Pennsylvania | South Central Pennsylvania

Yellow Breeches Creek

Liberty Forge to Yellow Breeches Park

Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.

Route location

Loading the route coverage map.

Open access map
DistanceAbout 1.9 mi
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeAbout 45 min to 1 hr 45 min depending on depth
ShuttleCar shuttle
An angler stands in the clear, shaded water of Yellow Breeches Creek at Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania.
River contextYellow Breeches Creek at Boiling Springs river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Staecker

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
View Primary Source

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

Gauge history and hourly forecast

Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.

Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

Quick facts and what's next

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

DifficultyeasyThis is normally easy short moving water, but low-water scraping, a bridge-side put-in, and the need to finish before the posted downstream blockage keep the route from being a thoughtless drift.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known for this bridge-to-park segment. Follow current township, boating, and PFD rules, obey any posted public-access instructions at Liberty Forge, and do not assume the route should continue downstream into the posted B7 hazard area.
CampingOptions nearbyTreat this as a short day route. Cumberland County documents public launch access at Liberty Forge and Yellow Breeches Park, but it does not document public overnight support for this exact segment.
SeasonApr-OctShort warm-season paddles are the natural fit, but the creek can rise quickly after storms and still run annoyingly shallow below the county floor.

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan your trip

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

Access and shuttle

Launch at the public Liberty Forge bridge access and take out at Yellow Breeches Park for a short lower-middle Yellow Breeches float. This route intentionally ends at B6 because the county currently recommends B6 as the safe downstream finish above the posted blockage near B7.

Take the plan with you

Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.

Start

Put-in

Liberty Forge bridge access
Open map

Cumberland County still publishes both endpoints as official Yellow Breeches access points with exact coordinates on the county story map.

Finish

Take-out

Yellow Breeches Park launch
Open map

The county story map says the public may access the creek for boating at the Old Forge Road bridge at Liberty Forge and should follow posted access rules; it also asks paddlers to limit parking to individuals and small groups only.

Plan this segment

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Cumberland County still publishes both endpoints as official Yellow Breeches access points with exact coordinates on the county story map.
  • The county story map says the public may access the creek for boating at the Old Forge Road bridge at Liberty Forge and should follow posted access rules; it also asks paddlers to limit parking to individuals and small groups only.
  • The county currently warns that a large fallen tree and logjam completely block the creek upstream of Slate Hill Road and specifically recommends B6 Yellow Breeches Park to avoid the hazard.
  • The county recommends boating when the Camp Hill gauge reads about 1.4 to 2.0 feet. This route was reviewed when the proxy gauge was 1.25 feet at 2026-07-11 00:45 EDT, so low-water scraping is likely.

Watch for

  • Scraping, shallow lines, and slower travel when the Camp Hill gauge is near or below 1.4 ft.
  • Fresh wood, strainers, and muddy footing at the bridge put-in or the Yellow Breeches Park finish after storms.
  • The posted downstream blockage and the B7 dam-portage area; do not drift past the intended B6 take-out assuming the lower trail is clear.
  • Private banks and limited legal bailout choices away from the named public launches.

Data and sources

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

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

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.

  • Checking evidence-strength notes.
Gauge, thresholds, and timing

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

Gauge siteYellow Breeches Creek near Camp Hill, PA
Gauge heightChecking
DischargeChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Target band1.40 ft to 2.00 ft
Low threshold1.40 ft
High threshold6.00 ft
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreCumberland County Yellow Breeches Camp Hill gauge guidance
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
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.

  • Official route shapeLiberty Forge to Yellow Breeches Park, about 1.9 mi

    The county story map lists Liberty Forge to Yellow Breeches Park as a 1.9-mile public segment.

    Source

  • Public endpoint coordinates40.177495, -76.924172 to 40.183811, -76.912682

    Cumberland County still publishes Liberty Forge and Yellow Breeches Park as official Yellow Breeches access points with those coordinates.

    Source

  • Public-use access termsBridge-side boating access at Liberty Forge

    The county story map says the public may access the creek for boating at the bridge at Old Forge Road, with parking at the miniature-golf area and posted access rules controlling use.

    Source

  • Official same-creek proxy gaugeUSGS 01571500 at Camp Hill

    USGS Water Services returned same-day 2026-07-11 values of 147 cfs and 1.25 ft for Yellow Breeches Creek near Camp Hill at 00:45 EDT.

    Source

  • Current finish rationaleCounty recommends B6 instead of continuing toward B7

    The county page currently warns that a large fallen tree and logjam completely block the creek upstream of the Slate Hill Road take-out and specifically recommends taking out at B6 Yellow Breeches Park to avoid the hazard.

    Source

Check the source links

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

Yellow Breeches Creek paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Yellow Breeches Creek?

Paddle Today watches Yellow Breeches Creek near Camp Hill, PA and treats 1.40 ft to 2.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does this Yellow Breeches Creek route start and end?

This route starts at Liberty Forge bridge access and ends at Yellow Breeches Park launch, about About 1.9 mi on the water.

Is this Yellow Breeches Creek 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.

See something outdated?

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