Antietam Creek, Maryland, US
|
|
2) Hwy.68 to Potomac River
| Usual Difficulty |
I-II (for normal flows) |
| Avg. Gradient |
7 fpm |
Antietam Creek
Antietam CreekPhoto of Colleen Davies, under the careful tutelage of Jedi master, Oci-One Kanubi, making her first open-boat descent of the dam below Burnside Bridge by Brenda Dinne, Monocacy Canoe Club
Gauge Information
River Description
STRAINER WARNING: As of January, 2004, boaters were reporting a logjam at the bridge directly
below Furnace Rapid, the last Class II drop before the confluence with the Potomac River. Scouting
is advised, but the logjam was reported to be passable on the far right and far left.
Summary:
Antietam Creek is a great Class I-II run through beautiful natural scenery and the historic
Antietam civil war battlefield park.
located southeast of Hagerstown, MD.
Putin at bridge at the Rt. 68 bridge or on Beaver Creek just above confluence with Antietam
Creek.
Takeout on the Potomac River at the C&O Canal camprgound located just upstream of the creek's
confluence with the river. Other takeouts are possible upstream.
An excellent website for the creek is maintained by
Antietam
Creek Canoe Co..
Description:
This section is primarily characterized by Class I-II water with rapids created by dam ruins and
sharp, tight turns on this narrow creek. Spring-fed, it holds water longer than other small streams
in the area and is the last to freeze and first to thaw. Practiced novice boaters should be able to
handle the rapids but watch out for downed trees, which can pose serious hazards on this tree-lined
run.
Landing at the historic Burnside Bridge at the Antietam battlefield is discouraged. Take out
downstream a bit to visit the battlefield site. Below the battlefield is an intact dam that
provides a two foot drop and bump. It is best run down the middle. Near the end of the run the
gradient picks up as you approach the Potomac River and frequent strainers increase the risk of the
final minutes of the trip.
The last rapid - Furnace Rapids - is a long Class II that can be scouted on the left. Immediately
below is a bridge where an old but now closed takeout point was located. Continue down the Potomac
River and paddle upstream to the takeout.
A good option for a shorter trip involves cutting off the bottom trip at Burnside Bridge in the
battlefield. An even shorter trip can start here. Some of the other bridge crossings have landowner
access issues.
StreamTeam Status: Not Verified
Last Updated: 2004-08-01 03:52:42
No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. 
User Comments
through IronWorks rapid and just before we reached the last bridge to paddle under before Potomac,
we came upon a complete river-wide strainer (multiple large trees). There is first a tree halfway
across that blocks the view of the complete blockage right behind that and just before the last
bridge/aqueduct. There is a strong current and unfortunately deep enough to make it difficult to
disembark from kayaks and canoes with little space before you reach the larger strainers. This is
new downfall of at least 3 trees and two of which are rather large, tall trees. Called a nearby
outfitter (River and Trail) to let them know of the problem and got the impression they may work on
opening that up soon.
still a TON of wood on this stream right now. Both the Keedysville Rd bridge and the Rte 34 bridge
have massive log jams blocking most of the usual channels. Keedysville bridge is blocked on all but
the extreme right passage, and the Rte 34 bridge is blocked in the middle. The left channel has
some strainers in it that are avoidable, but the gravel beds downstream before the next rapid will
give you fits if you go that way, stay to the right under both bridges. Below Keedysville Rd Bridge
where the river makes a sharp bend to the right, there is a strainer/tree across the entire creek.
It is passable over the middle where the trunk dips under the surface of the river, but only at or
above 2.7' Anything lower and you WILL need to carry on river right. The only way I made it over
today was by hitting the low-spot at full speed with my bow popped up. We ran today at 2.65-2.7'
from Devil's Backbone down to Burnside Bridge and it was very scrape-y. Recommend at least 2.8' for
a scrape-free run.
It is passable on the extreme left, but it is a narrow gap. Be Careful !!!
really well right now, and I would factor on about 2/3 of the normal trip time. Most of the normal
stopping points are underwater right now. Make sure you check out this link to the antietam creek
canoe club. This map shows exactly what to expect. http://www.antietamcreek.com/lowermap.htm
piers at Keedysville Rd. and Rte. 34 bridges, but easily noticed with clear channels on either
side. Great beginner/novice run w/ good surfing at dam below Burnside Bridge. Furnace rapid was a
blast.