BRT Insights - WW Kayaking & Hiking

Whitewater River Guide & Maps - California.

River Flow Data.

This section may be runnable if the inflow to Pardee is over 2000 cfs.

(I think this gauge is located near the Hwy 49 bridge.)

River Difficulty.

class . . flow (cfs)
III- . . . ???

Description - Mokelumne River - Ponderosa Way Run.

Much of the river flow is diverted out of the riverbed for hydroelectric power generation (Amador County/Calaveras County, California, USA). This section of the Mokelumne River is runnable only at the peak springtime flow of wet years or during a recreational dam release. The dirt road from Hwy 26 to put-in was OK for 2WD vehicles on the dry, sunny day when I kayaked this section years ago, but go with caution if the road is soft from recent rain. There is no river flow gauge for this section, but it is likely runnable if the Mokelumne River inflow to Pardee Reservoir is over 2000 cfs. This section of the Mokelumne River may be a little brushy because it is not flushed out very often. Take-out can be at the Electra Access. At flows over 2500 cfs most of the interesting features of the Electra Run get washed out, but boaters may want to continue quickly down to the alternate take-out at the Hwy 49 bridge just to simplify the shuttle and add a few more river miles to a fairly short run.

There is a proposal for official Wild & Scenic status for the Mokelumne River. Please sign the petition to designate the Mokelumne River Wild & Scenic.

Driving Directions, Distance, Estimated Time & Road Conditions.

Mapquest provides directions, distance & time from your house to the river.
• From Davis, CA to Mokelumne Hill, CA - driving time 1 hour, 20 minutes.

California Road Conditions (Delays or closures due to weather, construction, etc.)
• California Travel Information - highwayconditions.com.
• Road Conditions - California Dept Transportation.

Topographic River Map, Road Map & Local Business Search.

• The map below is interactive - click and drag on the map to adjust the location.
• Point or DoubleClick on the red markers below to see their names.
• Use the tool on the left to zoom and pan.
• Click on the Map button for a road map, Topo button for topographic map.
• Click on Google logo for road map & local business search (gas, food, camping).
• Full screen topo map and coordinates of additional landmarks - see below.
• Topographic map user instructions.

Topographic River Map.

Full-Screen Topo Map - Mokelumne River Ponderosa Way Run.
A=Put-in. B & C=Takeout.

River Landmarks - Geographic Coordinates.
(A)(B)(C) locations are marked on the Acme Mapper topo map above, or
copy/paste these coordinates into the search box at Google Maps or the Find box at Acme Mapper.
• N 38.29775 W 120.70473, Mokelumne Hill, CA.
• N 38.33038 W 120.63091, Ponderosa Way turnoff from Hwy 26.
• N 38.34098 W 120.63088, Ponderosa Way bridge (washed out) put-in (A).
• N 38.33057 W 120.67538, dam (portage).
• N 38.32854 W 120.67701, Electra Access take-out (B).
• N 38.31284 W 120.72018, Hwy 49 Bridge alternate take-out (C).
• N 38.31253 W 120.71945, gauge near Hwy 49 bridge??.

Local weather in Mokelumne Hill, California.

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

• Mokelumne River Recreation & Conservation Directory.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Whitewater River Trip Reports NEEDED !!

• I'm happy to post or link to well-written, whitewater boating trip reports from guest authors, especially if kayaking pictures or videos of Ponderosa Way Run on Mokelumne River are included. Please contact me to submit your trip report.

River Recreation Links - Mokelumne River.

• Mokelumne River Recreation Directory. Recreation & conservation links for the Mokelumne River valley area. (Display options - alphabetical 100. Section 1=whitewater, 2=rafting, 3=conservation, 4=fishing, 5=camping-hiking, 6=local-info)

More about:
• Using the white water river paddleboating guides - BRT Kayaking.
• Rivers & creeks nearby: Cosumnes River, Mokelumne River, Sacramento River Valley Region, Calaveras River.
• California Whitewater River Guides - BRT Insights.
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Tags: kayaking, whitewater, paddle boating, California, river map, river.

Labels: guide