Whitewater Run VA Class II

SR 663 to Potomac Confluence

Catoctin Creek

Linked via: Proximity 92% confidence Synced 3mo ago

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Gauge Conditions
Runnable: 4.0 – 12.0 FT

Upper limit for best boatability uncertain. Please help your fellow boaters with a comment or report.

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Description
This is a pleasant mild whitewater run located near the DC metropolitan area. The spice is provided by a couple of fun rock gardens and ledges which even include a surfable wave or two. There are probably 15 rapids of one sort or another interspersed by moving flatwater sections that never exceed a quarter mile or so. The water is full of sediment at runnable levels but reasonably clean, and the scenery is quite good. There are rock formations, the usual herons, ducks and turtles, and stupendous river birches, some of which have fallen and create challenging strainers. I never had to get out of my boat, but some maneuvering was required. Some were river wide 'limbo strainers' that could be trouble at higher levels. The putin is at 663 bridge in Taylorstown, VA. There is somewhat of parking lot here and easy access to the river across the road from the gauge. The takeout is just down stream of the Potomac confluence at a public boat landing located at the foot of the Rte. 15 bridge. I was surprised by this river. I thought it would be smaller and less interesting. I found it comparable to other more well known nearby reaches, such as the Rappahannock above Rte. 211. See Also: _Classic Virginia Rivers,_ Ed Grove (1992 ed), p. 100. _Virginia Whitewater_, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 35. _Exploring Virginia's Waterways_, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 25.
Difficulty
Class II
Length
5.0 mi
Gradient
10 ft/mi
Rapids
0
Difficulty Classes
I Easy II Novice III Intermediate IV Advanced V Expert/Extreme VI Unrunnable
Current Conditions
5-Day Forecast
Whitewater data from
American Whitewater