2 - Stony Canyon

This section has great play all over it. It primarily consists of ledges coming at you from all directions, though there are a few boulders thrown in as well. When to paddle: This river is typically runnable on natural flow after significant rainfall and in the winter, spring, and fall. In 2012, the Stonycreek Quemahoning Initiative helped to install a new valve and new whitewater park on the Stonycreek River. From April until October, the Quemahoning Reservoir has recreational whitewater releases every other Saturday and Sunday, assuming the lake level is above the minimum. Late summer and fall releases are highly dependent on lake level. See the Benscreek Canoe Club page on the Quemahing Releases for updated info on release schedule. To continue supporting these releases, please consider donating to the SQI/Whitewater Fund. Release timing: Scheduled releases will be on Saturdays and Sundays.  Releases start around 7 AM and the river should rise at Faustwell Bridge put-in by 10 AM.  Water should start dropping at Faustwell by 2 PM (each day).  Water should start to rise around 1 PM at Carpenter’s Park.  Note: each release is a 1 hr ramp up, 4 hr full release, and a 1 hr ramp down. Hazards: there are two man-made structures. The first is Border Dam, which has spikes that can put a serious hurt on your boat, it's wise to walk this one on River Left. The second structure is Pipeline, just downstream of the dam. It's runnable via a tongue on river left; the hole in the center is punchable at most levels, as well, but hit it in the wrong spot and you can get stuck in a very nasty hydraulic. Most of the good play occurs upstream of Border Dam, though there are play waves below. Events: The Stonycreek River is home to the Stonycreek Rendezvous, a whitewater festival that is held at Greenhouse Park in mid- to late- May of each year. Benscreek Canoe Club works with the Quemahoning Reservoir to ensure that there is enough water to paddle Stony Canyon on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the festival. See the Benscreek Canoe Club Stonycreek Watershed Page. Directions: This river has two popular put-ins: either at the ballfield in Hollsopple which adds about 1 mile of flatwater/warm-up prior to showers, or at the bridge on Rte. 601 in Foustwell. The takeout is at Carpenters Park, on river right. From Hollsopple, take State Rte. 601 to Foustwell. Make a left before the bridge that goes over the Stony onto SR 4039. Follow this road for about 2 miles and under Rt. 219 (4-lane road). Just past Rte. 219 make a right onto Kaufman Church Road (there's a church on the corner). Follow for about a mile and a half and turn right at the stop sign onto SR 4022 (Carpenters Park Road). Follow over Rte. 219 (4-lane road) and down to the Stony takeout (Carpenters Park). Hollsopple Put-In: 40.210790, -78.922907 Faustwell Bridge Put-In: 40.215315, -78.901279 Carpenters Park Take-Out: 40.244293, -78.883687 For other streams in this watershed, check out: Conemaugh River (I-II) Clear Shade Creek (III) Quemahoning Creek (III) Shade Creek (III-IV) Stony Gorge (IV) Roaring Fork (IV) Dark Shade Creek (IV-V) Paint Creek (V) Little Conemaugh River - North (II-III) Little Conemaugh River - South (II-III) Little Conemaugh River (II-III(V))