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Maryland | Montgomery, Frederick, and Washington Counties / Central Maryland
Potomac River
Edwards Ferry Boat Ramp to Violettes Lock Canoe/Kayak Ramp
Check current paddling conditions for this Potomac 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
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 Middle Potomac moving-water reach from the Edwards Ferry ramp through the Sycamore and Seneca access chain to the Violettes Lock ramp, bounded immediately above the Dam 2/diversion-dam hazard.
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
Lock 25 Edwards Ferry Boat RampEdwards Ferry, Sycamore Landing, Rileys/Seneca, and Violettes are C&O/NPS access areas, with different ramp types, parking sizes, carries, and current closure conditions.
Take-out
Lock 23 Violettes Lock Canoe/Kayak RampViolettes is a small-vessel gravel/soft-launch setting with a diversion dam at the canal entrance; it is an upstream hard take-out, not a continuation point.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Edwards Ferry, Sycamore Landing, Rileys/Seneca, and Violettes are C&O/NPS access areas, with different ramp types, parking sizes, carries, and current closure conditions.
- Violettes is a small-vessel gravel/soft-launch setting with a diversion dam at the canal entrance; it is an upstream hard take-out, not a continuation point.
- The Point of Rocks gauge is upstream and direct for the river, but it cannot certify local water depth, dam hydraulics, wind, or landing safety.
Watch for
- USGS 01638500 stage, discharge, and trend
- American Whitewater 1.25 ft low-runnable context, NWS 2.0 ft caution/5.5 ft danger screens, fast rise, wind, cold water, floating wood, strainers, and private banks
- Sycamore/Rileys bailout carries, Violettes gravel access, Dam No. 2/diversion works, Great Falls boundary, parking, and 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
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 | Potomac River at Point of Rocks, MD |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 1.25 ft |
| 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 | NWS/MARFC Point of Rocks boating stages and C&O/NPS moving-water access 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.
- Named moving-water corridorEdwards Ferry to Violettes Lock, approximately 8.7 Potomac river miles
The NPS/C&O guide and Trust ramp inventory identify the endpoint chain and the route remains bounded above Dam No. 2.
- Authoritative public accessEdwards Ferry, Sycamore Landing, Rileys/Seneca, and Violettes C&O/NPS ramps
The C&O Canal Trust documents the named public ramps, canal miles, parking/carry context, and coordinates; Maryland DNR identifies Violettes as non-motorized access and warns of the diversion dam.
- Direct flow evidenceUSGS 01638500 Point of Rocks plus NWS/MARFC boating stages
The gauge is direct same-river route context; the NWS 2.0/5.5 ft stages and American Whitewater 1.25 ft nearby low-runnable value are conservative screens, not depth guarantees.
- Dam boundaryViolettes/Dam No. 2 is a mandatory upstream take-out boundary
Maryland DNR and NPS materials identify the diversion/dam setting; do not continue toward the structure or Great Falls.
- Camping postureNearby C&O hiker-biker camping; no route camping
Horsepen Branch is a separate campsite near the corridor, not a promised river landing or overnight bank.
- Live gaugeUSGS 01638500, Potomac River at Point of Rocks, 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 public-domain C&O/Potomac corridor image used as route context; it does not certify current flow, ramp, weather, dam, or take-out conditions.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- Maryland DNR Middle Potomac water trail
- NPS C&O boating and whitewater warnings
- C&O Canal Trust boat-ramp inventory
- C&O Canal Trust Edwards Ferry ramp
- C&O Canal Trust Sycamore Landing ramp
- C&O Canal Trust Rileys/Seneca ramp
- C&O Canal Trust Violettes ramp
- American Whitewater Middle Potomac flow context
- NWS/MARFC Point of Rocks boating stages
- USGS Point of Rocks current conditions
- Maryland public water-access layer
- USGS 01638500 monitoring location
- USGS 01638500 current conditions
- Approved corridor image
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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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
Potomac River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Potomac River?
Paddle Today watches Potomac River at Point of Rocks, MD and uses 1.25 ft as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Potomac River route start and end?
This route starts at Lock 25 Edwards Ferry Boat Ramp and ends at Lock 23 Violettes Lock Canoe/Kayak Ramp, about Approximately 8.7 river miles downstream from Edwards Ferry at canal mile 30.8 to Violettes at mile 22.1 on the water.
Is this Potomac 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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.