2. Savage Dam to North Branch Potomac River

The Savage is THE whitewater rocket ride! With an average gradient of 75 feet per mile (with sections exceeding 100 fpm) the action is fast and continuous. The Savage's overall difficulty rating below 800 cfs is Class III-IV. At 800 - 1,200 cfs it is Class IV. Above 1,200 cfs the Savage is the longest Class IV-V rapid in Maryland!! Due to the steep, narrow and unrelenting nature of this run paddlers should be: 1) Well insulated (water temp 46), 2) Adept at fast self-rescue and wave-crest scouting, and 3) In possession of paddling skills commensurate with water levels: below 800 cfs - intermediate to advanced, 800 - 1,200 cfs - advanced to expert, above 1,200 cfs - expert only. SOURCE: William Nealy's Whitewater Home Companion, Southern Rivers Volume I, which has more on this run. Text used with permission. Savage River Road follows along the entire 4.25 mile run. At approximately mile 1.5, and just before the swinging bridge that marks the end of the slalom course, a large undercut rock (House Rock) is located on river left. The take-out is on the North Branch of the Potomac just upstream of the confluence. Please respect the locals and refrain from drinking or changing clothes in the open, here. The put-in is just minutes up the road and its relative remoteness lends itself to these activities. Whitewater Releases: American Whitewater and others worked to obtain regularly scheduled recreational whitewater releases (600 - 1000 cfs) on three weekend days annually, June through September. You can see the upcoming scheduled releases, and unscheduled releases on the dam owners' website. American Whitewater volunteers meet with other stakeholders twice each year to coordinate the releases. Another good source of information about this run is Ed Gertler's Maryland and Delaware Canoe Trails.