French Creek, S. Branch, Pennsylvania, US

Market Street RR bridge to Route 8 (Union City Surf Waves)

Gauge Information

River Description

This is some of  the only known whitewater in the French Creek watershed, but is indeed pretty good.  You can park at an old factory just after crossing the creek going north on Route 8.  The trip is so short that it is best to walk your boat and surf your way through the ledges from the railroad bridge and take out about 150 yards above Route 8 where the ledges terminate.  The carry is short as you walk your boat up the right hand bank, cross the factory lot, walk up Market Street and take the railroad tracks and put in on the other side of the bridge.  The ledges get better as you head down from the railroad bridge.  The last one can have a huge hole in the center of the creek when the water is up nicely, so these ledges don't likely wash out.  It has very nice features for doing doughnuts.  There are places to do enders too if there is plenty of water.  With this in town run and nicely structured ledges, it almost has the feel of a customized streambed surf park.  The gauge is a good educated guess, but I wouldn't count on it being exact yet.  It is on the main branch of French Creek about 15 miles north and is about the same size.  The guage will likely read significantly higher than it should be in the months of March and April due to melt off from Peek n' Peak ski resort which will only affect the main branch.