I’ll be kayaking on the Big River Estuary this weekend in Mendocino - does anyone have a detailed paddling route or map that shows approximate mile markers along the navigable portion of the estuary?
I already know the starting and ending coordinates of the navigable section of the estuary, but I can’t find anything online showing mile markers along the actual river. I also tried mapping out the distance between the starting and ending coordinates myself using GAIA GPS and Google Earth, but it didn’t yield accurate results (it only estimated about 1.2 miles total though the section I was mapping should be 7 miles).
The navigable distance changes with the tide level, and perhaps to some extent the river flow. Currents are reasonably strong, so gojng upstream on flood/rising tideand back on ebb makes things easier. Can be afternoon breeze off water to make return hard, but thisis less common in winter than summer.
Perhaps check with the local rental place to see if they have a map
They probably are closed for the winter, but Kayak Mendo has a great tour out of Van Damme State Park thst takes you through some of the caves and arches.