Mad River (California)

Mad River
The Mad River about 4 miles (6.4 km) above the mouth
Map of the Mad River watershed
Location
Country	United States
State	California
Counties	Humboldt, Trinity
City	McKinleyville
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	California Coast Ranges
• coordinates	40°12′20″N 123°9′23″W / 40.20556°N 123.15639°W / 40.20556; -123.15639[1]
• elevation	4,845 ft (1,477 m)[2]
Mouth	Pacific Ocean
• coordinates	40°56′31″N 124°8′6″W / 40.94194°N 124.13500°W / 40.94194; -124.13500[1]
• elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Length	113 mi (182 km)[3]
Basin size	497 sq mi (1,290 km2)
Discharge
• location	McKinleyville
• average	1,573 cu ft/s (44.5 m3/s)
• minimum	17 cu ft/s (0.48 m3/s)
• maximum	81,000 cu ft/s (2,300 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	South Fork Mad River, Blue Slide Creek, Littlefield Creek
• right	Barry Creek, Pilot Creek, Bug Creek, Graham Creek, Boulder Creek, Maple Creek, Canõn Creek, North Fork Mad River, Lindsay Creek, Mill Creek

Mad River
Legend
Six Rivers National Forest Three Forks South Fork Mad River Barry Creek Ruth Airport Littlefield Creek Ruth Ruth Reservoir R.W. Matthews Dam SR 36 Mad River Pilot Creek Deer Creek Bug Creek Graham Creek Blue Slide Creek Boulder Creek Maple Creek Butler Valley Road Canõn Creek North Fork Mad River Blue Lake Mill (Hall) Creek Lindsay Creek Essex SR 299 Arcata US 101 Tyee City McKinleyville Pacific Ocean

The Mad River (Wiyot: Baduwa't^[4]) is a river in upper Northern California. It flows for 113 miles (182 km)^[3] in a roughly northwest direction through Trinity County and then Humboldt County, draining a 497-square-mile (1,290 km²) watershed into the Pacific Ocean north of the town of Arcata near [California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport^[5]] in McKinleyville. The river's headwaters are in the Coast Range near South Kelsey Ridge.