Bear Creek,

U.S. 219 to Youghiogheny River at Friendsville (A nice river to run when the Upper Yough is too high.)

Usual Difficulty	IV (may vary with level)
Length	7 Miles
Avg. Gradient	84 fpm
Max Gradient	100 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
BEAR CREEK AT FRIENDSVILLE, MD
usgs-03076600	240 - 2000 cfs	IV	01h10m	59 cfs (rc= -0.1 )

River Description

Gertler, Ed; Maryland and Delaware Canoe Trails
This one is often run when the Upper Yough is too high. It's basically a roadside drainage ditch, with the resultant imperfect water quality and scenery, but it can be fast and continuous--a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. When it's roaring along at 1000 cfs, it's Class V. And you'd best be lookin' for wood.

Directions: follow the road out of Friendsville. One good putin is at a roadside pulloff just upstream of a small bridge; but there are others. The takeout is at the confluence with the Yough, at the park in Friendsville.

Ed Evangelidi testifies:
First half of the run has easier whitewater (Class III) but often has more wood in the stream. With more water, the south branch is also runnable.