As of 3 weeks ago, the river wide strainer mentioned recently has been removed. Members of the Wilmington Trail Club Paddlers risked life ( and strainer's limbs) to remove. Most of the tree was removed and placed as high as possible on rocks/bank river right. A section about 10-15 ft in length sank to the bottom. It was getting dark, so we had to leave it there. As of a week ago, it was no where to be seen. Bob Swain, Wilmington Trail Club, www.wilmingtontrailclub.org, bswain@psre.com

As of May 17,2008:There is a river wide strainer right below the little gorge that's before the waterfalls on river left above the last rapid. Edit

the log at snap falls on river left is no longer there Edit

As the previous person mentioned, as of my last run, May 4th, the log has been disloged from its original location, but was under water right below the first drop river left, but is not as much of a hazard.Bob Swain, Wilmington Trail Club. www.wilmingtontrailclub.org bswain@psre.com

Here is a Description I wrote a few years(1997) ago. Should still be fairly accurate.<br /> <br /> Muddy Creek, Lower Section (Lower Susquehanna Water Basin) <br /> <br /> Location : Delta, Pennsylvania<br /> <br /> Shuttle Information : <br /> <br /> Put In : <br /> <br /> Option #1- Put In at Paper Mill Bridge on Paper Mill Road(2024) one mile off Route 74. Parking is available on both sides of the bridge. Paper Mill Road is approximately one half mile north of where route 74 crosses Muddy Creek.<br /> <br /> Option #2- Put In where Route 74 crosses Muddy Creek. Parking is available on the right side of the road in the southerly direction.<br /> <br /> Take Out:<br /> <br /> Option #1- Cold Cabin Takeout, Follow Paper Mill Road approximately 2 miles to a four way stop turn left onto Cold Cabin Road go approximately 2 miles(The road will change from pavement to gravel as you enter the woods), wave to Moonie as you drive by. Continue on Cold Cabin Road past numerous cabins. The takeout, Cold Cabin Park, is located directly in front of you as the road begins to turn to the left. The Susquehanna River is within view. The Park is owned by PECO. Parking is allowed strictly from dusk to dawn, untimely paddlers will have to deal with the wrath of Gatekeeper Ray. In all seasons except Winter, PECO provides a Jiffy John.<br /> <br /> Option #2- Driving south on Route 74 from York turn left onto route 372 Holtwood Road,. Follow this road for approximately 2.5 miles to River Road turn right onto River Road. If you are on the Norman Wood Bridge you went to far. Follow River Road approximately 2 miles to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission Boat Landing. It’s on the left side. Be certain to have registered your boat, if you plan on launching or landing your boat from the Pennsylvania Fish Commission Boat Landing. As of about 1996 it was a $ 50 fine.<br /> <br /> <br /> River Characteristics<br /> <br /> Gauges: None<br /> <br /> River Classification: I-III (One V, Muddy Creek Gorge) See Description of Creek.<br /> <br /> Gradient: 15 Feet Per Mile<br /> <br /> River Miles and Approximate Paddling Time: <br /> 4.4 miles plus either 0.5 miles or 1 mile of river paddling depending on the takeout location.<br /> 1.5 -2 hours from the Paper Mill Bridge put in to the Cold Cabin Park take out, this does not account for play time.<br /> <br /> Hazards: <br /> One Dam(5 Ft), Between Route 74 and Paper Mill Bridge Put In, Muddy Creek Gorge(V; Strainers and Undercuts) and Strainers<br /> <br /> Runnable Months: All year round, except for the driest of summer.<br /> <br /> Scenery: Excellent<br /> <br /> Water Quality: Excellent<br /> <br /> Wildlife: Deer, Blue Heron, Bank Beavers, Trout, Hawks and a variety of other birds.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Description of Creek:<br /> <br /> Put in at Route 74 Bridge, carry boats down under bridge. Approximately ¼ of a mile downstream you will encounter an old mill dam. The dam is river wide, approximately 5 feet high and is easily runnable in the middle of the creek.<br /> <br /> Paddle under a abandoned concrete bridge.<br /> <br /> The next put in(the most popular) is at the Paper Mill bridge. Carry boats down the trail on river right downstream of bridge to large rock slanting into creek. For the daring, try sliding from bank into creek.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The first notable rapid, is Double Ledges(II).<br /> <br /> Ledge #1(one - two foot drop)- Small surfing wave forms mid-stream at top of rapid. River left eddy is large, beginners should catch a breathe here. Smaller eddy on river left allows for easier access to small surf wave.<br /> <br /> Ledge #2 (two-three foot drop)- Small side surfing ledge hole forms midstream to river left eddy. River left eddy is large. Smaller eddy on river right. Easiest to enter side surf hole from river right, bracing on right side(downstream). The main flow channel downstream of the Ledge #2 allows for stern squirts from the river left eddy. At higher levels(2 feet above normal) a creek wide surf wave(4 feet tall) forms.<br /> <br /> The next small ledge, I will call Diagonal Ledge(I)- Diagonal Ledge will allow beginners to develop their surfing skills.<br /> <br /> Snap Falls(III) - creek wide ledge(Right side, 5 foot drop: Left side, two step 5 foot drop)<br /> <br /> At lower levels run Snap Falls on river right. <br /> Beginners approximately 10 feet left of large sloping rock. Be prepared to brace on left side, and don’t be tempted to put a hand brace on the rock face to the right.<br /> At moderate levels runs can be made river right(must consider at moderate and higher levels a nasty hole forms against rock face), river left is a straight forward staircase or center if middle rock is covered.<br /> <br /> At higher levels(flood stage), run river left.<br /> <br /> Play moves at lower and moderate levels in hole at bottom of river right drop of Snap Falls. Both stern squirts and front enders and variations into rock splats can be performed.<br /> <br /> A campsite exist on river right, that overlooks Snap Falls.<br /> <br /> The second smaller drop of Snap Falls is best run by hugging the river right rock bank. Eddy behind the large rock on river right, and try the fast peelout move across the main flow.<br /> <br /> <br /> Follow the small ripples to the next significant rapid.<br /> <br /> Muddy Creek Gorge(V in my book) <br /> <br /> Unfamiliar boaters must pay special attention to the narrowing gorge ahead of them. A large roar of white water will warn you. I recommend beginners should portage this Class V rapid, because if you make a mistake you will get spanked! Eddy at least 100 yards upstream of the gorge on river right, there is a trail that will allow you to portage below the gorge. The trail is not the greatest and the rocks are slippery.<br /> <br /> Any boater attempting the rapid should first land or boat scout. The gorge almost always has something in it(i.e. trees, rafts). The gorge can be run several different ways depending on water level.