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Description
This stretch of the Monocacy is a great way to take a break from the surrounding urban and suburban sprawl on a beautiful and relaxing river punctuated by a couple of short but fun Class I-II rapids. The put-in is located at the county-maintained Buckeystown Park just upstream of the MD Rt 80 bridge. The park opens at 7 AM and closes at dusk giving you plenty of time to get down the easy 5.85 miles at a leisurely pace. It's not challenging but does present a good training ground for young paddlers thanks to the inclusion of several cobble bars and two good rapids. The first of these is formed by the ruins of the old Lilypons Road bridge debris. The second is the only naturally occurring rapid on the Monocacy at Greenfield Mills which consists of several short drops punctuated by jutting boulders and bedrock with short pools in between. There is generally enough water to float the trip any time of year. It is recommended to skip the early mornings or late evenings during Maryland's waterfowl hunting season however as this is one of the three streams where "sneak boating" (hunting from a drifting boat, kayak, or canoe) is allowed.
From the takeout at the DNR-maintained boat ramp at Park Mills road, head west on Park Mills Road until it intersects with MD Rt. 28. Make a right and head north/west on MD 28 until MD 28 diverges west. At this point bear slightly to the right and stay on MD 85 "Buckeystown Pike." Head north on MD 85 until you reach the intersection with MD 80 "Fingerboard Rd." Take a right on MD 80 until you reach the bridge. Take the last left before crossing the bridge onto Michael's Mill Road. The park will be immediately on your right. The canoe launch is just upstream of the parking lot across the small footbridge over the drainage ditch.
Difficulty Classes
I EasyII NoviceIII IntermediateIV AdvancedV Expert/ExtremeVI Unrunnable