Gwynns Falls, Maryland, US

Villa Nova to Woodlawn

Usual Difficulty	II (for normal flows)
Length	2.5 Miles
Avg. Gradient	22 fpm
Max Gradient	55 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
GWYNNS FALLS AT VILLA NOVA, MD
usgs-01589300	150 - 4000 cfs	II	16h22m	30 cfs (rc= -0.0 )

River Description

Lat/longitude coords are approximate, from TopoZone.

This short, pleasant trip straddles the beginning of the fall line. The put in is a little north of Liberty Road (Md. 26), half a mile above the USGS Villa Nova gauge at Essex Road (which is not quite as convenient a put in). The initial mile has good current but is pretty flat, with the first serious riffle coming as you approach Liberty Road (which is too heavily trafficked to be an ideal put in). After a little more flat water comes a series of five long class II- and class II rock gardens, spread out over about three-fourths of a mile, with the final one as you approach the bridge in Woodlawn Cemetery, where you meet the backwater from the first weir. Take out in about 200 yards, after paddling between tombstones and then exiting the cemetery; you might park in the St. Phillips Baptist Church lot, off Woodlawn Drive. The alternative is to portage or run the first (3-foot) weir and paddle a further half mile of backwater to the larger (8-foot) weir, which you must portage. From there, a half mile of class I water brings you to the start of Section 2.