<br /> <br /> Low water(summer levels)- Middle rock in gorge is uncovered and water is flowing around both sides. I prefer the left side. I start at the top of the drop, paddling creek center to left. You will have to avoid crashing your right side into the middle rock. Pass the rock safely, put a turning stroke in to turn you right and follow the tongue out. At low levels a roll will likely result in some scratches to the helmet and some bloody knuckles.<br /> <br /> At moderate levels- The middle rock is barely covered. Running the left side will probably push you into the left side undercuts. The best route is probably to follow the green tongue over the middle rock and boof through the hole at the bottom.<br /> <br /> At high levels- water is being routed down the usually dry right side of the gorge. Runs can be made on either side. The left side of the gorge is usually a straight flush with no holes, only the undercut rocks to contend with. The right side is an easier run than the left. <br /> <br /> The difficulty of running the gorge is very dependent of the water level, sometimes the higher levels are easier than the lower level runs. Safety should always be set for boaters attempting the run. There is always possibilities of broaching, pinning and being sucked under the many undercuts. Take my word I have seen a few sticky situations here.<br /> <br /> If your into sliding of rocks in your kayak the gorge offers two (2) places to launch from. The highest point to launch would be from the highest point of the large middle rock of the gorge. This is where you would typically would take a look into the gorge. It drops about 20 feet at about a 70 degree angle. It will take some plastic off your boat. <br /> <br /> The second launch point is probably 10 feet up. And is 100 feet downstream of the first launch point on river right. This one is easier and allows you to boof the surface of the water.<br /> <br /> The next rapid is called Screaming Right(II+) and is approximately ¼ of a mile downstream of the gorge. This rapid you enter right of center, as you drop over the first small ledge, purchase with a left Duffeck turning you into the main flow. Catch the river left eddy above the large undercut rock the blocks the flow on the left side of the creek. At medium levels, you will find small surfing waves in the middle of the creek. The remainder of the rapid can be run starting from the river left eddy, peeling out into the main current and working your way to the middle of the creek. Below the large undercut rock, catch the large river left eddy. This eddy has a powerful upstream circulation to it and will keep you busy if your trying to rest. From this left eddy you can execute stern squirts and there is also a neat attainment move that allows you to move slightly above the large undercut rock, where a small side surfing hole exists.<br /> <br /> The next rapid is Screaming Left(III) and is approximately ½ mile downstream.<br /> Screaming Left at low levels can be entered between the river right bank and the middle of the creek. Follow the river right bank through the rapid. If you can catch as many river right bank eddies as possible. As you continue down this rapid, which slowly bends to the left be prepared for the large slanting rock at the bottom. At lower levels it is best to avoid the rock by paddling hard to river left. Catching the river left eddy next to the rock provides easy access to a small surfing wave. At higher levels it is easy to splat the rock provided it has a pillow on it.<br /> <br /> The next rapid has no name that I’m aware of because it is only class II, however it has a cool splat rock and is a nice play area, above and below the splat rock. Above the splat rock in the river left eddy, you can do stern squirts into the main flow onto the splat rock. Below the splat rock is a small surfing wave.<br /> <br /> The next rapid, currently has no name (II+)- Two drop ledge rapid, dropping in total 5 feet.<br /> Eddies can be made between the first ledge and the second ledge on both the right and left, the right being the easier of the two. Peel out into the main flow and eddy after the second ledge drop on either the right or left. A small hole wave and a trailing diagonal surf wave form off the second ledge.<br /> <br /> As the paddler wanders downstream through the beautiful refreshing gorge, the next item of note is the waterfall cascading down a channel cut into a rock face. The water fall is probably 25 feet high and if you paddle under it you’ll receive a refreshing shower.<br /> <br /> One rapid remains called Triple Drop??(III)<br /> <br /> The first ledge drop is approximately one-two feet high and provides a nice river wide side surfing hole. The surfing wave can be entered from a river left eddy. From the river left eddy ferry across the creek to the river right eddy to the next and best surfing hole on the creek. This creek wide surfing hole is steeper than the top surf wave and 360 degree spins can be done at medium water levels. At low water levels, straight on surfing with sharp cut backs can be carved. Below this the creek drops another ten feet in approximately four small steps. Each step has its own small surfing wave. <br /> <br /> The remaining paddle is flat water out to the Susquehanna River, where you have the option to paddle either upstream or downstream depending on where you set your shuttle. If you parked at the Pennsylvania Fish Commission Boat Landing, paddle upstream for approximately 0.5 miles. The paddles not that difficult because the water is not that swift on this part of the river.<br /> <br /> If you parked at Cold Cabin Park paddled approximately 1 mile downstream. A landmark for determining where the take out parking lot is the last two (2) homes on the river right bank. If unsure just paddle close to the shore, it only takes longer paddling the perimeter of the shoreline.<br /> <br /> General Notes:<br /> <br /> If you plan on boating the river in the winter, be prepared to do a palm portage at the end of the last rapid on Muddy Creek. The back water from the Susquehanna usually freezes in January or February, depending on how cold the winter is and how much the Creek and River levels have fluctuated.<br /> <br /> If you plan on taking off the Susquehanna River at Cold Cabin Park, near dusk, be prepared to deal with Ray, the gatekeeper, He will literally lock your vehicle in the Park with little chance for escape.<br /> <br /> Also at the Paper Mill Bridge Put In, there has been a lot of vandalism and thefts from cars. Please lock your car and more importantly do not let valuables in the car. Also most of the time the locks, will not stop the cowards. My rule of thumb is to either let your friend, who has a car alarm, park at the put in or get to your car before dark. Most of the vandalism and thefts that I’m aware of happen at dark.<br />

