The Upper Yough release season brings hundreds of paddlers to the Town of Friendsville, MD on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays. The crowded takeout at the Wilderness Voyageurs store and the parking area along Maple Street has been irritating nearby residents for years. American Whitewater recently met with town officials who were considering closing off river access in town. We were only able to avoid that policy by promising that everyone would behave better!

Remember that we are guests of the Town of Friendsville when using this access. Certain activities are offensive to town residents, including 1) Changing clothes in public view, especially between cars and the guard rail. AW built a change house; please use it!  2) Blocking road traffic with boats or bodies, even momentarily. Please don't walk or place boats in the roadway, even for a short time! 3) Consuming alcoholic beverages in public. The town is planning an increased police presence in 2010 and citations will be issued to offenders.

Protect access here by showing respect for local residents. Be discrete and courteous, and remind your friends to do the same.

Photos for this article by Jeff Macklin. Thanks, Jeff!