Mccabe Flat Campground

Please print this reservation with the QR code and post it on the Camp Site Post when you arrive. Alternately, fill out the registration slip provided on-site and attach it to your Camp Site Post.

Water• A drinking water tap is located on north side of Briceburg Suspension Bridge at the Information Kiosk. No potable water available at Campgrounds. OK to use river water for washing.

Access• The Briceburg Suspension Bridge is difficult to cross with large vehicles. We do not recommend crossing the suspension bridge with trailers longer than 18 feet, or RV’s longer than 22 feet. Use a second person outside the vehicle to help spot. The bridge weight limit is 15 tons (33,000lbs / 14,968kgs).• The Merced River Road leading to the campgrounds is a narrow gravel and dirt road. Large potholes are common. The speed limit is 15 mph throughout with 5 mph in the campgrounds. Please drive slowly and pull over in turnouts to allow other vehicles to pass.

Fire• Campfires are allowed only in designated metal fire rings in designated campsites.• No campfires on the beach!• No firewood is sold at the campground. Firewood may be purchased in Mariposa at local stores.• Fire Restrictions occur every summer. Each year is slightly different depending on current environmental conditions. Usually by July, campfires and charcoal fires are not allowed. Check for current status https://www.blm.gov/office/mother-lode-field-office• Propane and/or gas stoves are permitted year-round.

Safety• Swimming is only recommended when the water is below 700 cubic feet per second. https://www.dreamflows.com/graphs/day.225.php• No lifeguards are on duty. The Merced River is undammed, and its flow changes dramatically through the year.• Inner tubing is inherently dangerous and not recommended when the water is above 700 cubic feet per second.• Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) are required for all float trips launching from one place and taking out at another. This includes inner tubing. At flows above 700 cfs, a wetsuit and helmet are also recommended regardless of boat type.

Communication• Cell service is limited along the Merced Wild and Scenic River. Verizon service is poor at best near the Briceburg Visitor Center, McCabe Flat Campground, and at Good Gulch (just upstream from Willow Placer Campground).  • Wi-Fi is available year-round at the Briceburg Visitor Center for visitors to help communicate with your party and make travel arrangements including creating Recreation.gov reservations online. • Many modern phones offer satellite messaging. Practice this feature before you need it.• There is no cell service once you travel downstream from the Briceburg Visitor Center.

Non-reservable sites:• Some sites remain available on-site for first come first serve.  This will be reflected in the available inventory on Recreation.gov at time of booking.• A campsite is considered occupied only once the fee is paid in full, the pay stub or envelope is attached to the campsite post, and the tent is up/camp is set-up.• The camping fee is $20 per site per night. With a Golden Age/Senior Pass, or Golden Access/Person with disability Pass, the fee is half price.

Supplemental RulesThe following Supplemental Rules are misdemeanor laws that are in force within the Merced River Recreation Management Area defined as one quarter mile upstream from Briceburg to one quarter mile downstream from Railroad Flat Campground and one quarter mile each side of the Merced River. They have been established for visitor safety and to protect the natural recourses. a. No person shall discharge a firearm within a quarter mile of each side of the Merced River.b. No person shall occupy a campsite with more than two motor vehicles or more than eight people.c. No person shall camp outside the designated campgrounds.d. No person shall operate a motor vehicle on the Old Railroad Bed between Lake McClure and Railroad Flat Campground; or between Briceburg and the National Forest Boundary.e. No person shall operate a motor vehicle on the Briceburg Road unless it is registered for street use in California.f. No person shall operate a motor vehicle off the Briceburg Road or the developed Campground Road.g. No person shall enter a developed campground between 10 pm and 6 am unless that person is a registered camper.h. No person shall operate or possess a motor vehicle or motorized equipment in the classified “Wild” section of the Merced River; which is described as the section between the high-water mark of Lake McClure and the Railroad Flat Campground.i. No person shall possess any glass beverage container within one quarter mile of each side of the Merced River.j. No person shall occupy a campsite for longer that 30 minutes without paying the required fee and displaying the tag on the campsite post.