Merced Falls Ghost Town

Merced County, California37.5231, -120.3325

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
8.4 miLake Don Pedro, CA
Mild months
Feb–Nov6 of 12
Elevation
350 ft106 m
Illustration of a desert landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Merced Falls. No free-licensed photo yet.

Merced Falls is a former settlement in Merced County, California, listed among the ghost towns of California. It lies at about 350 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miMercedAtwaterLivingstonWaterfordMcSwainMerced Falls
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • National Park Service
  • Other federal
  • City, county
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Merced Falls. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Lake Don Pedro, CA, about 8.4 miles north in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Merced, CA, 16 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Quartzburg7.1 mi east
  2. Indian Gulch9.4 mi southeast
  3. Horseshoe Bend12 mi northeast
  4. Ridleys Ferry12 mi northeast
  5. Bagby12 mi northeast
  6. Newtown15 mi northeast
  7. Mount Ophir15 mi east
  8. Cat Town16 mi northeast

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

Private or unlisted land

The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°5437Jan6139Feb6642Mar7346Apr8252May8957Jun9562Jul9460Aug8956Sep7949Oct6441Nov5536DecJan: 2.7 inFeb: 2.2 inMar: 1.9 inApr: 1.0 inMay: 0.6 inJun: 0.1 inJul: 0.0 inAug: 0.0 inSep: 0.1 inOct: 0.7 inNov: 1.2 inDec: 2.0 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run February to May, October to November, judging by NOAA normals from Merced. June to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Merced station (USC00045532), 19 miles away. About 12.5 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationMerced County, California
Coordinates37.52306, -120.33250
Elevation350 ft (106 m)
Also known asMerced Falls, CA
SourcesWikidata Q6818068 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Merced Falls ghost town?

In Merced County, California, at 37.5231, -120.3325. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Lake Don Pedro, CA, about 8.4 miles north in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Merced, CA, 16 miles away.

Can you visit Merced Falls?

Likely private land. The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road.

When is the best time to visit Merced Falls?

Mild months here run February to May, October to November, judging by NOAA normals from Merced. June to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

Are there other ghost towns near Merced Falls?

Yes. Quartzburg (7.1 mi), Indian Gulch (9.4 mi), Horseshoe Bend (12 mi), Ridleys Ferry (12 mi).

More ghost towns in California

All 240 ghost towns in California · Ghost towns near Sacramento · Ghost towns near Fresno