Maryland | Harford County / Lower Susquehanna Maryland

Lower Susquehanna Water Trail

Lapidum Boating Facility to Shuresville Landing

Check current paddling conditions for this Lower Susquehanna Water Trail route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.

Route location

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DistanceApproximately 8.7 miles access to access; confirm the current Lower Susquehanna Water Trail map distance and dam-safe endpoint boundary
DifficultyModerate
Typical time3–7 hours depending on direct release trend
ShuttleCar shuttle
The historic Town Creek Aqueduct crosses the C&O Canal corridor beside the Potomac River in Maryland.
River contextPotomac River corridor in Maryland; same-river or regional context only — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
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Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view

Recent trend

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Quick facts and what's next

Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.

DifficultymoderateThe source describes recreational moving water, but shallow rock, current, cold water, debris, and bridge or access hazards remain material.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current Maryland State Park and Harford County launch fees, hours, parking, PFD/boating rules, Conowingo dam-release warnings, flashing-light/siren notices, hunting notices, marine/weather conditions, and posted closures. Camping at Susquehanna State Park requires a separate reservation; no riverbank camping is claimed.
CampingOptions nearbySusquehanna State Park provides a separate campground and cabins near Lapidum by reservation. Neither launch grants riverbank camping or overnight parking.
SeasonMar-NovSpring through fall is the practical planning season, but Maryland water levels, recent rain, temperature, debris, and daylight control every launch decision.

Upcoming outlook

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Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Access and shuttle

A bounded Lower Susquehanna route from Susquehanna State Park’s Lapidum facility to Fisherman’s Park/Shuresville Landing.

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Start

Put-in

Susquehanna State Park Lapidum Boating Facility
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Lapidum is fee-controlled and park-gated; confirm current launch hours, parking, carry, and day-use operations.

Finish

Take-out

Fisherman’s Park / Shuresville Landing
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Shuresville’s access record includes hard dam/wing-wall restrictions and rising-water signals; retain those controls in the route plan.

Plan this segment

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Lapidum is fee-controlled and park-gated; confirm current launch hours, parking, carry, and day-use operations.
  • Shuresville’s access record includes hard dam/wing-wall restrictions and rising-water signals; retain those controls in the route plan.
  • The current water-trail map controls exact mileage and any intermediate access; do not substitute private shoreline or dam infrastructure.

Watch for

  • USGS 01578310 Conowingo discharge/stage and dam-release trend
  • flashing red lights, sirens, dam and wing-wall exclusion zones, current, wakes, wind, cold water, floating debris, thunderstorms, and bridge traffic
  • park fees/hours, limited lots, ramp versus soft access, downstream tide/wind, private shorelines, and hard named take-outs
  • Lapidum ramp and fee, Susquehanna State Park, Shuresville Landing, Conowingo dam, wing walls, flashing lights/sirens, current, wakes, wind, debris, and daylight

Why this score

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

Read quality
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Today'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.

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Gauge, thresholds, and timing

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

Gauge siteSusquehanna River at Conowingo, MD
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
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Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
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Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floorNot calibrated yet
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreUSGS Conowingo telemetry with Maryland DNR/NPS Lower Susquehanna boating guidance
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What 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 corridorMaryland DNR/NPS Lower Susquehanna Lower Susquehanna Lapidum to Shuresville, Approximately 8.7 miles access to access; confirm the current Lower Susquehanna Water Trail map distance and dam-safe endpoint boundary

    The official DNR and NPS materials establish the Lower Susquehanna water-trail setting, public endpoint chain, park access, and route-specific dam/shallow-water controls. No fixed mileage is invented where the source does not publish one.

    Source

  • Authoritative public accessSusquehanna State Park Lapidum Boating Facility to Fisherman’s Park / Shuresville Landing

    The current Maryland DNR public-water-access layer identifies the endpoint facilities and their ramp, soft-launch, fee, parking, or exclusion-zone controls. Coordinates are on/near-water access anchors and current operations must be verified.

    Source

  • Direct flow evidenceUSGS 01578310 Susquehanna River at Conowingo, direct same-river regulated-flow station

    This direct station provides current Susquehanna discharge/stage and release context, but it does not replace dam notices, visual conditions, marine forecast, or local endpoint checks.

    Source

  • Camping postureSusquehanna State Park provides a separate campground and cabins near Lapidum by reservation. Neither launch grants riverbank camping or overnight parking.

    Susquehanna State Park camping requires a separate reservation; public docks and riverbanks are not assumed campsites.

    Source

  • Live gaugeUSGS 01578310, Susquehanna River at Conowingo, MD

    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

    Rights-cleared Maryland public-river image used as Lower Susquehanna context; it does not certify current release, dam, wind, access, or route hazards.

    Source

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Lower Susquehanna Water Trail paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Lower Susquehanna Water Trail?

Paddle Today watches Susquehanna River at Conowingo, MD and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does this Lower Susquehanna Water Trail route start and end?

This route starts at Susquehanna State Park Lapidum Boating Facility and ends at Fisherman’s Park / Shuresville Landing, about Approximately 8.7 miles access to access; confirm the current Lower Susquehanna Water Trail map distance and dam-safe endpoint boundary on the water.

Is this Lower Susquehanna Water Trail 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.

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.