Merced River Rafting Near Yosemite National Park
Merced River Rafting Near Yosemite: Overview
Spring fever comes early on the Merced River located near historic Yosemite National Park in California. With the hillsides of California's Sierra Nevada gold-plated in orange California poppies and silvery alpine snows melting fast and furiously, the Merced River is a snapshot of reawakening Yosemite wilderness. With its expanse of burly pine forests, jutting rock and silky beaches, the Merced River runs through a sun-soaked California paradise. The Merced River guards the edge of Yosemite National Park, a spectacular place and a U.S. national park like none other. In April and May, the Class III-IV whitewater on the Merced is first class, the stuff of avid paddlers’ winter daydreams. For the rest of the whitewater season, the Merced churns with bold wave trains and slick chutes friendly to rafters of all levels. Rafters on the Merced should always consider combining their Merced River Rafting one day trip with a night at a local lodge and a day or two exploring adjacent Yosemite National Park for the perfect Sierra getaway.
Merced River Rafting Near Yosemite: Itinerary at a Glance
- Our Merced River rafting trip starts out with a bang – at least one mile of constant Class III-IV whitewater, rollercoaster wave trains and heart pounding action
- Beyond the alternating clear pools and frothy whitewater, the surrounding scenery just outside of Yosemite is magnificent and the calm stretches of the Merced offer a chance to enjoy this picturesque canyon adorned with pine forests, colorful wildflowers, rocky ledges and sandy beaches
- Lunchtime is a delicious picnic on a sandy beach
- Back on the river, challenge Ned’s Gulch and Gauge Hole to provide some more Class III-IV whitewater thrills
- Shuttle from take-out to meeting location and return to civilization for the conclusion of our Merced River rafting trip
Rafting the Merced River Near Yosemite:
Mile by Mile Guide
Mile 0* | Red Bud Launch Site, river right. Put-in (start) of O.A.R.S. Merced River Whitewater Rafting trips.* Your California whitewater rafting trip on the Merced River begins with Class III-IV rapids continuing on until you pass through Chipped Tooth rapid at Mile 1.4. |
Mile 1.2 | NIGHTMARE ISLAND (IV). The Merced River splits around Nightmare Island and then turns left. The rapid is run on either river right or left, depending on the water’s flow. |
Mile 1.4 | CHIPPED TOOTH (IV). This rapid is a short ‘staircase’ with a large rock located in the middle of the channel. When the water is high, it blends with Nightmare Island, making one very large rapid. From this point, until approximately Mile 6, there are a series of fun Class II and Class III rapids, many of which are ‘wave trains’ (fun, bouncy rapids). Occasionally the river will split around brushy islands. |
Mile 2.5 | RIVER ACCESS. The Cedar Lodge, one of three Yosemite lodging accommodations located just outside the national park’s Arch Rock Entrance on Hwy 140 in El Portal, can be seen from this point on the Merced River. |
Mile 5.6 | SOUTH FORK MERCED. The South Fork of the Merced enters the river here. This is a splendid hike to consider either prior to or after your O.A.R.S. Merced River Rafting trip. There is an incredible display of spring wildflowers, providing a photographer’s dream. Expert kayakers frequently run the South Fork, a class V/V+ run. |
Mile 7.5 | NED'S GULCH (IV). There is a very small turn-out on Hwy 140 where onlookers can view boaters run this rapid. This is a ‘staircase’ rapid with the third drop being the largest. There is a large eddy at the end of the rapid. (An eddy is an area of usually calm water behind or downstream of an obstruction in the main current, such as a rock, where water flows counter to that of the main current.) There are easy, splashy Class II rapids for the next six miles. |
Mile 15* | Briceburg. Take out. Hot/cold drinks and a return shuttle to your vehicle await at the take-out of your O.A.R.S. Merced River rafting trip.* Hwy 140 leaves the river here, heading toward Mariposa. There is a bridge that crosses the river and continues downstream for the next five miles. There is also a dirt road that climbs up and out of the canyon leading toward Coulterville and Groveland. Driving this road is not advisable – it is very steep, narrow, often severely rutted and extremely remote. |
Mile 17.2 | SPLIT ROCK (IV) There is a very large boulder in the middle of the river. |
Mile 17.4 | CORNER POCKET (IV) The river makes a very sharp right turn, and most of the current pours into a very large hole against a rock wall. |
Mile 20.2* | Railroad Flat Campground. Take out. Hot/cold drinks and a return shuttle to your vehicle await at the take-out of your O.A.R.S. Merced River rafting trip.* |
Mile 22 | QUARTER MILE RAPID (IV+) This rapid is actually longer than a quarter mile. |
Mile 22.8 | NORTH FORK FALLS (unrunnable). There is a 25-foot drop choked with huge boulders. O.A.R.S. does not run this rapid. The North Fork of the Merced enters on the right just downstream. There are Class II rapids from here until we reach the take out/end of the trip. |
Mile 28.3* | Take out. Hot/cold drinks and a return shuttle to your vehicle await at the take-out of your O.A.R.S. Merced River rafting trip.* |
*O.A.R.S. sometimes varies its put-in (start) and take-out (end) locations depending on the water level and whitewater rafting experience of its guests. When the water is very high and guests do not have strong rafting experience, O.A.R.S. may begin a Merced rafting trip at Indian Flat and end at Railroad Flat. When there are “normal” water levels, O.A.R.S. will typically begin the Merced whitewater adventure at Red Bud and end the trip at Mile 15 - Briceburg.
Information for this Mile by Mile guide was gathered from the books “California Whitewater” and “A Guide to the Best Whitewater in the State of California”, as well as from a variety of sources on the Internet.
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