Mccabe Flat Campground

Merced River Recreation Management Area — riverside, hiking

Location: El Dorado Hills, CA, CA

Price: From $20 per night

Price range: $20–$40 per night

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (5 reviews)

Season: May through October

Merced River Recreation Management Area Overview The Merced River Recreation Area is a special place just downstream from Yosemite. It is well known for excellent whitewater boating, wildflower viewing, camping, swimming, and recreational gold panning/prospecting. Visitors will have plenty to do in the Merced River Recreation Area during every season.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Bear Boxes, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/mccabe-flat-campground to be notified when sites open up.

Maccabe Flat offers affordable riverside camping ($20/night) with excellent access to whitewater boating, swimming, and gold panning along the Merced River, just downstream from Yosemite. Google reviewers consistently praise its pristine location, cleanliness, and amenities including fire rings, picnic tables, vault toilets, and bear boxes.

Wildlife alert: Mountain lions present in area; also gray foxes, mule deer, western gray squirrels, and various raptors including Northern Pygmy-Owls. Snakes including California Striped Racer and California Mountain Kingsnake documented within 8km.

Insider tips for Mccabe Flat Campground: Book early—this is a federal campground with high demand First-come, first-served sites available; Google reviews note approximately 10-15 sites Bring self-contained RV setup as there are no hookups

Skip Mccabe Flat Campground if: You require RV hookups—none available at most sites. You visit outside May-October—seasonal operations only. You prefer developed campgrounds—this is primitive with vault toilets only.

Best time to visit Mccabe Flat Campground: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October per official schedule. March-May — Peak wildflower viewing season in Merced River Recreation Area.

Nearby campgrounds: Willow Placer Campground (El Dorado Hills, CA), Railroad Flat Campground (El Dorado Hills, CA), Yosemite / Mariposa KOA Holiday (Midpines, CA (near Yosemite)), Dirt Flat (EL PORTAL, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Mccabe Flat Campground

Cell signal at Mccabe Flat Campground (El Dorado Hills, CA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›CA›Mccabe Flat Campground
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Merced River Recreation Management Area — riverside, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Mccabe Flat Campground

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El Dorado Hills, CA, CA★ 4.4 (5 reviews)From $20/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Merced River Recreation Management Area Overview The Merced River Recreation Area is a special place just downstream from Yosemite. It is well known for excellent whitewater boating, wildflower viewing, camping, swimming, and recreational gold panning/prospecting. Visitors will have plenty to do in the Merced River Recreation Area during every season.

Best for:HikersBoatersWildlife watchersFamiliesBackpackersSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
Pull-throughsAvailable
PetsAllowed
CampfiresNot permitted
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsBear Boxes
Recreation
Picnic TablesBoat Launch
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You require RV hookups—none available at most sites✕ You visit outside May-October—seasonal operations only✕ You prefer developed campgrounds—this is primitive with vault toilets only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand

First-come, first-served sites available; Google reviews note approximately 10-15 sites

Bring self-contained RV setup as there are no hookups

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October per official schedule

Best: March-May

Peak wildflower viewing season in Merced River Recreation Area

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Mountain lions present in area; also gray foxes, mule deer, western gray squirrels, and various raptors including Northern Pygmy-Owls. Snakes including California Striped Racer and California Mountain Kingsnake documented within 8km.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
916 941-3101 Mother Lode Field Office Main Phone· Merced River Recreation Management Area
Getting there →

From Mariposa, take CA-140 east to Briceburg, where the highway first meets the Merced River. Turn into Briceburg and cross the Old Briceburg Suspension Bridge. Follow the Briceburg Road downstream 2.3 miles to McCabe Flat Campground. From Yosemite/El Portal, take CA-140 west (downstream) to Briceburg, where the highway starts to climb away from the Merced River. Turn into Briceburg and cross the Old Briceburg Suspension Bridge. Follow the Briceburg Road downstream 2.3 miles to McCabe Flat Campg

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Merced River Recreation Management Area fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Merced River Recreation Management Area before arrival — seasonal closures common.
  • Bear country — store all food in bear boxes or locked vehicle at all times.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Mccabe Flat Campground cost per night?+
Mccabe Flat Campground costs $20–$40 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Mccabe Flat Campground open?+
Mccabe Flat Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Mccabe Flat Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Mccabe Flat Campground?+
Mccabe Flat Campground is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Mccabe Flat Campground?+
Mccabe Flat Campground is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Mccabe Flat Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Mccabe Flat Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Mccabe Flat Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Mccabe Flat Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Mother Lode Field OfficeMerced Wild & Scenic RiverMerced River Recreation AreaRailroad Flat CampgroundWillow Placer Campground
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$20 /night★ 4.4 (5)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Mccabe Flat Campground cost per night?+
What season is Mccabe Flat Campground open?+
Does Mccabe Flat Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Willow Placer Campground

El Dorado Hills, CA

From $20/night

Railroad Flat Campground

El Dorado Hills, CA

From $20/night

Yosemite National Park valley Merced River El Capitan granite California

Yosemite / Mariposa KOA Holiday

Midpines, CA (near Yosemite)

From $45/night

Dirt Flat

EL PORTAL, CA

From $41/night

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