The Youghiogheny River, called the “Yough” by most people, is a very popular river for paddlers of all skill levels and is most sought out for its whitewater challenge on this trip from Sang Run Road to Friendsville. This section is referred to as Upper Yough and has the whitewater that made this river famous, specifically its four miles of unrelenting boulder piles, ledges, blocked views, cryptic passages, menacing undercuts, and technical difficulties. After a couple miles of riffles and flat water, you will be faced with Gap Falls, a sloping five-foot ledge and from here it is all downhill through many too many rapids to describe. The rough stuff ends at Kendall and allow a soothing coast to the take out at Friendsville Community Park. Though you may not notice on your first run, this is a very beautiful section of the river with cliffs, graceful hemlocks, falls on side streams, rhododendrons, and beautifully sculpted boulders.

The Potomac is the longest and most diverse river system in Maryland, reaching from the cold, high plateau of the Alleghenys to the broad waters of the Chesapeake Bay and tidewater. For this section, the Potomac cuts through the ancient Blue Ridge and its foothills and forms the first whitewater since its headwaters. To begin, you will navigate through The Needles, and intricate ledgy staircase that is a perfect novice whitewater run except when the water is high, novices should skip this section as the river runs stronger than it looks. Just after the Shenandoah River joins, the river tumbles over a series of jagged ledges and runs over two distinct drops named Whitehorse Rapids. Below this the river glides through a beautiful maze of rocks and islets to another gap through South Mountain and Short Hill. A smooth and swift section allows time to relax before a gap in Catoctin Mountain to the take out at the Route 15 bridge.

This section of Gunpowder Falls includes the exciting descent over the Fall Line. The Fall Line begins just below Route 1 and soon after put-in is where the whitewater starts and the river tumbles down a boulder and ledgy bed. The entire trip runs within the confines of a shallow, wooded gorge, protected by a state park. Take out at Route 7 for best convenience or at Route 40 if you want to catch every last rapid. Route 40, however, has “no parking” signs, but there is a park access just upstream on the left off Jones Road. It is about a 200-yard walk up from the river.

The Shenandoah River is a tributary of the Potomac River. This is a beautiful river and passes islands, cliffs, and travels to the historic Harpers Ferry. This section of the river begins with easy flat water and then the first rapid begins against high cliffs as the river bends right. The biggest rapid on this run is Bull Falls. It is A large ledge rapid that has many slots and channels depending on water levels.

The Youghiogheny River, called the “Yough” by most people, is a very popular river for paddlers of all skill levels and is most sought out for its whitewater challenge from Sang Run to Friendsville. This section is perfect for beginners with lots of flat water and quick water with only a short section of small, Class I waves. It is a really pleasant place to paddle as the reservoir is relatively narrow and fringed by high slopes and thick forests. This area gets very busy so it is best to go early in the morning when it is still calm. Hazards on this route are limited to that of the heavy crowds and power boats. Take out point is across the border into Pennsylvania on the right hand side just after floating under the Route 40 bridge.

The Youghiogheny River, called the “Yough” by most people, is a very popular river for paddlers of all skill levels and is most sought out for its whitewater challenge from Sang Run to Friendsville. This section is often referred to as the Top Yough and is for top paddlers only. You will begin on a stretch of fairly placid waters before an abrupt change and the Yough plunges over a few high ledges, a relatively easy slalom through the boulders, portage around the water falls at Swallow Falls, and then continue down long, steeply dropping, boulder-filled rapids. The last couple miles of this route allow you to cool down on riffles and easy rapids. The scenery on this route is excellent with forested river banks and hills rising all around you.

Little Falls is a delightful brook that rushes through the rich and tolling countryside of upper Baltimore County and joins Gunpowder Falls near Monkton. This is a great trip with lovely scenery and exciting whitewater. The creek rushes into a wooded gorge that is decorated by a variety of black rock outcrops and cliffs. The stream bed is filled with boulders and at White Hall and there is a dam that requires a portage. Below White Hall, you will enter again into a pretty gorge until you reach the confluence with Gunpowder Falls. Take-out is just downstream on the Gunpowder at Monkton Road.

Antietam Creek is born just north of the Mason-Dixon Line and winds and twists for almost 41 miles to the Potomac River. This scenic country creek has long been a favorite for novice whitewater paddlers. Except for a short beginning, the scenery and atmosphere on this section are delightful and rural. Several graceful stone arch bridges, crumbling mills, and old farmhouses lend a bit of history to the journey. On this twisting stream you are always close to the quickly changing scenery and as a result, opportunities for viewing wildlife are good here. There is a six-foot dam at Devils Backbone Park which requires a portage and a three-foot dam about a mile downstream is easily navigated but may create some rough water when the creek is high. The rest of the run consists of numerous riffles and low ledges. The lower portion of this section winds through Antietam Battlefield.

The Potomac is the longest and most diverse river system in Maryland, reaching from the cold, high plateau of the Alleghenys to the broad waters of the Chesapeake Bay and tidewater. This is an attractive section without too much development along the river banks. The first five miles include many easy riffles best enjoyed at low water levels, which expose old fishtrap weirs and low ledges. A few miles downstream you will reach a spot called The Horsebacks where the river weaves through a staircase of tiny ledges that run parallel to the direction of the river. To Shepherdstown is flat and below Shepherdstown, wooded bluffs and the approaching Blue Ridge dominate the scenery. There are some small, ledgy riffles for a short while and the rest of the trip is flat.

This short section of Gunpowder Falls is a great prelude to the exploration of the Gunpowder System. The put-in access is difficult with a quarter mile carry along a fire road and a foot-path to the river. The reward for this effort is the pleasure of travelling through a beautiful, wild, steep, wooded gorge. The tiny stream starts by tumbling and dashing down almost continuous boulder gardens and broken ledges. After Falls Road it all eases off to easy riffle and fast flat water until the take-out at Route 45.