See all 15 routes on Potomac River
Maryland | Montgomery, Frederick, and Washington Counties / Central Maryland
Potomac River
Mouth of Monocacy / Monocacy Aqueduct to Edwards Ferry Boat Ramp via Whites Ferry
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
A bounded Class I Potomac Islands WMA reach from the public Monocacy Aqueduct ramp to Edwards Ferry, with Whites Ferry as a documented intermediate access. The route follows moving water around islands and shoals and ends before the separately reviewed Edwards-to-Violettes corridor.
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
Monocacy Aqueduct Boat Ramp / Mouth of MonocacyMonocacy Aqueduct, Whites Ferry, and Edwards Ferry are public C&O/NPS ramp areas with separate parking, carry, road, channel, and current-closure conditions.
Take-out
Edwards Ferry Boat RampWhites Ferry’s ramp is public river access, but the ferry itself is documented as closed; do not plan on ferry transport or an opposite-bank bailout.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Monocacy Aqueduct, Whites Ferry, and Edwards Ferry are public C&O/NPS ramp areas with separate parking, carry, road, channel, and current-closure conditions.
- Whites Ferry’s ramp is public river access, but the ferry itself is documented as closed; do not plan on ferry transport or an opposite-bank bailout.
- The route ends at Edwards Ferry before the reviewed Edwards-to-Violettes reach. USGS 01646500 is downstream proxy evidence and cannot certify local depth, islands, debris, wind, ramp flooding, or take-out safety.
Watch for
- USGS 01646500 Little Falls Pump Station downstream proxy stage, discharge, and trend
- American Whitewater 3.01 ft low-runnable context, shallow shoals, island-channel selection, fast rise, flood products, wind, cold water, floating wood, strainers, and private-bank boundaries
- Monocacy Aqueduct, Whites Ferry, and Edwards Ferry ramp/parking/road status, the closed-ferry limitation, nearby C&O campsites, daylight, and the hard Edwards take-out
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 | Potomac River Near Washington, DC Little Falls Pump Sta, 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 | 3.01 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 | American Whitewater Potomac Islands WMA route guidance and USGS Little Falls Pump Station 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 corridorMouth of Monocacy to Edwards Ferry, approximately 11.7 miles, Class I
American Whitewater names the Potomac Islands WMA route family, the endpoint relationship, Whites Ferry intermediate access, Class I moving water, and the route-specific island/shoal warning.
- Authoritative public accessMonocacy Aqueduct, Whites Ferry, and Edwards Ferry public C&O/NPS boat ramps
NPS and the C&O Canal Trust document the named ramps, canal miles, parking, and Potomac access. Whites Ferry’s ferry service is closed and is not treated as transport.
- Proxy flow evidenceUSGS 01646500 Little Falls Pump Station downstream proxy with American Whitewater 3.01 ft low-runnable context
The gauge is clearly labeled proxy because it is downstream of this reach; local channel, depth, wind, debris, and access conditions remain controlling.
- Intermediate bailoutWhites Ferry public river access at approximately 6.4 miles
American Whitewater names Whites Ferry as a possible short take-out; the route preserves it as conditional river-left access with no ferry-crossing assumption.
- Camping postureNearby C&O hiker-biker camping; no route camping
Marble Quarry, Turtle Run, and Chisel Branch are separate C&O campsites near the corridor and do not imply water landings or vehicle access.
- Live gaugeUSGS 01646500, Potomac River Near Washington, DC Little Falls Pump Sta, 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
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.
- American Whitewater Potomac Islands WMA reach
- NPS C&O boating and river ramps
- NPS Monocacy Aqueduct Boat Ramp
- NPS Edwards Ferry Boat Ramp
- C&O Canal Trust boat-ramp inventory
- C&O Canal Trust Monocacy Aqueduct ramp
- C&O Canal Trust Whites Ferry ramp
- C&O Canal Trust Edwards Ferry ramp
- USGS Little Falls Pump Station proxy conditions
- Maryland public water-access layer
- USGS 01646500 monitoring location
- USGS 01646500 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.
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.
More in Maryland
All 140 routesMore on Potomac River
All 15Nearby routes by distance
Quick answers
Potomac River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Potomac River?
Paddle Today watches Potomac River Near Washington, DC Little Falls Pump Sta, MD and uses 3.01 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 Monocacy Aqueduct Boat Ramp / Mouth of Monocacy and ends at Edwards Ferry Boat Ramp, about Approximately 11.7 river miles downstream from the Monocacy mouth through the Potomac Islands WMA to Edwards Ferry on the water.
Is this Potomac 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.