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Access Site CA

Merced Falls Reservoir access near McSwain dam

Merced River

Source: american_whitewater Updated 3 months ago

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City: CA
County: Mariposa
Type: Whitewater Access
Location: 37.52360200, -120.31300400
Air Temp: --
Location
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Nearby Gauge Conditions
Merced River below Merced Falls DAM near Snell CA Same River 1.1 mi away
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Merced River a Shaffer Bridge near Cressey CA Same River 16.9 mi away
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Turlock CN near LA Grange CA 12.1 mi away
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Real-time data from USGS Water Services
Whitewater Run
I Merced - 7) Merced Falls to Snelling Diversion Dam
2 ft/mi
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Current Conditions
Whitewater Runs on Merced River
9 runs (8 nearby)
Difficulty Classes
I Easy II Novice III Intermediate IV Advanced V Expert/Extreme VI Unrunnable
Position relative to this access site: Put-in at this location This location is on the run Take-out at this location
Downstream from here Upstream from here
I Put-in at this location 7) Merced Falls to Snelling Diversion Dam
3.5 mi 2 ft/mi
I(II) Downstream from here (4.4 mi to put-in) 8) Snelling diversion to San Joaquin confluence
51.7 mi 5 ft/mi
IV Upstream from here (13.7 mi from take-out) 6) Briceburg to Bagby
13.8 mi 20 ft/mi
IV Upstream from here (24.6 mi from take-out) 5) Redbud to Briceburg
14.3 mi 40 ft/mi
IV-V Upstream from here (35.7 mi from take-out) 4) Park Boundary to Redbud
3.8 mi
V Upstream from here (39.6 mi from take-out) 3) Routes 120-140 Junction to Park Boundary
6.8 mi 242 ft/mi
III-IV Upstream from here (45.8 mi from take-out) 2) El Cap Meadow to Highway 120 / 140 junction.
3.3 mi 40 ft/mi
I Upstream from here (49.0 mi from take-out) 1) Stables to El Capitan Meadow
5.8 mi 2 ft/mi
These whitewater runs are on the same river but located more than 50 miles from this access site.
IV-V(V+) 56 mi away 0.5) Headwaters to Little Yosemite Valley
7.7 mi
Whitewater data from American Whitewater
About This Access Site
Merced Falls Reservoir access near McSwain Dam provides a whitewater paddling opportunity on the Merced River system in Mariposa County. This access point serves paddlers interested in running whitewater sections of the Merced River, with the reservoir and dam infrastructure nearby. The location offers access to a section of river that can vary significantly in difficulty and flow conditions depending on dam releases and seasonal water management. Paddlers should be aware that this is a working dam facility and conditions can change rapidly based on water releases.