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Iconic Riverfront Estate
Nestled along the serene Merced River, this extraordinary 150-acre retreat captures the essence of California’s natural beauty and rural elegance. Offering an unmatched combination of privacy, recreation, and tranquility, the property is home to an impressive five bedroom, three bath main residence overlooking the free roaming horse pastures and enchanting riverbank.
The main house features generous living spaces, including two living rooms, a pool room, and a formal dining area designed for both relaxation and entertainment. Step outside to a sparkling swimming pool and jacuzzi tub, perfectly positioned to enjoy the sweeping views of the surrounding landscape. A dedicated water tank provides fresh drinking water, ensuring comfort and convenience throughout the year.
Beyond the main residence, the property includes five additional dwellings spread across six legal lots—three currently leased on a month-to-month basis and one vacant—making this an exceptional multi-home compound with income potential. Outdoors, nature thrives in its purest form. The land is teeming with wildlife, including deer, bobcats, foxes, wild pigs, and even the occasional bear crossing the stream during salmon season. Multiple fishable ponds are stocked with largemouth bass, Florida bass, catfish, and bluegill, offering year-round enjoyment for anglers and nature enthusiasts alike.
Adding to its versatility, the property includes various equipment and an excavator/backhoe, ideal for maintaining or expanding the estate’s vast grounds. Whether envisioned as a private family retreat, an income-generating compound, or a nature lover’s sanctuary, 7555 Merced Falls Road stands as a truly iconic river property—where the beauty of California’s wilderness meets the comfort of refined living.
About The Property
The subject property is zoned A2 and comprises six separate parcels that are all operated together as a single cohesive ranch. Located within an area historically affected by gold dredging operations along the Merced River in the mid-20th century, the land primarily consists of the tailings left behind from that era. Over the past 40 years, the current ownership has undertaken reclamation efforts to restore portions of the property. These improvements have converted portions of the land into usable pastures and rural residential homesites, consistent with common land use patterns in the surrounding area.
Three of the properties (Lots 1, 2, and 3) have frontage along Merced Falls Road but don’t have river access. Instead, they have appropriative rights via the Nelson-Kelsey-Spears Ditch. Two of the parcels are improved with manufactured homes while the third is vacant. The three larger-sized parcels (Lots 4, 5, and 6) have frontage off the north side of the Merced River with riparian rights to the river (lift pumps in place). One parcel has a good quality main residence with a steel shop building, another has an older residence, and the third has a good manufactured home with a garage/storage building.
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043-160-058 None 7.84 Acres (vacant Land) – Lot 3
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043-160-059 7583 Merced Falls Rd. 9.58 Acres – Lot 2
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043-160-060 7576 Merced Falls Rd. 10.70 Acres – Lot 1
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043-160-061 7671 Merced Falls Rd. 39.16 Acres – Lot 6
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043-160-062 7555 Merced Falls Rd. 40.27 Acres – Lot 5
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043-160-063 7481 Merced Falls Rd. 41.03 Acres – Lot 4
Site Plan:
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A Note From The Owner.
7583 Merced Falls
The first house on the left is located at 7583 Merced Falls Road, where Jaime and his family have resided for the past 20 years. This three-bedroom, two-bath luxury mobile home features Corrion countertops, and the master bath includes a jetted tub.
Main House - 7555 Merced Falls Rd.
Throughout the home, redwood heartwood paneling and massive open-beam construction create a striking architectural presence. Teak parquet flooring adds warmth and elegance to the kitchen, hall, primary bedroom, and library.
Complementing the grandeur is a carefully designed climate system. Oversized fans in the living and dining rooms circulate zoned central heating and air. At the same time, thermostats in key suites, independent split heat pumps upstairs, and a dedicated HVAC unit for the master and library ensure personalized comfort. A whole-house fan in the main hall efficiently cools the home in spring and fall.
