Feb 5, 2025 · Merced County’s approximate 1,938-square-mile geography spans from the coastal ranges to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and is home to more than 290,000 residents. Merced County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors (BOS). Board members are elected from the district in which he or she. resides.

Nov 16, 2014 · Today Highway 49 winds through many of the towns that sprung up during the Gold Rush of the 1850’s. The foothills between Merced County and Yosemite were a part of the Mother Lode known as the “Southern Mines.” The line separating them from the “Northern Mines” was drawn along the Mokelumne River, a few miles south of the town of Jackson.

The foothills just east of the Flying M Ranch are generally assigned to the Southern Sierra Miwok, whom settled seasonally between the upper elevations of the Sierra Nevada in the warmer months, and the lower elevations of the foothills and plains in winter.

Nov 18, 2014 · The closest town and closest mission of any size were located at San Juan Bautista, in modern San Benito County. 50 miles west of the current town of Los Banos, the mission was close enough to the valley that padres traveled along Los Banos Creek to recruit and/or capture natives to come to the mission.

Feb 17, 2016 · After the orchard blossoms fall to the ground, wildflower season kicks into gear in our local foothills. You can enjoy them easily on a short driving trip to Mariposa County. Although late March through early May is usually the best time for …

Merced County, located between Fresno and Modesto at the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, extends from the coastal ranges in the west to the foothills of Yosemite National Park in the east. The county's population of more than 210,000 people is ethnically diverse, including more than 30 percent of residents who are Spanish-speakers.

Little is known concerning the earliest occupants of the Merced County region, although it is likely that the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra foothills were occupied by humans throughout most of the latter part of the Holocene Epoch. Several important archaeological sites in Merced County are located near Pacheco Pass on the west side of the county.

Aug 3, 2009 · The Merced River emerges from a V-shaped gorge through the Sierra Nevada foothills into the San Joaquin Valley at the ghost town of Merced Falls, 30 miles east of Turlock. From this point it flows west-southwest for a distance of 40 miles, where it joins the northwestward-flowing San Joaquin River.

Ortigalita Creek, formerly Arroyo de Las Ortigalito (Little Nettle Creek) is a tributary stream of the San Joaquin River, in Merced County, California. The source of Ortigalita Creek is at 3,520 ft (1,070 m) located near a peak on the Ortigalita Ridge of the Diablo Range.

May 14, 2021 · There are new places to hike in Sierra foothills. Here’s where, and how to help conservation. More than 50,000 acres of rolling hills above central San Joaquin Valley cities have been protected...