Pennsylvania | South Central Pennsylvania

Yellow Breeches Creek

Simpson Park to McCormick Park

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

Route location

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DistanceAbout 1.1 mi
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeAbout 35 min to 1 hr 30 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.
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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

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Short-route forecast

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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.

DifficultyeasyThis is an easy short creek run at ordinary levels, but a low proxy reading can turn even 1.1 miles into repeated scraping and awkward eddy-hopping.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known for these township-park launches. Follow current township, boating, and PFD rules. If you extend to separate PFBC launches on another day, those accesses may require registration or a PFBC/state-park launch permit.
CampingOptions nearbyTreat this as a short day float. Cumberland County verifies the launch access but does not document public overnight support for this exact Simpson-to-McCormick segment.
SeasonApr-OctWarm-season windows are the easiest fit, but the route is still sensitive to summer scrape levels and quick thunderstorm rises.

Upcoming outlook

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

TomorrowChecking

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Plan your trip

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

Access and shuttle

Launch at Simpson Park and take out at McCormick Park for the shortest current Yellow Breeches public segment. Use the Camp Hill gauge as the county-endorsed same-creek proxy and expect scrape-prone shallow water when it sits below the 1.4-foot recommendation.

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Start

Put-in

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

Finish

Take-out

McCormick Park launch
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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 scraping is likely despite the short mileage.

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 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 scraping is likely despite the short mileage.
  • Trail use is limited to daylight hours and the county asks paddlers to respect private property not designated for public use.

Watch for

  • Scraping, shallow riffles, and slow progress when the Camp Hill gauge is near or below 1.4 ft.
  • Fresh wood, strainers, overhanging limbs, and muddy banks after thunderstorms.
  • 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

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Weather inputChecking

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Next stepChecking

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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.

  • 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
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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
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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.

  • Official route shapeSimpson Park to McCormick Park, about 1.1 mi

    The county story map lists Simpson Park to McCormick Park as a 1.1-mile public segment.

    Source

  • Public endpoint coordinates40.164151, -76.976192 to 40.165436, -76.955080

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

    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

  • Official level guidanceRecommended 1.4 to 2.0 ft; action stage 6 ft; flood stage 7 ft

    Cumberland County says the Camp Hill gauge should read between 1.4 and 2.0 feet for boating, with action stage at 6 feet and flood stage at 7 feet.

    Source

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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 Simpson Park launch and ends at McCormick Park launch, about About 1.1 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.