This section of Sideling Hill Creek is an almost wild river. The first half passes through undisturbed woodlands largely within the bounds of a state wildlife management area. The stream twists and turns at the base of Sideling Hill, bouncing into beautiful cliffs and shale slopes. It rushes over numerous rapids of gravel and broken ledges that can be quite tricky where they pile up against cliffs to form right-angle turns. The gradient gradually moderates, and the woods yield to some farmland, most of it abandoned. This route is runnable in spring or winter within four days of hard rain.