Sliding Anderson glass doors open into the game room, which also serves as a laundry and mudroom. Since so many days are spent on the river or planting trees, this space has seen it all. The billiards table doubles as a gathering spot — perfect for laying out gear or folding fresh laundry. Around the room, you’ll notice stored lifejackets, paddles, and fishing rods, making it a hub for both work and play.
Kitchen
Remodeled in 1990, Uba Tuba granite countertops, sink faces north to look out for arriving company, a bar reception, and a recycling center that can be accessed from outside the house.
Dining Room
Over the years, the dining room has hosted countless Thanksgiving and holiday celebrations, and it remains the place where plans for the future are often made. From here, a commanding view opens onto the meadow and the gentle slope leading down to the river. A hand-painted mural—featuring wood ducks, red-winged blackbirds, a covey
of quail, an osprey with a rainbow trout in its talons, a great blue heron, and other surrounding wildlife—begins in the dining room and extends the length of the hall.
Living Room
As you enter the home from the dining room, your eye is immediately drawn to a massive floor-to-ceiling river rock fireplace, a striking focal point of the living room. Designed with a glass enclosure and a circulation fan, it offers both warmth and efficiency. The broad stone hearth doubles as additional seating, perfect for gathering around a romantic, cozy fire. Above, a rustic rack of elk antlers adds character and awaits seasonal touches such as Christmas stockings, while an adjacent wood box provides convenient storage for firewood.
Custom-designed, energy-efficient LED soffits then carry your gaze upward, casting a soft glow behind sleek redwood panels and illuminating the full length of the living room. Expansive windows frame spectacular views of the Merced River—southward when you’re relaxing or working, northward when entertaining friends—with reflections amplified by a dramatic wall mirror that enhances both space and light. Just outside, a towering red oak (Quercus rubra), more than 300 feet tall, anchors the landscape, its leaves slowly turning from green to yellow, to russet-red to bright red, lingering long into winter, and its acorns feeding deer, turkeys, and songbirds.
Built-in oak and redwood cabinetry frames the entertainment center, blending elegance with functionality and offering ample storage for modern living.
Guest Bedroom
The home offers a welcoming guest bedroom with its own private bathroom, providing comfort and privacy for family or overnight visitors.
Master Bath and Closet Space
Once a bedroom in the original home, this space has been reimagined as a spa-inspired retreat. The centerpiece is an oversized soaking tub framed by double-glazed, double-hung windows that bathe the room in natural light. A private water closet with a bidet, built-in bookcase, and cabinet adds both comfort and character. At the same time, a
rejuvenating steam shower offers the perfect indulgence after a swim in the cool waters of the Merced River. Thoughtfully designed with its own dedicated hot water heater, the suite ensures an ample and reliable supply of hot water for both the tub and shower.
Completing the experience is a generous walk-in closet with abundant shelving and versatile storage, tailored to accommodate an expansive wardrobe.
Master Bedroom and Library
At the far end of the home, down a short flight of oak stairs, the expansive master suite offers gorgeous views of the Merced River. A custom wall of solid-oak closets and drawers provides abundant storage while creating a natural division between the bedroom and the adjoining library. The suite opens through double sliding glass doors
to the poolside deck, where tranquil river vistas await. On summer evenings, the sound of the rapids at Rattlesnake Bend drifts through the windows, accompanied by the fragrance of the stately magnolia tree. Modern comforts include central air conditioning installed in 2007, complementing the home’s original wood stove surrounded by river
rocks, which once served as the primary heat source.
Flex Bedroom
This Chinese Ralph Lauren-themed bedroom has been a respite for numerous children over the years. Open the window, and the rapids of Rattlesnake Bend can be heard.
Hall Bathroom
Warm fall colors set the tone in this hall bathroom, which includes a granite countertop, large porcelain tile floor, oak cabinets, and a spacious, jetted tub with a shower. Along with a toilet and bidet, the room features an oversized sink that’s especially handy for bathing a small child or even the family dog.
