Bear Creek is an attractive little trout stream that gushes into the Youghiogheny River at Friendsville. It is difficult to find times when water levels allow for paddlers but if you can catch it with favorable water it is well worth a trip. This route is passable in spring, only within a day of hard rain or during a rapid thaw. The first few miles involve Class I to Class III rapids with water rushing over gravel bars and small boulder patches through a gorge-like valley. When the stream draws close to the road the gradient begins to grow and this is where Class IV rapids arrive through boulders, sandstone ledges up to five or six feet high, and some technical boat handling around sloping configurations. Fallen trees and other woody hazards are likely to be encountered, especially in fast spots.