 foot drop, 11 lifts, 67 runs Sierra Summit, California , 53 miles away, 1679 foot drop, 11 lifts, 45 runs June Mountain, California , 53 miles away, 2580 foot drop, 7 lifts, 37 runs Mammoth Mountain, California , 59 miles away, 3100 foot drop, 27 lifts, 156 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 , 72 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 - South Fork: Z-TO BE DELETED - Little Valle, Mariposa , 10 miles away Yosemite Bed And Breakfast, Mariposa , 11 miles away Comfort Inn Yosemite Valley Gateway, Mariposa , 11 miles away Americas Best Value Inn Mariposa Lodge, Mariposa , 11 miles away Best Western Plus Yosemite Way Station Motel, Mariposa , 11 miles away   Campgrounds Near Merced River - South Fork: Indian Flat RV Park, El Portal, 2 miles away Dirt Flat, El Portal, 2 miles away Dry Gulch, El Portal, 3 miles away   Trails Near Merced River - South Fork: Hite Cove Trail, Mariposa , 1 miles away,  14.4 hiking miles, 1185 feet elevation difference Pohono Trail, Mariposa , 14 miles away, 11.4 hiking miles, 3527 feet elevation difference El Capitan Trail, Mariposa , 15 miles away, 14.7 hiking miles, 4758 feet elevation difference Pilot Ridge Trail, Mariposa , 15 miles away, 2.1 hiking miles, 1023 feet elevation difference Chilnualna Fall Trail, Mariposa , 16 miles away,  7 hiking miles, 2879 feet elevation difference Hetch Hetchy Trail, Mariposa , 19 miles away, 7.7 hiking miles, 3804 feet elevation difference Yosemite Falls Trail, Mariposa , 19 miles away,  9.4 hiking miles, 3958 feet elevation difference   Public Lands Near Merced River - South Fork: Yosemite National Park, Yosemite National Park - CA , 14 miles away Stanislaus National Forest, California , 31 miles away Millerton Lake State Park, California , 37 miles away   Golf Courses Near Merced River - South Fork: River Creek Golf Course, Ahwahnee , 18 miles away Ahwahnee Golf Course, Oakhurst , 19 miles away   Lakes Near Merced River - South Fork Cherry Lake, Tuolumne , 19 miles away