Paddle the bumpy part of the Monocacy - Buckeystown to Park Mills - 6 miles

After being a trickle most of the summer, the Monocacy River is currently runnable and still rising as of Sunday night. Given the mostly clear week ahead, it should still be just right next weekend. Let's take this rare late summer opportunity to visit the only natural rapid on the river.

We'll meet at the Park Mills Road boat ramp (our takeout) and load most of the boats onto my trailer. We'll drive 6 miles upstream and launch from the sketchy staircase at Buckeystown Community Park. From there, we will enjoy five mostly peaceful miles of paddling through unspoiled forest and farmland of Frederick County. Then, for the last ten minutes, we turn a corner and repeatedly yell a chorus of "oh crap, wait, wait, naw I got it, oh crap, wait, yeah I'm good" as we traverse an extended Class I rapid. If you do swim, there is good news: The takeout is three minutes downstream.

Have I scared you off yet? No? Good! This will be fun, but you need to come prepared for the possibility of getting wet, so keep a towel and change of clothes in one of the vehicles downstream. We'll be sure to stick together in the tricky part.

This trip is suitable for Sit-on-top kayaks, inflatable paddle boards, and yes, even sea kayaks. I strongly advise bringing a skirt if your boat is made for one. As always, inflatable kayaks and rafts are prohibited on all of our trips. Everyone needs to WEAR, not just carry, a USCG Type III PDF.

Our meetup/take out location (no later than 11am):
Park Mills Boat Ramp

Our start location:
[Buckeystown Community Park](7221 Michaels Mill Rd, Adamstown, MD 21710)