Railroad Flat Campground

Merced River Recreation Management Area — riverside, hiking

Location: El Dorado Hills, CA, CA

Price: From $20 per night

Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (10 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/railroad-flat-campground to be notified when sites open up.

Railroad Flat Campground offers direct access to the Merced River Recreation Area, known for excellent whitewater boating, wildflower viewing, and swimming. Campers consistently rate it 4.6/5 stars and praise its quiet, scenic riverside setting with multiple swimming holes and nearby waterfalls.

Wildlife alert: Gray Fox, Mule Deer, Western Gray Squirrel, Olive-sided Flycatcher, California Striped Racer, and California Mountain Kingsnake present within 8km.

Insider tips for Railroad Flat Campground: Waterfalls are accessible via short walk-in trail past the gate before the bridge, not visible from the road Multiple swimming holes with waterfalls available in the area This is the last campground at Briceburg—book early as it's a federal campground with only 9 sites

Skip Railroad Flat Campground if: You need RV hookups—no hookups available, only suitable for self-contained RVs. You want year-round camping—seasonal operations May through October only. You prefer large campgrounds—only 9 total sites available.

Best time to visit Railroad Flat Campground: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only. March-May — Wildflower season peaks during spring in the Merced River Canyon.

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

Cell Phone Coverage at Railroad Flat Campground

Cell signal at Railroad 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.

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Merced River Recreation Management Area — riverside, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Railroad Flat Campground

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El Dorado Hills, CA, CA★ 4.3 (10 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.
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 need RV hookups—no hookups available, only suitable for self-contained RVs✕ You want year-round camping—seasonal operations May through October only✕ You prefer large campgrounds—only 9 total sites available

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Waterfalls are accessible via short walk-in trail past the gate before the bridge, not visible from the road

Multiple swimming holes with waterfalls available in the area

This is the last campground at Briceburg

book early as it's a federal campground with only 9 sites

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Best: March-May

Wildflower season peaks during spring in the Merced River Canyon

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: Gray Fox, Mule Deer, Western Gray Squirrel, Olive-sided Flycatcher, California Striped Racer, and California Mountain Kingsnake present 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 the visitor center, where the highway first meets the Merced Wild & Scenic River. Turn into the visitor center and cross the Suspension Bridge. Follow the Briceburg Campground Road downstream 4.5 miles to Railroad Flat Campground. From Yosemite/El Portal, take CA-140 west (downstream) to the visitor center, where the highway starts to climb away from the Merced Wild & Scenic River. Turn into the visitor center and cross the Suspension Bridge. Follow the Bricebu

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 Railroad Flat Campground cost per night?+
Railroad Flat Campground costs $20 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Railroad Flat Campground open?+
Railroad Flat Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Railroad Flat Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Railroad Flat Campground?+
Railroad Flat Campground is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Railroad Flat Campground?+
Railroad 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 Railroad Flat Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Railroad Flat Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Railroad Flat Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Railroad 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 AreaWillow Placer CampgroundMcCabe Flat 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★ 4.3 (10)
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 Railroad Flat Campground cost per night?+
What season is Railroad Flat Campground open?+
Does Railroad Flat Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Willow Placer Campground

El Dorado Hills, CA

From $20/night

Mccabe 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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