Willow Placer Campground

After crossing the historic Briceburg Suspension Bridge, Willow Placer Campground is 3.6 miles downstream along the Merced River Road. This is the second of three campgrounds operated by the Bureau of Land Management along the Merced Wild & Scenic River, and a popular destination campground during spring and summer. There are eight walk-in campsites and one drive-up group campsite. The walk-in sites are between 50 and 200 feet from the parking lot, and an accessible crushed rock trail leads to each site. Like the other two BLM Merced River campgrounds, Willow Placer has vault toilets and seasonal port-o-potties, bearproof garbage and recycling cans, a bearproof food locker, a picnic table and a fire ring in each site, parking areas, and a bulletin board with local information, rules and regulations. The campground is situated on the shore of the Merced Wild & Scenic River, with all eight walk-in campsites within 100 feet of the river and the group site within 200 feet. The river is the main natural feature here, and the Merced River Trail is a short drive beyond the last campground. That trail follows the Old Yosemite Railroad grade past where cars can drive, and is spectacular during springtime (February-April), providing good access to more secluded swimming and fishing holes downstream and on to the North Fork of the Merced River, where swimming and wildflower viewing are excellent in spring to early summer. Wildflower viewing is great all along the Merced River, and the best season to see the colorful display is February through April. California newts are common in this area, active in the winter and spring especially on wet days. They are slow moving docile creatures, but do not touch or pick them up - they have a neurotoxin in their skin that is poisonous to people and pets. The Merced River Recreation Area is a special place just downstream from Yosemite, well known for excellent whitewater boating, wildflower viewing, camping, swimming and recreational gold panning and prospecting. Easy access, un-dammed flows and excellent whitewater boating attract rafters and kayakers during the spring runoff (April through July); established launch sites upstream near El Portal are Redbud, Indian Flat, Old Suspension Bridge and Briceburg Day-Use Area, with take-outs at Briceburg Day Use Area, Railroad Flat Boat Ramp and Bagby. It is a very popular swimming destination during the hot California foothill summers, with some of the clearest swimming holes around. In autumn the crowds subside and the area provides more solitude, and by winter true solitude can be found - the weather usually quite warm and sunny between storms, with daytime highs in the 60s and overnight lows in the 30s. Bird watching is good throughout the area most of the year, fishing is popular for trout and bass along the entire river, and hiking along the Merced River Trail/Old Yosemite Railroad Grade is good year around. Biking along the gravel roads and trails is popular with families and experienced mountain bikers alike, and the Burma Grade is another popular route to explore on foot, bike or high-clearance automobile, climbing steeply out of the Merced Canyon and eventually leading to Greely Hill or Buck Meadows (highway 120). Yosemite National Park is the main attraction in Mariposa County, and the Arch Rock Entrance Station is 26.4 miles from Willow Placer Campground. The California State Mining and Mineral Museum at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds is 14.2 miles from the Briceburg Visitor Center, the Mariposa Museum and History Center is in downtown Mariposa 12 miles from the visitor center, and Splash-n-Dash Aqua Park at Lake McSwain is 45 miles from it.