Bowman Creek

This is a surprisingly fun run with great wave trains and scenery. Water quality is also good as it is a popular trout stream. I'd rate this as a strong Class II run. None of the rapids are very long. No gage on the creek, but it should be running when the Tunkhannock Creek is at 2.5 feet.

I put in at the PA 292 bridge and took out at the Keelersburg Rd. bridge near Eatonville; this is about 5.5 miles long.

The creek moves fast with few pools of great length. Begin with two rapids with nice wave trains and pass a 30 foot falls on a sidestream to the left. The creek then begins a series of braids. Watch out for strainers and cross currents as the flow piles up on the outside bank with some nice waves. After the second braid, there are some 3 foot standing waves- a nice rapid. The creek then makes a 90 degree turn at a cliff with a powerful eddy. A very scenic spot.

Negotiate a few more braids with some nice waves formed by cobblestones. A 90 degree turn with a powerful eddy lies upstream of the PA 29 bridge, and downstream of the bridge along the Roadside Rest. There are some nice ledges and waves along the Roadside Rest.

There are about four more rapids formed by gravel bars which can be surprisingly steep. Each rapid curves so watch out for cross currents; the last rapid of this series also features a ledge.

As the creek passes through Eatonville there are some nice ledge drops with a few sneaky pourovers. These were fun. Take out under Keelersburg Road bridge.