See all 2 routes on Patapsco River
Maryland | Howard and Baltimore Counties / Central Maryland
Patapsco River
Woodstock Road / Old Court Road to Daniels River Access
Check current paddling conditions for this Patapsco River 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
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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 bounded central Maryland Patapsco moving-water reach from the common Woodstock Road access area to the Daniels soft launch above Daniels Dam. It is a short, park-adjacent corridor with seasonal high-water dependence and a mandatory dam boundary at the downstream endpoint.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Woodstock Road / Old Court Road bridge near-water access anchorAmerican Whitewater calls Woodstock Road the common put-in, and Maryland DNR describes the high-water connection to Daniels, but neither source guarantees a maintained launch, shoulder parking, or railroad-side access at the bridge. Verify the current public entry and do not trespass.
Take-out
Daniels Area soft launch above Daniels DamMaryland DNR’s Daniels map marks Soft Launch Boat Access, and its paddling page places that launch just above Daniels Dam. Confirm the carry surface, park hours, parking, waterline, and downstream no-go boundary before committing.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- American Whitewater calls Woodstock Road the common put-in, and Maryland DNR describes the high-water connection to Daniels, but neither source guarantees a maintained launch, shoulder parking, or railroad-side access at the bridge. Verify the current public entry and do not trespass.
- Maryland DNR’s Daniels map marks Soft Launch Boat Access, and its paddling page places that launch just above Daniels Dam. Confirm the carry surface, park hours, parking, waterline, and downstream no-go boundary before committing.
- The direct Hollofield station is on the same Patapsco corridor, but local tributary inflow, dam operations, debris, and access conditions can differ materially from the instantaneous reading.
Watch for
- USGS 01589000 discharge and trend
- high-water dependence, 34 cfs below-recommended context, rain, fast rise, cold water, strainers, slippery banks, and bridge hydraulics
- Woodstock legal parking/carry, Daniels park hours, soft-launch trail, and the Daniels Dam hard 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 | Patapsco River at Hollofield, 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | Not calibrated yet |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Patapsco Woodstock-to-Daniels flow context |
| 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 corridorWoodstock Road common put-in to Daniels, approximately 4.5 miles; 6.3-mile confluence-to-Daniels reach
American Whitewater identifies the common Woodstock access, route length, Hollofield gauge, and the route’s high-water/strainer context.
- Maryland public paddling guidanceWoodstock Road to Daniels is approximately 4.7 river miles when the river is running high; soft launch above Daniels Dam
Maryland DNR explicitly describes this seasonal reach and the Daniels soft launch.
- Endpoint coordinate evidenceWoodstock/Old Court bridge near-water anchor; Daniels Area park soft-launch anchor
The Woodstock coordinate is a Maryland environmental-record bridge/bank anchor paired with American Whitewater’s common-put-in description. The Daniels coordinate is the DNR Daniels Area access anchor; both require launch-day verification.
- Direct flow evidenceUSGS 01589000 Patapsco River at Hollofield; American Whitewater reports 34 cfs below recommended
USGS is the direct same-river station. American Whitewater supplies route-specific flow context but not a universal minimum.
- Dam boundaryDaniels soft launch is just above Daniels Dam
The endpoint is intentionally bounded above the dam; do not continue downstream without a separate hazard and portage plan.
- Live gaugeUSGS 01589000, Patapsco River at Hollofield, 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
Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0 Patapsco Valley State Park river image used as corridor context; it is upstream of the named endpoints and does not certify current flow, access, or dam 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
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Patapsco River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Patapsco River?
Paddle Today watches Patapsco River at Hollofield, MD and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Patapsco River route start and end?
This route starts at Woodstock Road / Old Court Road bridge near-water access anchor and ends at Daniels Area soft launch above Daniels Dam, about 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 reach on the water.
Is this Patapsco River 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.
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