Upstairs Living Room
The upstairs living room, featuring its charming wood stove with a continuation of a river rock wall, is a versatile room that has served many purposes over the years—once home to a sprawling make-believe train set or children’s indoor campouts complete with tents, and now serving as a secondary library with space for exercise. It also offers the
option of accommodating guests when needed. From this room, expansive windows frame a sweeping view of the river.
An upstairs deck off the living room doubled as a sleeping porch where the girls spread out mattresses and sleeping bags, sharing secrets under the warm summer sky. Many nights were spent watching meteor showers and tracing constellations from that protective perch.
Second Floor Bedroom
Four large windows bathe this north-facing room with light. Two sets of white Plantation Louver Bifold closet doors open completely for the south wall to offer flexible storage.
Third Floor Bedroom
An Indonesian retreat was created on this top level, complete with a simulated thatched roof, oak flooring, and 360-degree views of the property, river, and pool, along with a small side deck for relaxing outdoors.
Swimming Pool and spa
The ten-foot-deep pool features a “21-yard lap lane” with standard lane markings, including a target mark on the wall and a guiding dotted line across the pool floor that ends in a perpendicular turn mark. A grotto-style rock wall tunnel provides a safe play area for small children, while a waterfall and diving board add to the fun. The electric
pool heater warms both the pool and the spa. Recent updates include resurfacing just two years ago, along with the installation of new skimmers.
Internet
The property is fully equipped with high-speed Starlink internet, ensuring seamless connectivity. A dedicated point-to-point link extends service to the garage and barn, supporting both everyday convenience and the solar reporting station with reliable performance.
Pathway to the river and over to 7671
A scenic pathway leads to the river winding past a beautiful diverse landscape. Along the way you’ll encounter a striking Abizia julibrissin (Persian silk tree), and sweet but slightly tart Nanking cherries (Prunus tomentosa), a delightful treat as you make your way to the water.
On the property you’ll find a small but majestic grove of the tallest coastal redwoods and giant sequoias accompanied by a unique mix of pecan varieties of trees.
The woodlot also features an eclectic mix of spices including eucalyptus, Atlantic cedar and stately plain trees, creating a rich and varied natural environment.
7671 Merced Falls Rd
Long-term rental for $1,100/m.
As you approach this riverfront home, the drive is lined with stately Deodar cedars. Multiple fenced pastures offer space for rotational grazing, supporting both a small herd of cattle and the American Paint Horse Association–registered Apache Maiden #589176. A grand circle driveway with a stone wall accent frames the entrance, its center filled with lush St. Augustine grass.
The residence is a 2-bedroom, 2-bath home that still carries the charm of its era, with an original 1960s kitchen, timeless redwood paneling, an open-beam living room, and a stone fireplace framed by a picture window. Each bedroom features its own en-suite bathroom for added privacy and comfort.
This home has a fascinating history. After selling their hilltop house overlooking the river, the Nadalski family built this small river retreat, closely modeled on their original design. A later owner, Fred Yuen, added an unfinished expansion, creating the opportunity to either convert the home into a duplex or incorporate the additional ~2,000 square feet into a larger, more modern residence.
7481 Merced Falls Rd
This was the first home I built for Deirdre and Sophie, and it is now rented for $2,100 per month. Each parcel allows for two homes, and there is another easily accessible site nearby—served by the existing well—that could provide a river view. The approach is especially scenic, with a road lined by California Sycamores and flanked by a grove of Coastal Redwoods.
A small paddock with a feeding station for Apache sits in the backyard. The home features three thoughtfully designed entryways: a mudroom/laundry entryway directly from the carport, a side entrance that opens to the kitchen pantry, and the main front door, which provides the entry to the dining room with an extra bedroom adjoining.
The interior features large ceramic tile throughout, except in two bedrooms. A spacious kitchen featuring a center island with storage, breakfast bar seating, and a walk-in pantry. The north-facing living room in the great room opens to views of a grapevine-shaded garden, while the extra bedroom looks out onto the St. Augustine lawn, stair-stepped gardens, and the river.
The garage is well-planned, featuring a dedicated parking space, a workshop equipped with workbenches, and a bonus room that can serve multiple purposes.