To find the put-in: Coming south from Holtwood on Route 74, after about 5 miles look for Paper Mill Road on the left. Paper Mill rd will be in a major left hand bend in Route 74. Continue down Paper Mill about 3 miles. First bridge over a stream you come to will be Muddy Creek. To get to the takeout, continue south on Paper Mill Road. About 2 miles down take a left on Cold Cabin road. Drive down cold cabin road, passing Starrk Moon kayaks. At the bottom of the road is Cold Cabin Park. This is the approved takeout, and its about 2 miles down from where Muddy dumps into the Susquehana. Think Lake Paddle....

The old guidebooks talk about putting in at Rte. 74 or just below that. The access below Rte. 74 is gone due to landowner problems. The 6-foot dam mentioned in the guidebooks is also gone. Rte. 74 is essentially gone as an option but you can quickly still unload boats here and possibly get harassed but not arrested by the police. Just do not leave a car here unattended or you will be in trouble. The section from Rte. 74 to Paper Mill Rd. is very nice and has Cl 1-2 rapids. Speaking of problems, the preferred takeout is downstream at Cold Cabin even though the upstream takeout on the Susquehanna has better parking. This is because the police often check for required boating licenses (from each person) at the upstream takeout and most clubs have at least one paddler along who may be fined for not having such license.

Muddy Creek is an excellent beginner or intermediate run. The river width varies from 20 feet to 50 feet making resue relatively easy. There are a few dangerous spots and one undercut (in the Gorge section - it is on the left of a narrow drop and can be choked with sticks and small logs). The water temperature can drop right after a heavy rain in the spring so be prepared. <br> <br> Advanced/Expert boaters can run the creek at higher levels. Muddy Falls is runnable two ways: either boof over the center rock (this will put a dent in your boat though) or to the right of the rock by about 6 inches. DO NOT TRY TO RUN MUDDY FALLS IF YOU ARE NOT VERY COMFORTABLE RUNNING CLASS V WHITEWATER (ie the Upper Gauley). THE SCREW-UP FACTOR IS VERY LARGE AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HURT TRYING IT.