Gorton Road to Rt. 53 Bridge

The Black Moshannon Creek is one of Pennsylvania’s hidden gems, running occasionally in the spring with a combination of snowmelt and rain. The run and the shuttle are both fairly short, so many boaters choose to run multiple laps in a day if they can. Hazards This section can sometimes collect wood around blind turns. Be on the lookout for strainers in fast water. Gauge There is no USGS gauge for this section. You need to look at the gauge marks on the bridge abutment at the put-in. Note that the white, metal gauge there is graded in tenths of a foot, not inches. 0.0' to 0.4' is about minimum, depending on who you ask. 0.4' to 1.0' is fun Class III. Above 1.0' and the run starts to get fairly continuous, with few pools, smaller eddies, and the water up in the rhododendrons lining the creek. Around 1.5' and above, one could call this creek a 3.3 mile long Class IV rapid. Put-in From I-80 East: Take Exit 147 to Snow Shoe. Make a left onto PA 144, where you will drive until the town of Moshannon. Once in Moshannon, turn left onto Gorton Road at the intersection between PA 144 and PA 53. Stay on Gorton Road until you reach the one lane bridge across the Black Moshannon Creek. Parking can be found on both river right and left. From I-80 West: Take Exit 133 to Kylertown. Make a left onto Route 53 and stay on 53 until the town of Moshannon. There, make a right onto Gorton Road at the intersection between PA 53 and PA 144. Stay on Gorton Road until you reach the one lane bridge across the Black Moshannon Creek. Parking can be found on both river right and left. Takeout From I-80 East: Take Exit 147 to Snow Shoe. Make a left onto PA 144, where you will drive until the town of Moshannon. Continue straight at the intersection between PA 144 and PA 53 until you reach the Route 53 bridge across the Red Moshannon Creek. Parking can be found on both sides of the bridge. From I-80 West: Take Exit 133 to Kylertown. Make a left onto Route 53 and stay on 53 until you reach the bridge across the Red Moshannon Creek. Parking can be found on both sides of the bridge.