See all 15 routes on Potomac River
Maryland | Allegany County / Western Maryland
Potomac River
Oldtown Toll Bridge to Paw Paw Tunnel Campground
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 Class I moving-water Potomac reach along the Maryland C&O Canal corridor from Oldtown to Paw Paw Tunnel Campground. It is a practical western Maryland river section with public federal access, an intermediate Town Creek option, and a direct Paw Paw gauge.
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
Oldtown Toll Bridge / C&O Canal accessOldtown, Town Creek Aqueduct, and Paw Paw are C&O access-area coordinates and parking anchors; confirm the final carry to the river and whether current water, towpath, or flood conditions make the landing usable.
Take-out
Paw Paw Tunnel Campground river accessThe Paw Paw Tunnel campground is on the Maryland side, while the gauge is named Paw Paw, WV and the river forms a state boundary. The station is direct for the reach but its flood/access impacts extend across both banks.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Oldtown, Town Creek Aqueduct, and Paw Paw are C&O access-area coordinates and parking anchors; confirm the final carry to the river and whether current water, towpath, or flood conditions make the landing usable.
- The Paw Paw Tunnel campground is on the Maryland side, while the gauge is named Paw Paw, WV and the river forms a state boundary. The station is direct for the reach but its flood/access impacts extend across both banks.
- Intermediate Town Creek is a shorter option with limited parking; do not treat it as a guaranteed bailout without checking gate, road, carry, and daylight conditions.
Watch for
- USGS 01610000 stage, discharge, and trend
- NWS/Maryland caution and danger stages, flood warnings, wind, cold water, debris, and changing current
- C&O Canal road/towpath status, campground access, private opposite-bank property, bridge traffic, and the Paw Paw take-out boundary
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 Paw Paw, WV / Maryland Water Science Center |
| 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 | 3.90 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 Oldtown to Paw Paw flow 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 corridorOldtown Toll Bridge to Paw Paw Tunnel Campground, 12.3 miles, Class I
American Whitewater names the reach, intermediate Town Creek option, public access context, gauge, and take-out.
- Federal public accessC&O Canal access at Oldtown, Town Creek, and Paw Paw
NPS says the C&O Canal offers river ramps and the Park Planner provides access locations; the C&O Canal Association publishes current access parking coordinates.
- Route-specific flow postureApproximately 3.9 ft low-runnable context; 5 ft Maryland caution and 11 ft danger context
American Whitewater supplies the low-runnable reading context, while the NWS/MARFC Paw Paw forecast point documents Maryland boating caution/danger stages.
- CampingPaw Paw Tunnel and Town Creek C&O hiker/biker campground context
The C&O access inventory identifies nearby campground facilities; current NPS status and fees must be checked separately.
- Live gaugeUSGS 01610000, Potomac River at Paw Paw, WV / Maryland Water Science Center
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 Town Creek Aqueduct image used as same-corridor C&O/Potomac context; it does not certify current river flow or access.
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.
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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
Potomac River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Potomac River?
Paddle Today watches Potomac River at Paw Paw, WV / Maryland Water Science Center and uses 3.90 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 Oldtown Toll Bridge / C&O Canal access and ends at Paw Paw Tunnel Campground river access, about 12.3 river miles, American Whitewater Potomac reach 0.1 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
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.