Arroyo Seco, California, US |
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| Usual Difficulty | IV(V) (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | 3 Miles |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARROYO SECO NR GREENFIELD CA | ||||
| usgs-11151870 | 7.50 - 8.80 ft | IV(V) | 00h16m | 7.54 ft (rc= 0.0 ) |
upper limit unkown This gauge is at the take out. |
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| ARROYO SECO NR SOLEDAD CA | ||||
| usgs-11152000 | 200 - 500 cfs | IV(V) | 00h31m | 46 cfs (rc= -0.5 ) |
The Arroyo Seco drains west out of the Santa Lucia mountains and Ventana Wilderness into the Salinas River at Greenfield. This section is known for its very pretty gorge and for the 3 mile hike required to get from the take out to the put in.
Season: Winter and spring rainstorms can bring flows up into the thousands of cfs, but as soon as the rain stops, flows drop quickly. The boating window can be from a day or two up to a week. During periods of steady or frequent rains, flows can remain at boatable levels for longer periods.
Christina Starr contributes:
"Arroyo Seco is one of the top class IV runs in California. Do not bother with the brushy
lower sections. All the action is
in the Gorge above the picnic area.
To reach the put-in, park at the upper parking lot and carry your boat around the locked gate
across the dirt road. It is about a three-mile hike; not too bad, though. Put in at the Willow
Creek packbridge.
The first two miles are class IV with one class V. You can scout the major rapids from river
left, right after Santa Lucia Creek enters from the right.
First two miles are in a spectacular gorge and the rapids are mostly class III-IV with one class
V: "MUCHOS CAJONES." "
Other boaters report that the lower sections are very scenic and worthwhile despite brush in some areas.
Other Information Sources:
Los Padres National Forest: Monterey
Ranger District (King City, 831-385-5434) Campground Kiosk: 831-674-5726
CA-Creeks-Arroyo Seco Online guidebook
Videos:
No photos found. The Greenfield gauge only gives stage in feet, but it is at the take out so it should be more responsive. In October of 2009, 7.7 was reported to be an excellent medium level on this gauge. Another boater in January of 2009 reported that 7.8 on this gauge was easy in the gorge, but shallow and boney in the last two miles. The listed boating range is just a guess, so use your good judgement when you look at the river.
The USGS gauge near Soledad is 14 miles dowstream of the take out and will be much slower to respond. The best range for the narrow gorge is reported to be from about 200 cfs up to 500 cfs. The river below the gorge can be run at much higher flows.
Christina Starr contributes:
If the flows are too high, you can hike in only one and a half miles and run two miles of class-III rapids which rocks at high flows!
Flows tend to spike up very high during rain storms then rapidly drop back down over a few days time.
Maximum discharge calculated by the USGS: 28,300 ft3/s, Apr. 3, 1958
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARROYO SECO NR GREENFIELD CA | ||||||||||||||||
| usgs-11151870 | 7.50 - 8.80 ft | IV(V) | 00h16m | 7.54 ft (rc= 0.0 ) | ||||||||||||
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upper limit unkown |
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This gauge is at the take out. |
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| ARROYO SECO NR SOLEDAD CA | ||||||||||||||||
| usgs-11152000 | 200 - 500 cfs | IV(V) | 00h31m | 46 cfs (rc= -0.5 ) | ||||||||||||
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This gauge is 14 miles downstream of the take out. |
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| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2y116d14h31m | Arroyo Seco [CA] | October in the Gorge | 7.70 ft | n/a |
No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. reach
state
reachlink
1) Willowcreek Bridge to Arroyo Seco Picnic Area , Arroyo Seco California, US (mobile)
User Comments
This rock is incredible and the rapids are fun. *NOTE. Muchos Cajones is easily run with speed and
a strong boof. I have heard of people messing it up and flushing right away. I almost drowned here.
I was getting the beatdown in my boat before I pulled, expecting to flush. Instead, I was recirced
underwater for a very long time. I truly thought I might drown and I tried everything I knew to get
out of there. Finally I did flush and there was a big chill pool below. My boat was stuck in an
eddy upstream and would have been very difficult to get without someone still up there. Climbing
back is not really an option as it is cliffed out. Have fun but be careful. Jeremy L Edit
stream through the canyon walls just down stream. The 2 friends I was paddeling with went down
stream before me. The swim was fine no rocks no bruises the problem was the boat. Just down stream
is a strong eddie on left the will suck you equipment in. This may not sound so bad but access from
downstream is next to impossible. the cliff wals are 40 feet and shear with only manzanita bushes
to make anchors out of. After 1.5 hours of planning crappy anchors and throw rope harnesses were
were saved by the party upstream of us who disloged my boat for me. -To run Mucho I would sugest
scouting on Left, setting safety and having you best paddler go first and catch the eddy just down
stream to do equip recovery in case of a swimmer. (the hole is sticker than it looks). Steven
Vaniman Edit