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See all 15 routes on Potomac River

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

Potomac River

Shepherdstown Princess Street Boat Ramp to Dargan Bend Boat 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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DistanceApproximately 7.9 moving-water miles from Shepherdstown to Dargan Bend
DifficultyEasy
Typical time3–6 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

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Why this call
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Conditions

Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

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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

On-water distanceApproximately 7.9 moving-water miles from Shepherdstown to Dargan BendShepherdstown Princess Street Boat Ramp to Dargan Bend Boat Ramp
DifficultyeasyThe source describes recreational moving water, but shallow rock, current, cold water, debris, and bridge or access hazards remain material.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage at Dargan Bend, verify the current NPS/DNR ramp and parking, then shuttle to Shepherdstown Princess Street using current local and C&O roads. Leave daylight for wind, debris, the Antietam mouth, and a deliberate Dargan landing; do not rely on the closed ferry or informal shoreline access.
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 nearbyAntietam Creek C&O hiker-biker camping is documented along the reach, with additional C&O camping near Shepherdstown and Dargan. Confirm current NPS status, fees/reservations, water, vehicle staging, and whether the itinerary supports 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

Upcoming outlook

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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 from the public Shepherdstown Princess Street landing to the public Dargan Bend ramp. The route includes the Antietam Creek mouth and C&O camping context, but ends before the Dam 3/Needles whitewater section and does not imply access at Harpers Ferry.

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Start

Put-in

Shepherdstown Princess Street Boat Ramp
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Shepherdstown Princess Street is a civic public riverfront landing on the shared Potomac; Dargan Bend is an NPS/DNR-documented public ramp. Confirm current town, park, road, parking, waterline, and closure conditions before launch.

Finish

Take-out

Dargan Bend Boat Ramp
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The Antietam Creek campground and mouth are along-route context only and are not promised boat landings, vehicle bailouts, or access across private shoreline.

Plan this segment

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Shepherdstown Princess Street is a civic public riverfront landing on the shared Potomac; Dargan Bend is an NPS/DNR-documented public ramp. Confirm current town, park, road, parking, waterline, and closure conditions before launch.
  • The Antietam Creek campground and mouth are along-route context only and are not promised boat landings, vehicle bailouts, or access across private shoreline.
  • Dargan Bend is a hard downstream endpoint before Dam 3 and the Class II+ Needles section. The direct Shepherdstown gauge cannot certify local Dargan depth, wind, debris, landing, or downstream hydraulics.

Watch for

  • USGS 01618000 Shepherdstown stage, discharge, and trend
  • American Whitewater 2.05 ft low-runnable context, flood products, wind, cold water, floating wood, strainers, and private/railroad boundaries
  • Antietam Creek mouth and campground context, Dargan Bend ramp/parking, current park conditions, the Dam 3 exclusion, and the hard take-out before the Needles

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.

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

Score & sources

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

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Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking

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Why
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Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge sitePotomac River at Shepherdstown, WV
Gauge heightChecking
DischargeChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
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Rain timingChecking
Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floor2.05 ft
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreAmerican Whitewater Shepherdstown to Dargan Bend route correlation
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Weather sourceChecking
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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 corridorShepherdstown to Dargan Bend, approximately 7.9 miles, Class I

    American Whitewater names the reach, public Shepherdstown put-in, Antietam campground context, public Dargan take-out, direct Shepherdstown gauge, and route-specific low-runnable context.

    Source

  • Authoritative public accessShepherdstown Princess Street public riverfront launch and NPS/DNR Dargan Bend public ramp

    The Shepherdstown civic riverfront documents public launch/parking context; NPS current conditions and Maryland DNR identify Dargan Bend as an open public Potomac ramp. Verify current entry and closure status.

    Source

  • Direct flow evidenceUSGS 01618000 Potomac River at Shepherdstown; approximately 2.05 ft low-runnable context

    The gauge is directly at the upstream endpoint and American Whitewater supplies the route correlation. It cannot certify Dargan local depth, debris, wind, or landing conditions.

    Source

  • Boundary and safety postureDargan Bend hard take-out before Dam 3/Needles

    NPS identifies the Dam 3-to-US 340 area as Potomac whitewater; this route intentionally ends at Dargan before that section.

    Source

  • Camping postureAntietam Creek C&O hiker-biker camping context; no riverbank camping

    American Whitewater identifies the campground along the reach; current NPS status, access, and reservations must be confirmed separately.

    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

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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.

More in Maryland

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

More on Potomac River

All 15
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 MarylandAdvanced · 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 by distance

Antietam CreekMD 34 / Porterstown Bridge to Antietam Creek C&O Campground and Potomac confluence · about 5 mi awayModerate · Approximately 5.8 river miles, American Whitewater Lower Antietam/Burnside Bridge SectionAntietam CreekDevil’s Backbone Park to MD 34 / Porterstown Bridge · about 9 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 13 mi awayEasy · Approximately 4.5 miles from Kemps Mill Park to Williamsport River Bottom ParkCatoctin CreekCatoctin Creek Park & Nature Center to C&O Lander Boat Ramp / Potomac · about 13 mi awayModerate · Approximately 10.1 moving-water miles from Catoctin Creek Park to the C&O Lander Boat Ramp at the Potomac

Quick answers

Potomac River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Potomac River?

Paddle Today watches Potomac River at Shepherdstown, WV and uses 2.05 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 Shepherdstown Princess Street Boat Ramp and ends at Dargan Bend Boat Ramp, about Approximately 7.9 moving-water miles from Shepherdstown to Dargan Bend 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.

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