See all 3 routes on Gunpowder Falls
Maryland | Baltimore County / Central Maryland
Gunpowder Falls
Monkton Road to Phoenix Road
Check current paddling conditions for this Gunpowder Falls route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
A gentle Upper Gunpowder moving-water section from Monkton through the Glencoe and Sparks corridor to Phoenix Road. It is primarily Class I water with a steady current, wooded banks, limited parking, muddy or steep access carries, and a hard endpoint before Baltimore City property.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Monkton Road / Monkton Station Gunpowder accessMonkton Station parking is limited and heavily used; verify current capacity and river carry before treating it as a put-in.
Take-out
Phoenix Road Gunpowder Falls State Park accessGlencoe and Sparks access may be muddy, steep, or occupied by other park users. Confirm a safe carry and public water entry on launch day.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Monkton Station parking is limited and heavily used; verify current capacity and river carry before treating it as a put-in.
- Glencoe and Sparks access may be muddy, steep, or occupied by other park users. Confirm a safe carry and public water entry on launch day.
- Phoenix has a small access pad and steep stairs and is the hard endpoint before city property. Do not continue downstream without a separately qualified route and lawful access plan.
Watch for
- USGS 01582500 discharge, stage, and trend
- 105.49–1300 cfs AW correlation, shallow water, cold water, strainers, bridge hydraulics, and fast rise
- Monkton/Merryman/Glencoe/Sparks/Phoenix parking, muddy/steep carries, and the hard Phoenix take-out boundary
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Gunpowder Falls at Glencoe, MD |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Target band | 140 cfs to 850 cfs |
| Low threshold | 105 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,300 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Upper Gunpowder Glencoe flow correlation |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
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 corridorMonkton Road to Phoenix Road, 7.1 miles, Class I
American Whitewater names the access chain, route length, flow correlation, parking constraints, river character, and Phoenix hard endpoint.
- Authoritative public accessGunpowder Falls State Park and NCR trail access chain
Maryland DNR identifies the public park facilities and named locations; Maryland recreation guidance provides the Monkton and Phoenix area anchors.
- Direct flow evidenceUSGS 01582500 at Glencoe; American Whitewater 105.49–1300 cfs runnable correlation
USGS is the direct same-river station and American Whitewater explicitly correlates this reach to it.
- Live gaugeUSGS 01582500, Gunpowder Falls at Glencoe, MD
This is a direct same-river station. Readings are provisional and must be combined with trend and visual conditions.
- Approved route imageryRights-cleared public-agency or public-domain corridor image
Rights-cleared Maryland public river image used as regional moving-water context; it does not certify the Glencoe section’s access or current conditions.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
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Quick answers
Gunpowder Falls paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Gunpowder Falls?
Paddle Today watches Gunpowder Falls at Glencoe, MD and treats 140 cfs to 850 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Gunpowder Falls route start and end?
This route starts at Monkton Road / Monkton Station Gunpowder access and ends at Phoenix Road Gunpowder Falls State Park access, about 7.1 miles from Monkton Road to Phoenix Road on the water.
Is this Gunpowder Falls route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.