Tag: Merced River

People have lived along the Merced River for many millennia. The original settlers were Native American Indians. Spanish and Mexican explorers, and gold prospectors, arrived during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. By the late 19^th century American cultures had blossomed along the length of the river.

The source of the river is Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park at over 13,000 feet (nearly 4,000 m). From there it flows downstream to Lake McClure, a reservoir in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Its 145-mile (233 km) journey into the San Joaquin Valley takes it through some spectacular scenery, especially through Yosemite Valley. It meanders through lakes, glaciated mountains, forests, and meadows.

It enters Yosemite Valley through Little Yosemite Valley, then flows over Nevada and Vernal Falls. Joined by several creeks, it continues through meadows and woodland before leaving the valley at the western end to wind down to the San Joaquin Valley.

Miwok and Paiute people lived along the Merced River for thousands of years before the arrival of Spanish and Mexican explorers during the 19^th century.

The California Gold Rush brought a massive influx of prospectors and new settlers into California, many setting up new towns and homes.

The story of the original inhabitants of Yosemite Valley – the Ahwahneechees – is told in the historical fiction, Great Spirit of Yosemite: The Story of Chief Tenaya. It re-tells the true story of the indigenous peoples of Yosemite and their heart-breaking fate during the Gold Rush and the invasion of their homeland in 1851.