7576 Merced Falls Rd
This is the second home that I built for Deirdre and Sophie; it now rents for $1700/m. A wrap-around covered front-to-back yard Trex porch, and vivid white Trex fenced back yard. Mud/laundry room with sink provides an easy cleanup after a day in the field. Luxury vinyl flooring and Corian countertops throughout
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Water Rights Summary
Parcels 7481, 7555, and 7671 have riparian rights to the surface flow of the Merced River.
Since 1982, the Sullivans have operated pumps on each parcel for domestic, recreational, and agricultural use—watering cattle pastures, maintaining ponds from historic dredging, and supporting native habitat.
Riparian and pre-1914 appropriative users need no state permit to exercise their rights. (Cal. Farm Bureau Fed’n v. SWRCB (2011) 51 Cal.4th 421; Millview Cty. Water Dist. v. SWRCB (2014) 229 Cal.App.4th 879.)
All parcels have appropriative rights that allow diversion and use of water at locations away from the river or even outside the watershed. (Gallatin v. Corning Irr. Co. (1912) 163 Cal. 405.) They follow the rule “first in time, first in right.” (Joerger v. PG&E (1929) 207 Cal. 8.)
Pre-1914 right holders may change use or point of diversion without state approval if no injury results. (Water Code § 1706.)
Historical Basis
Before 1859, Erastus Kelsey built the first dam at Merced Falls and a ditch crossing several properties. In 1859, he sold William Nelson the exclusive right to take water from the dam and use the ditch, later known as the Nelson-Kelsey-Spears (or Barrett-Kelsey) Ditch. This non-statutory, pre-1914 appropriative right was confirmed valid by Merced County Superior Court in 1918.
The 1859 Ditch Agreement leased any surplus water to Kelsey and Spears and recognized Nelson’s right to use the water for irrigation and mining.
Present-Day Use and Beneficial Purpose
Over four decades, the Sullivans—working with USDA Soil Conservation Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife—have restored wetlands and riparian areas. Ditch seepage and natural river underflow sustain groundwater through summer months, feeding several man-made creeks that rejoin the river.
On the Property in question, the application of pre-1914 water rights have been designed to align with the principles of reasonable use by creating a biologically diverse wetland ecosystem. Water is used to sustain native vegetation and wildlife, enhance groundwater recharge, and improve water quality through natural purification processes. The short water use cycle on the Property ensures minimal loss, as much of the water returns to the stream system, benefiting downstream users and the surrounding watershed. This approach exemplifies how reasonable use can guide innovative practices that address both human and environmental needs.
Moreover, reasonable use principles can support policy shifts encouraging adaptive water management. For example, the doctrine can be applied to prioritize projects that provide long-term ecological and hydrological benefits over short-term, consumptive uses. This shift is fundamental in arid regions, where prolonged droughts are straining traditional water systems. By integrating reasonable use into water allocation decisions, states can promote practices like wetland creation, aquifer recharge, and habitat conservation, which are vital for resilience against climate variability.
If the groundwater beneath the property is underflow of the Merced River, the parcels have riparian rights to it; if it is percolating groundwater, they have overlying rights as landowners.
Water use on the property meets the beneficial and reasonable use standard, supporting native vegetation, wildlife, and groundwater recharge. This adaptive management approach aligns with modern interpretations of reasonable use promoting habitat and climate resilience. (See Clear Springs Foods v. Spackman (Idaho 2011) 252 P.3d 71; Water Code § 1707.)
Summary of Rights
The Property holds:
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Pre-1914 appropriative rights via the Nelson-Kelsey-Spears Ditch (priority 1859). All parcels
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Riparian rights to surface flow of the Merced River. 7481, 7555, and 7671
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Rights to pump river underflow or overlying groundwater. 7481, 7555, and 7671
Together, these rights authorize continued diversion and use of Merced River water for domestic, agricultural, and environmental purposes consistent with California’s reasonable-use doctrine.
Location
7555 Merced Falls Road, Snelling, California