Jennings Run
Barrelville to Wills Creek
| Difficulty | III+ |
| Length | 3.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 75 fpm |
| Gauge | Wills Creek Below Hyndman, Pa |
| Flow Rate as of 52 minutes | 49 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | May 11, 2005 |
River Description
This is one of the few creeks for which you should ignore Gertler's description because it has been transformed since he ran it. The rapids are pretty continuous, and a few of them reach class III+. Stop and scout when you reach a big ledge, a little more than midway. Even at moderate levels, the hole at the bottom of the central tongue can be sticky, so you might want to stay near the right side of the creek instead. The gradient finally eases up in the final mile. On my three runs, we never encountered any creek-wide strainers, but that could change, of course.
One could also start 2 miles higher up, at Mt. Savage (put in by the Volunteer Fire Department), with 115 ft/mile gradient, and get a nice 5-mile run. That needs somewhat more water, but is otherwise probably pretty similar (I have run the second mile of this part, but not the first). Check for strainers from the road near the start.
Ed Evangelidi testifies:
This creek has suffered much past abuse but recent improvements have removed sewage, strainers and other man made trash. Just the nice rapids remain for your enjoyment.
Lat/longitude coords are approximate, from TopoZone.
River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportThe current edition (6th, copyright 2021) of Maryland and Delaware Canoe Trails agrees with this descripion. Those with older editions are unfortunately reading a description based on a December 10, 1972 exploratory trip. Streams change, and in this case, for the better.
Ed Gertler
Scouted it in late spring because I work nearby. Looks like it would be fun if the water was high enough, but definitely would be prone to strainers and would be tough to scout because the creek is narrow and the banks are steep.
Top of railroad.