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

Potomac RiverDam 4 downstream access to Shepherdstown Princess Street Boat Ramp

A bounded Class I Potomac reach beginning below Dam 4 and ending at the public Shepherdstown Princess Street ramp. The corridor has slow moving water, several public or conditional access points, C&O camping context, and a documented downstream gauge directly at the take-out.

Route location

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Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 11.6 moving-water miles from below Dam 4 to Shepherdstown
DifficultyModerate
Typical time5–9 hours depending on stage
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

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 11.6 moving-water miles from below Dam 4 to ShepherdstownDam 4 downstream access to Shepherdstown Princess Street Boat Ramp
DifficultymoderateThe source describes recreational moving water, but shallow rock, current, cold water, debris, and bridge or access hazards remain material.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage at Shepherdstown Princess Street, confirm the town ramp and parking, then shuttle to the Dam 4 downstream access using current local and C&O roads. Leave daylight for Taylor’s, Snyder’s, the Killiansburg area, wind, and the final town landing; do not rely on the closed ferry for transport.
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, Horseshoe Bend, and Killiansburg Cave are documented C&O hiker-biker camping contexts near the route. Confirm current NPS status, access, vehicle staging, fees/reservations, and water before planning an overnight; no riverbank 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

A bounded Class I Potomac reach beginning below Dam 4 and ending at the public Shepherdstown Princess Street ramp. The corridor has slow moving water, several public or conditional access points, C&O camping context, and a documented downstream gauge directly at the take-out.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

Dam 4 downstream Potomac access
Open mapDirections to put-in

The Dam 4 put-in is a route-specific downstream access anchor and must be confirmed as legal/current; the dam itself is not a launch or runnable feature.

Finish

Take-out

Shepherdstown Princess Street Boat Ramp
Open mapDirections to take-out

Taylor’s and Snyder’s are public C&O access areas but have distinct ramp, parking, carry, and landing conditions; they are intermediate options, not a promise of rescue access.

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 distance11.6 miMixed access
On-water time5–9 hours depending on stageFull route option
ShuttleCar shuttleChoose a shorter in/out pair for a shorter day.

Dam 4 downstream Potomac access to Shepherdstown Princess Street Boat Ramp is about 11.6 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.

Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • The Dam 4 put-in is a route-specific downstream access anchor and must be confirmed as legal/current; the dam itself is not a launch or runnable feature.
  • Taylor’s and Snyder’s are public C&O access areas but have distinct ramp, parking, carry, and landing conditions; they are intermediate options, not a promise of rescue access.
  • Shepherdstown’s Princess Street landing is in West Virginia on the shared Potomac corridor; confirm current town rules and parking. USGS 01618000 is direct at the route endpoint but cannot certify upstream depth, wind, debris, or access.

Watch for

  • USGS 01618000 Shepherdstown stage, discharge, and trend
  • American Whitewater 1.0 ft low-runnable and 7.6 ft high-correlation screens, fast rise, flood products, wind, cold water, floating wood, strainers, and private/railroad boundaries
  • Dam 4 upstream exclusion, downstream put-in legality, Taylor’s and Snyder’s landings, Killiansburg camping context, Princess Street parking, and the hard town 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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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 corridorDam 4 to Shepherdstown, approximately 11.6 miles, Class I

    American Whitewater names the route, exact endpoints, intermediate Taylor’s/Snyder’s access, Killiansburg camping, direct Shepherdstown gauge, and route-specific flow correlation.

    Source

  • Authoritative public accessC&O/NPS access sequence plus Shepherdstown Princess Street public riverfront launch

    NPS/C&O materials document the park’s public river access and Shepherdstown’s civic riverfront documents the public launch/parking context. Confirm the below-dam entry and current town rules before launch.

    Source

  • Direct flow evidenceUSGS 01618000 Potomac River at Shepherdstown; 1.0 ft low-runnable and 7.6 ft high-correlation context

    The station is directly at the route’s downstream endpoint; American Whitewater supplies the route correlation. Local upstream stage, wind, debris, and landing conditions remain controlling.

    Source

  • Dam boundaryDam 4 is an upstream exclusion; launch only below the structure

    NPS and American Whitewater identify Dam 4 as a major hazard and the route put-in below it. Do not run the dam or improvise access around power works.

    Source

  • Camping postureNearby C&O hiker-biker camping; no riverbank camping

    Big Woods, Horseshoe Bend, and Killiansburg Cave are separate campsites near the reach and do not imply boat landings or vehicle access.

    Source

  • Live gaugeUSGS 01618000, Potomac River at Shepherdstown, WV

    This is a direct same-river station. Readings are provisional and must be combined with trend and visual conditions.

    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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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 0.4Big Slackwater Boat Ramp to Taylors Landing Boat Ramp with Dam 4 portageMontgomery, Frederick, and Washington Counties / Central MarylandHard · Approximately 3.4 river miles downstream from C&O Canal mile 85.5 to mile 80.9, with a mandatory Dam 4 portageBond'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 48.2

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Antietam CreekMD 34 / Porterstown Bridge to Antietam Creek C&O Campground and Potomac confluence · about 6 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 7 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 14 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 Dam 4 downstream access to Shepherdstown Princess Street Boat Ramp 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 Dam 4 downstream access to Shepherdstown Princess Street Boat Ramp route on the Potomac River start and end?

This route starts at Dam 4 downstream Potomac access and ends at Shepherdstown Princess Street Boat Ramp, Approximately 11.6 moving-water miles from below Dam 4 to Shepherdstown on the water.

Is the Dam 4 downstream access to Shepherdstown Princess Street Boat Ramp route on the Potomac River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a moderate 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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