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Maryland | Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County / Central Maryland

Baltimore BluewayBroening Park to Southwest Area Park upstream Patapsco paddle

An advanced Blueway upstream paddle beneath bridges and rail structures between Broening Park and Southwest Area Park.

Route location

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Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 5 miles upstream paddle
DifficultyHard
Typical time2–5 hours depending on tide
ShuttleCar shuttle
McKeldin Rapids cascade through Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland.
Route photoPatapsco Valley State Park river-corridor context near McKeldinPhoto by Andrew Parlette via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceApproximately 5 miles upstream paddleBroening Park to Southwest Area Park upstream Patapsco paddle
DifficultyhardThe source describes recreational moving water, but shallow rock, current, cold water, debris, and bridge or access hazards remain material.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage at Southwest Area Park and shuttle to Broening Park, confirming both public ramps, parking, hours, and current construction/closure notices. Do not use bridge shoulders or industrial shoreline for loading.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current Baltimore City/County and park hours, launch and parking rules, Maryland boating/PFD law, the Baltimore Harbor marine forecast and tide prediction, water-quality notices, and all posted construction, wildlife, and navigation restrictions. No route-specific camping or shoreline landing is implied.
CampingOptions nearbyDay-use advanced route; no route camping or overnight park parking is claimed.
SeasonMar-NovSpring through fall is the practical planning season, but Maryland water levels, recent rain, temperature, debris, and daylight control every launch decision.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

An advanced Blueway upstream paddle beneath bridges and rail structures between Broening Park and Southwest Area Park.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

Broening Park public boat ramp
Open mapDirections to put-in

Broening Park and Southwest Area Park are named Blueway launch sites and current public-access anchors.

Finish

Take-out

Southwest Area Park public boat ramp
Open mapDirections to take-out

The Blueway’s route is upstream and passes multiple bridges/rail lines; do not scout or portage from private, rail, highway, or industrial property.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • Broening Park and Southwest Area Park are named Blueway launch sites and current public-access anchors.
  • The Blueway’s route is upstream and passes multiple bridges/rail lines; do not scout or portage from private, rail, highway, or industrial property.
  • End at Southwest Area Park before the separate tidal/Patapsco and Middle Branch extensions.

Watch for

  • The Baltimore Blueway and Maryland DNR describe a working urban waterfront. Keep near the designated shoreline route, avoid shipping channels, give way to commercial and recreational traffic, and do not launch during thunderstorms, unsafe wind/waves, or poor visibility.
  • NOAA Baltimore tide, wind, waves, and marine forecast
  • bridge/rail structures, current, strainers/debris, industrial traffic, private banks, recent rainfall and water-quality notices
  • Broening and Southwest Area Park ramp hours/parking, carry, access conditions, and hard Southwest take-out

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.

Trip schedule

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Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.

Gauge detail

Water-level history and forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Next 8 hours

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Route gallery

Photos

Check each caption: some photos show the surrounding area rather than this exact trip.

McKeldin Rapids cascade through Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland.
Patapsco Valley State Park river-corridor context near McKeldinPhoto by Andrew Parlette via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY 2.0

Sources

Data and sources

Read the access and hazard notes and check the linked guides. We do not issue a daily score for this trip.

NotesWhat to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Named moving-water corridorBaltimore Blueway Patapsco River Water Trail, Approximately 5 miles upstream paddle

    The current Baltimore Blueway trail page names the route, publishes the distance/difficulty, and identifies connected public launch choices.

    Source

  • Authoritative public accessBroening Park public boat ramp to Southwest Area Park public boat ramp

    The Blueway launch directory and current Maryland DNR public-access layer identify the named city/park launch areas. Coordinates are near-water anchors and current operation, construction, parking, and landing rules control.

    Source

  • Proxy flow and tidal evidenceUSGS 01589035 Patapsco River near Elkridge, clearly labeled same-estuary proxy, plus NOAA Baltimore tide station 8574680

    The USGS station supplies upstream Patapsco trend context, not a local harbor discharge, tide, depth, or safe-flow cutoff. Use NOAA tide/marine forecast, water-quality monitoring, and observed water.

    Source

  • Route-specific safety and water qualityBlueway working-waterfront, 48-hour heavy-rain water-contact, channel, traffic, and PFD guidance

    Baltimore Blueway and NPS provide the public paddling, boat-traffic, channel, PFD, and rainfall/water-quality posture for this urban tidal route.

    Source

  • Camping postureDay-use advanced route; no route camping or overnight park parking is claimed.

    The named city launches and Blueway rest stops are day-use access; no route or shoreline camping is claimed.

    Source

  • Live gaugeUSGS 01589035, Patapsco River near Elkridge, MD (same-estuary proxy)

    This is a clearly labeled proxy or route-context station; local water, tributaries, releases, and weather can differ materially.

    Source

  • Approved route imageryRights-cleared public-agency or public-domain corridor image

    Rights-cleared Wikimedia Commons Patapsco Valley State Park river image used as regional context; it does not certify Baltimore Harbor tide, traffic, water quality, access, or current conditions.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

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Photos

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Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or explore different rivers within 75 straight-line miles.

More in Maryland

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Maryland route guideBrowse every tracked Maryland route.Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County / Central MarylandJump to routes in this region.

More on Baltimore Blueway

All 7
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Nearby routes within 75 miles

Patapsco RiverOrange Grove Area to Avalon / Glen Artney Area · about 7 straight-line mi awayEasy · Approximately 2.8 river miles between the stored Orange Grove and Avalon area anchors; exact moving-water distance varies with the landing and channelPatapsco RiverWoodstock Road / Old Court Road to Daniels River Access · about 14 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 4.5–4.7 river miles from the common Woodstock put-in to Daniels, within American Whitewater’s 6.3-mile confluence-to-Daniels reachPatuxent RiverGovernor Bridge Natural Area to Queen Anne Canoe Launch · about 22 straight-line mi awayEasy · Approximately 8.5 river miles from Governor Bridge to Queen Anne, following the Patuxent Water Trail mid-river access sequenceGunpowder FallsMonkton Road to Phoenix Road · about 22 straight-line mi awayModerate · 7.1 miles from Monkton Road to Phoenix Road

Quick answers

Baltimore Blueway paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Broening Park to Southwest Area Park upstream Patapsco paddle route on the Baltimore Blueway?

This planning route has no live Paddle Today score. Review the linked water-level sources, current access notices and route-specific hazards before travel.

Where does the Broening Park to Southwest Area Park upstream Patapsco paddle route on the Baltimore Blueway start and end?

This route starts at Broening Park public boat ramp and ends at Southwest Area Park public boat ramp, Approximately 5 miles upstream paddle on the water.

Is the Broening Park to Southwest Area Park upstream Patapsco paddle route on the Baltimore Blueway suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a hard route. Review the difficulty notes, hazards and current access conditions against your group's skills. No live score assesses this trip.

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