Gunpowder Falls

Most of us had never run this section before and we were unfamiliar with the hike to the put-in. I suggest taking the right hand path when it splits, going left was not a good choice.

There was a strainer across the entire creek at Spanked Bottom. Most of us portaged river left but a couple went river right and seal launched from the rocks.

It's a fun run, I'd like to try it again with a couple hundred CFS more flow and picking the right trail to the put-in.

spanked bottom is currently blocked by a tree and at chutes only the left chute is currently blocked, right and center chutes are clear.

This is my favorite stretch of the gunpowder. Many thanks to the stewards who care for these trails and river, particularly for whoever chainsawed the downed tree blocking the river in June 2025. Props to anyone hiking hardshell boats down to the water from these parking lots, that's some good exercise.

This is generally a wonderful stretch to tube for a group looking for more adventure than other tubing stretches from 75-150cfs. The water is very chilly of course, and a 90 degree day may be 70 degrees at the base of the dam. But the rapids are great fun. At 180 CFS yesterday it was an exciting trip that involved a tube stuck in a hydraulic that I had to swim from and also having to scout every rapid stretch, feeling very adventurous. If I were to do that range again I would make sure the whole group is equipped with life jackets (as technically requiered), helmets, and possibly even paddles!

Photo expedition on 9/1/2023

My son (call him a class II boater) and I ran this in the 200-250 CFS range. This is a particularly pretty stretch of river. There's a path river right (as well as paths higher up too), and I recommend it as a hiking spot in addition to a paddling one. At this level there were some fishermen, but not a lot. They were just getting started at about 10:30.

Most of the rapids were class I or II-, except for a stretch with four creeky-feeling ones in a row that I would call III-. This would be a really good beginner river if there was a little more recovery space between them.

HAs anyone run this since the fall? Any wood of concern?

Does anyone know who created this post about this portion of the Gunpowder?

I created a river tubing MD resource http://tubing-maryland.com and I'm looking to add water level information to the site for this location and other tubing MD locations. I see this site has pulled in this data and is displaying it and I wonder where I can find this data? MOre specifically is their an API for me to the pull water level data for this point and display it on my site.

thank you,
ryan spahn

Ran this two days ago and the level was around 2.00. Not many strainers at all except an angry beaver (tried to attack a boater and then pursued us for about 100 yards). A little scrapey at some spots but fun none-the-less.

ran it 7/18/2010 masemore to bluemount. it was listed L8 but it was a good run did not have to do any hiking it was deep enough and only 2 small log jams

Despite what you may think you will not be able to get around this until high water takes it somewhere else. be carefull.

I have got nothing but the best to say for this little creek. Absolutely beatiful. I have gotten into kayaking probably about 8 months ago and this was def a fun run. Beware of log jam after triplet. I was there the first weekend of march 2007 and it was there. It is easily portaged on the right after the first two drops.

Group of us from the GBCC ran this section tonight the level was 1.60 on the Falls Road gauge. There were no strainers to worry about and the scenery was excellant. Only my second time down this strecth and cant wait to run it again>

Greetings:

I wished to pass on info about the Gunpowder at Prettyboy Dam. I just finished paddling it Sat 3Apr 2004.

The level according to the gauge is 2.75 water is being released from one of the 2 tubes and water is cascading over the top. We put in at the dam. There is a strainer that crosses the entire stream , it is approx. 800 ft. from the area that you can launch your boat, but you can't see it until you go around the first bend.

I have been paddling this stream for 4 years and have never been told the names of these drops or rapids, so maybe some one should photograph them, and name them. If you are interested I have a group of people that would like to do this.

Thanks

Stewart Thrasher

Fast, fun drop. Forgiving if you're off line.