Briceburg, California
Briceburg | |
|---|---|
Bridge over the Merced River at Briceburg | |
Briceburg Location in California | |
| Coordinates: 37°36′18″N 119°58′01″W / 37.60500°N 119.96694°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Mariposa County |
| Named | 1926 |
| Elevation | 1,139 ft (347 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1656298[1] |
Briceburg, formerly known as Bear Creek, is an unincorporated community in Mariposa County, California, located along the Merced River near its confluence with Bear Creek, approximately 5 miles (8 km) north-northwest of Midpines.[2][1] It is named for William M. Brice, who established a store at the site in 1926.[2]
History
The area was originally known as Bear Creek.[2] The Merced River canyon served as a route to Yosemite Valley from the 1850s, and gold mining occurred along the river and its tributaries during the California Gold Rush.
Around 1924, a convict labor camp was established at the site, with 255 prisoners building 16.7 miles (26.9 km) of highway from Briceburg to El Portal through the river canyon. The camp was abandoned in 1926 when the All-Year Highway was completed, at which point William M. Brice moved his store to the south side of the river and the community took his name.[3][2]
The suspension bridge connecting the community to California State Route 140 was completed in 1937. Built by 30 Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees under Forest Service engineer J. W. Nute, it spans 160 feet (49 m) across the Merced River.[4] The bridge has been documented by the Historic American Engineering Record as HAER CA-1923.[5]
2019 fire and microgrid
The Briceburg Fire of 2019 burned 5,563 acres (2,251 ha) in the surrounding area.[6] Following the fire, Pacific Gas & Electric installed a stand-alone power system consisting of solar panels, batteries, and a backup generator rather than rebuild traditional distribution lines through the high fire-risk terrain.[7]
Geography
Briceburg sits at an elevation of 1,139 feet (347 m) in the Merced River canyon.[1] The community is accessed via a bridge over the Merced River connecting State Route 140 with Briceburg Road.
Transportation
The Yosemite Valley Railroad operated through the Merced River canyon from 1907 to 1945, running 77 miles (124 km) from Merced to El Portal. Briceburg was a station on the line at milepost 60.8. The last scheduled train ran on August 24, 1945, after completion of the All-Year Highway had reduced passenger traffic and the closure of the Yosemite Sugar Pine Lumber Company and Yosemite Portland Cement Company eliminated major freight customers.[8] The former railroad grade now serves as a hiking trail and gravel road providing access to BLM campgrounds downstream.[9]
California State Route 140, one of the principal approach routes to Yosemite National Park, passes through Briceburg. The Ferguson Slide of 2006 buried a section of the highway approximately 9 miles (14 km) east of Briceburg under roughly 798,000 tons of rock, closing the route for months.[10]
Recreation
The Bureau of Land Management operates the Merced River Recreation Area at Briceburg. The Briceburg Visitor Center, housed in a 1926 stone building that originally served as a general store, is open seasonally from late May through Labor Day.[11] Three developed campgrounds—McCabe Flat, Willow Placer, and Railroad Flat—are located downstream along the former railroad grade.[12]
The Merced River through Briceburg is part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, designated in 1987 with a downstream extension added in 1992.[13] The canyon is the only known habitat of the limestone salamander (Hydromantes brunus), a species endemic to the Merced River gorge.[13] The river offers whitewater rafting, typically from April through early June during spring snowmelt.[12]
See also
- Bagby
- Clearing House
- El Portal
- Merced River
- Yosemite Valley Railroad
- List of unincorporated communities in California
References
- ^ a b c d "Geographic Names Information System: Briceburg". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ a b c d Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names. Word Dancer Press. pp. 749–750. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
- ^ "Briceburg Convict Labor Camp Site". California Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ "1937 Briceburg". Bridgemeister. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ "Briceburg Bridge, Spanning Merced River". Historic American Engineering Record. Library of Congress. HAER CA-1923. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ "Briceburg Fire fully contained at 5,563 acres, according to fire officials". Merced Sun-Star. October 24, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ Nguyen, Daisy (June 30, 2021). "California tests off-the-grid solutions to power outages". AP News. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ "History of the YV". Yosemite Valley Railroad. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ "Hiking From Briceburg Up the Historic Yosemite Valley Railroad Bed on the Merced River Trail". Sierra News Online. December 27, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ "A Timeline of the Ferguson Rock Slide". Sierra Sun Times. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ "Briceburg Visitor Center". Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ a b "Merced River Recreation Management Area". Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ a b "Merced Wild and Scenic River". Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved February 9, 2026.