See all 3 routes on Pocomoke River
Maryland | Worcester County / Eastern Maryland
Pocomoke River
Shad Landing Area to Milburn Landing Area
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
Loading the route coverage map.
Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
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
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
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
The official Pocomoke River State Park water-trail segment connecting Shad Landing and Milburn Landing across the state forest corridor. It is a quiet, slow-moving blackwater route with state-park camping at both ends, a direct same-river planning station upstream, and seasonal Milburn operations.
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
Shad Landing Area public boat ramp and soft launchShad Landing is year-round state-park access with a boat ramp and soft launch; verify current marina/ramp work, parking, and carry.
Take-out
Milburn Landing Area public boat ramp and kayak launchMilburn Landing is seasonal April–mid-December and has its own operating conditions; confirm the public ramp is open before making it the take-out.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Shad Landing is year-round state-park access with a boat ramp and soft launch; verify current marina/ramp work, parking, and carry.
- Milburn Landing is seasonal April–mid-December and has its own operating conditions; confirm the public ramp is open before making it the take-out.
- USGS 01485000 is upstream of this short route and cannot substitute for visual depth and vegetation checks.
Watch for
- USGS 01485000 upstream proxy discharge and trend
- actual depth, recent rain, dark-water visibility, submerged vegetation, strainers, cold water, thunderstorms, and water-quality advisories
- sunrise/sunset, seasonal park operations, launch fees/parking, carry distance, camping reservations, and private-bank boundaries
- Milburn April–mid-December season, Shad/Milburn campground reservations, slow-water time margin, and route-end daylight
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
Data and sources
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 | Pocomoke River near Willards, 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 | Maryland DNR Lower Eastern Shore paddling guidance |
| 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.
- Official water-trail segmentShad Landing to Milburn Landing, 4.5 miles
Maryland DNR’s approved Pocomoke State Park land-unit plan identifies the water-trail length and the current park pages document both launch areas.
- Authoritative public access and campingDNR Shad and Milburn boat/kayak launches with park camping
Maryland DNR documents the ramp/soft-launch facilities, seasonal operations, and camping at the two state-park areas.
- Proxy flow evidenceUSGS 01485000 near Willards; same-river trend plus actual depth required
The station provides long-term streamflow context but is upstream of the route and is not represented as a local threshold.
- Live gaugeUSGS 01485000, Pocomoke River near Willards, MD
This is a clearly labeled proxy or route-context station; local water, tributaries, releases, and weather can differ materially.
- 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 Pocomoke flow, vegetation, access, or water-quality 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.
Share your trip
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
Pocomoke River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Pocomoke River?
Paddle Today watches Pocomoke River near Willards, 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 Pocomoke River route start and end?
This route starts at Shad Landing Area public boat ramp and soft launch and ends at Milburn Landing Area public boat ramp and kayak launch, about Approximately 4.5 miles, the Maryland DNR Pocomoke River State Park Shad Landing–Milburn Landing water-trail segment on the water.
Is this Pocomoke River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.