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Maryland | Montgomery, Frederick, and Washington Counties / Central Maryland

Potomac RiverBig Slackwater Boat Ramp to Taylors Landing Boat Ramp with Dam 4 portage

An advanced Big Slackwater-to-Taylors Landing Potomac reach bounded by two public C&O/NPS ramps and interrupted by the Dam 4 whitewater hazard. The route is only a complete trip when the portage is planned, scouted, and legal; running or drifting toward Dam 4 is prohibited by the route posture.

Route location

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Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 3.4 river miles downstream from C&O Canal mile 85.5 to mile 80.9, with a mandatory Dam 4 portage
DifficultyHard
Typical time3–6 hours including a deliberate Dam 4 landing
ShuttleCar shuttle
The historic Town Creek Aqueduct crosses the C&O Canal corridor beside the Potomac River in Maryland.
Route photoC&O Canal and Potomac River corridor at Town CreekPhoto by Wikimedia Commons

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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 3.4 river miles downstream from C&O Canal mile 85.5 to mile 80.9, with a mandatory Dam 4 portageBig Slackwater Boat Ramp to Taylors Landing Boat Ramp with Dam 4 portage
DifficultyhardThis is a whitewater route. The river source and current local conditions must be matched to the paddler’s demonstrated rescue, scouting, and cold-water skills.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage at Taylors Landing, then shuttle to Big Slackwater using current C&O access roads. Confirm the Big Slackwater lot, Dam 4 portage approach, Taylors lot, park closures, and a daylight margin large enough to abort before the dam if conditions change.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current Maryland boating/PFD rules, C&O Canal National Historical Park ramp and parking rules, NPS closures, NWS flood products, local launch restrictions, and all posted dam, wildlife, and private-shoreline boundaries. No route-specific paddling permit is claimed.
CampingOptions nearbyBig Woods hiker-biker camping lies upstream of Dam 4 and Horseshoe Bend hiker-biker camping lies near Taylors Landing. Confirm current NPS status, reservation/fee rules, potable-water posture, vehicle staging, and whether the campsite can support the shuttle; no riverbank or dam-area camping is included.
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 Big Slackwater-to-Taylors Landing Potomac reach bounded by two public C&O/NPS ramps and interrupted by the Dam 4 whitewater hazard. The route is only a complete trip when the portage is planned, scouted, and legal; running or drifting toward Dam 4 is prohibited by the route posture.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

Big Slackwater Boat Ramp
Open mapDirections to put-in

Both endpoints are federal C&O/NPS access points, but ramp, parking, road, towpath, and waterline conditions can change with floods and park closures.

Finish

Take-out

Taylors Landing Boat Ramp
Open mapDirections to take-out

Dam 4 is a hard in-route portage boundary. The route cannot be safely continued unless the Maryland-side carry is open, signed, scouted, and physically feasible for the boat and group.

Road shuttle

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Access planner

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This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.

On-water distance3.4 miMixed access
On-water time3–6 hours including a deliberate Dam 4 landingFull route option
ShuttleCar shuttleChoose a shorter in/out pair for a shorter day.

Big Slackwater Boat Ramp to Taylors Landing Boat Ramp is about 3.4 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.

Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • Both endpoints are federal C&O/NPS access points, but ramp, parking, road, towpath, and waterline conditions can change with floods and park closures.
  • Dam 4 is a hard in-route portage boundary. The route cannot be safely continued unless the Maryland-side carry is open, signed, scouted, and physically feasible for the boat and group.
  • The Point of Rocks gauge is a downstream proxy and cannot certify local Dam 4 hydraulics, Big Slackwater traffic, wind, debris, ramp depth, or Taylors landing safety.

Watch for

  • USGS 01638500 downstream proxy stage, discharge, and trend
  • NWS/MARFC 2.0 ft caution and 5.5 ft danger screens, fast rise, flood products, wind, cold water, wakes, floating wood, strainers, and minimum-wake launch traffic
  • NPS Dam 4 portage closure/status, Maryland-side landing and carry, Big Slackwater ramp, Taylors ramp, Horseshoe Bend/Big Woods camping, private-bank boundaries, and daylight

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

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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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Route gallery

Photos

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

The historic Town Creek Aqueduct crosses the C&O Canal corridor beside the Potomac River in Maryland.
C&O Canal and Potomac River corridor at Town CreekPhoto by Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: public domain

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 corridorBig Slackwater to Taylors Landing, approximately 3.4 Potomac river miles with Dam 4 portage

    NPS and the C&O Canal Trust identify both public Potomac ramps and the canal-mile sequence; the route is conservatively bounded around the Dam 4 hazard.

