The Bureau of Land Management Mother Lode Field Office is reopening recreation sites along the Merced River, including McCabe Flat, Willow Placer and Railroad Flat campgrounds, after a mudslide on Railroad Grade Road has been cleaned up. 

Still, outdoor enthusiasts should exercise caution on the trails. Recent heavy rains have loosened the soil along the trails, causing trail damage, and the Merced River high-water flows have deposited debris on the trails, resulting in rough patches. 

The Briceburg Visitor Center, along the Merced River, is closed for the season and will reopen Friday, May 4 through Labor Day weekend. 

As stewards, the BLM manages public lands for the benefit of current and future generations, supporting conservation in pursuit of the agency’s multiple-use mission. The Mother Lode Field Office manages roughly 230,000 acres of public land across 14 central California counties stretching from Nevada County in the north to Mariposa County to the south within the Sierra Nevada foothills. To find recreation areas along the American, Merced, Mokelumne, South Yuba or Tuolumne Rivers, please visit https://www.blm.gov/visit.