Mill Run, Maryland, US

Pigs Ear Road to Yough River Lake

Usual Difficulty	III-IV+ (for normal flows)
Length	8 Miles
Avg. Gradient	105 fpm
Max Gradient	200 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
CHERRY CREEK AT STATE PARK ROAD NEAR MCHENRY, MD
usgs-03075905	200 - 1000 cfs	III-IV+	00h50m	17 cfs (rc= -0.9 )

River Description

The run starts off with two miles at 200 fpm. The first three miles are a fairly Isolated gorge, then the run becomes roadside after it passes under Mill Run Road.

The put-in is Pigs Ear Road, about 5 miles up US 40 from Keysers Ridge, a few hundred yards south of the Pennsylvania state line (aka the Mason Dixon line). Best take out is probably on Mill Run Road, where Mill Run dumps into Yough Lake.

Daniel Anderson 2004-06-01 12:29:48
I ran this twice with Mike Kemp and I will have to agree that this is not a class III creek! The brief parts of this creek that you can see from the road may look like class III stuff, but when you get back into the woods, it is defenitely continuous class IV all the way. The 2 pictures I posted for this run were taken at the ONLY large eddie on the entire run. Eddies are tiny and scarce, which make scouting a pain.

mike kemp 2004-03-06 23:20:08
I ran this creek for the first time on 3/6/04, we actually ran it twice. There were 2 portages around strainers we made, the first was a single portage around 3 strainers and the second was around a dangerous tree lodged in a river left drop that you cant possible see until you are already committed(i found out the hard way, luckily i was able to boof onto it and slide down it rather than be wedged under it). The first run took about 2 1/2 hours because we scouted blind drops and corners and the 2nd run took about an hour less. This creek DEFINITELY deserves more than the class III rating it is given. Eddys are scarce, the drops are continuous and there is always the danger of strainers. It is very easy to broach and pin on this creek. towards the second half of the run it really picks up. if you are only a class III boater, dont even attempt this creek.... you will get hurt.

When we took off, everybody agreed that it was a more difficult creek than the neerby class III-V rated Fikes run.

An overall great creek, steep the whole way. no large scale drops just 2,3,4,5,6,7 foot high slides and ledges the entire way...epecially in the 2nd half.

remember... not a Class III creek.