merced river trips
VIEW DIRECTIONS / Places to Stay / places to eat
[Merced River Trip Information PDF]
Meeting Time and Place
The Merced River Trip meets at 8:30 am in the town of Midpines just past the Mountain View Grocery Store . Please be on time as we only wait a short time for late arrivals. Please check in with our staff and they will be happy to answer any questions. Once everyone has checked in, we begin your trip with a 20 minute shuttle ride to where we put in. Your car keys will be kept in a locked location while rafting.
Directions to Midpines, CA
From San Francisco / San Jose Bay Area
- Drive to Highway 99 to Manteca (from I-880 S, I-580 E, I-205)
- Take Hwy 99 South to the town of Merced
- Exit Hwy 140 East towards Mariposa/Yosemite National Park
- Follow Hwy 140 through the town of Mariposa
- Seven miles past Mariposa is the town of Midpines
- Look for the Mountain View Grocery Store on the right
- Just past the Mountain View grocery store, on the LEFT SIDE of Hwy 140, is our meeting area.
- Look for the WWE vans.
From Sacramento:
- Take Hwy 99 South to the town of Merced
- Exit Hwy 140 East towards Mariposa/Yosemite National Park
- Follow Hwy 140 through the town of Mariposa
- Seven miles past Mariposa is the town of Midpines
- Look for the Mountain View Grocery Store on the right
- Just past the Mountain View grocery store, on the LEFT SIDE of Hwy 140, is our meeting area.
- Look for the WWE vans.
From Southern California:
- Take Hwy 99 North to the town of Merced
- Exit Hwy 140 East towards Mariposa/Yosemite National Park
- Follow Hwy 140 through the town of Mariposa
- Seven miles past Mariposa is the town of Midpines
- Look for the Mountain View Grocery Store on the right
- Just past the Mountain View grocery store, on the LEFT SIDE of Hwy 140, is our meeting area.
- Look for the WWE vans.
Places to Stay
Accommodations
Camping
KOA in Midpines
6323 Highway 140
Midpines, CA 95345
(800) 562-9391 / (209) 966-2201
Indian Flat Campground
9988 Highway 140,
El Portal, CA 95318
Phone: (209) 379-2339
BLM Camp Area – On the River – First Come First Serve!
The BLM camp area is located right on the river in a primitive setting and is about 10-15 minutes from our meeting area.
Directions to BLM Camp Area:
- From the WWE meeting area drive east on Hwy 140
- Continue down the winding section of the highway and at the bottom just before you cross the bridge, turn left at Briceburg (BLM Brick Building Field Office is on your left – Do NOT continue on Hwy 140 heading east up the Merced River).
- Cross the old suspension bridge and follow the dirt road that follows the Merced River.
- The first camp area is called McCabe Flat, a very nice and large area near Split Rock rapid. The second camp is a bit further down, called Railroad Flat.
Lodging
- Reservations should be made in advance due to the close proximity to Yosemite National Park.
- Yosemite Resorts (209)379-2681
- Mariposa Lodge – (209) 966-3607 (800) 341-8000
- Mother Lode Lodge – (209) 966-2521 (800) 396-9770
- Miners Inn Motel – (209) 742-7777 (800) 237-7277
- Comfort Inn – (209) 966-4344 (800) 321-5261
- Best Western – (209) 966-7545 (800) 321-5261
Restaurants are located in the nearby town of Mariposa from fast food to fine dining.
Weather
Our area can experience extreme changes in weather especially in the months of April, May and June, so please check the weather (www.weather.com) for Midpines, CA prior to your trip.
Average Area Air and Water Temperatures
Air (Day) °F April 65-73 / May 73-83 / June 82-90
Driving Times / Distances
San Francisco: 180 mi/ 3.5 hrs
San Jose: 165 mi/ 3 hrs
Sacramento: 150 mi/ 3 hrs
Los Angeles: 310 mi/ 5.5 hrs
Merced: 50 mi/ 1 hr
Mariposa: 7 mi/ 10 min
Yosemite National Park: 35 mi/ 45 min