    Source

  • Authoritative public accessBig Slackwater and Taylors Landing public C&O/NPS boat ramps

    NPS and the C&O Canal Trust document the ramps, trailer parking, facilities, canal miles, and water access. Coordinates are near-water access anchors requiring current field verification.

    Source

  • Proxy flow and safety evidenceUSGS 01638500 Point of Rocks downstream proxy; NWS/MARFC 2.0 ft caution and 5.5 ft danger screens

    The proxy is explicitly not on-route. NWS/MARFC supplies the official boating screens; local Dam 4 hydraulics, debris, wind, and ramp conditions control the decision.

    Source

  • Mandatory portageNPS identifies Dam 4 near C&O mile 84.6 as a whitewater hazard requiring a Maryland-side portage

    A complete trip must land upstream, scout, portage, and re-enter only at a current legal access point. Never run the dam or power-plant works.

    Source

  • Camping postureNearby C&O hiker-biker campsites; no riverbank or dam-area camping

    Big Woods and Horseshoe Bend are separate C&O campsites near the corridor; current park status and vehicle logistics must be confirmed.

    Source

  • Live gaugeUSGS 01638500, Potomac River at Point of Rocks, MD

    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

    Wikimedia Commons public-domain C&O/Potomac corridor image used as route context; it does not certify current flow, ramp, weather, dam, or take-out conditions.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

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Reports

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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

All 131 routes
Maryland route guideBrowse every tracked Maryland route.Montgomery, Frederick, and Washington Counties / Central MarylandJump to routes in this region.

More on Potomac River

All 14
Big Pool / Fort Frederick Campground to Williamsport River Bottom ParkWashington County / Western MarylandModerate · Approximately 16.7 river miles, American Whitewater Potomac reach 0.4Bond's Landing to Fifteen Mile Creek Boat Ramp / Little OrleansAllegany County / Western MarylandEasy · Approximately 9 river miles, Maryland DNR Green Ridge State Forest Bond’s Landing to Fifteen Mile Creek legBrunswick Boat Ramp to Point of Rocks Boat RampMontgomery, Frederick, and Washington Counties / Central MarylandModerate · Approximately 6.8 river miles downstream from C&O Canal mile 55.0 to mile 48.2Dam 4 downstream access to Shepherdstown Princess Street Boat RampMontgomery, Frederick, and Washington Counties / Central MarylandModerate · Approximately 11.6 moving-water miles from below Dam 4 to Shepherdstown

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Antietam CreekMD 34 / Porterstown Bridge to Antietam Creek C&O Campground and Potomac confluence · about 7 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 5.8 river miles, American Whitewater Lower Antietam/Burnside Bridge SectionAntietam CreekDevil’s Backbone Park to MD 34 / Porterstown Bridge · about 8 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 7.9 Antietam Creek miles from Devil’s Backbone Park to MD 34Conococheague CreekKemps Mill Park to Williamsport River Bottom Park · about 9 straight-line mi awayEasy · Approximately 4.5 miles from Kemps Mill Park to Williamsport River Bottom ParkCatoctin CreekDoub's Meadow Park to Catoctin Creek Park & Nature Center · about 15 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 16.2 river miles from Doub’s Meadow Park to Catoctin Creek Park & Nature Center

Quick answers

Potomac River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Big Slackwater Boat Ramp to Taylors Landing Boat Ramp with Dam 4 portage route on the Potomac River?

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 Big Slackwater Boat Ramp to Taylors Landing Boat Ramp with Dam 4 portage route on the Potomac River start and end?

This route starts at Big Slackwater Boat Ramp and ends at Taylors Landing Boat Ramp, Approximately 3.4 river miles downstream from C&O Canal mile 85.5 to mile 80.9, with a mandatory Dam 4 portage on the water.

Is the Big Slackwater Boat Ramp to Taylors Landing Boat Ramp with Dam 4 portage route on the Potomac River 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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