The North Branch of the Potomac River: Kitzmiller, Maryland & Potomac State Forest (4.06ft./839cfs)

Kayaking the North Branch of the Potomac River, from Wolf Den Run State Park to Kitzmiller, Maryland, at 4.06ft./839cfs, and Sights of the North Branch from Potomac State Forest and the Historic Appalachian Town of Kitzmiller

Dates:
February 6, 2022
February 20, 2022
Trip Length: 2.35 Miles
Class: II-III
Elevation/Average Gradient:
Put-In: 1,733ft.
Take Out: 1,601ft.
Level (flow rate):
2/6/22: 4.09ft., 859cfs
2/20/22: 4.06ft., 839cfs
Stream Gauge: USGS 01595500 NORTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER AT KITZMILLER, MD
Location: The North Branch of the Potomac River
Kitzmiller, Maryland
Wolf Den State Park
Potomac State Forest
Put-In: Wolf Den State Park: Potomac River Area - the shoreline & short trail below the class III at the far end of the gravel parking lot that separates from Shallmar Rd shortly after crossing Short Run (39.372227, -79.210054)
Take Out: the shoreline along the gravel path on the down stream side of the The Kitzmiller Bridge, which connects Garrett County to Mineral County, WV, where state highway MD Route 38 becomes WV Route 42 upon crossing the North Branch, (39387294, -79.181039), parking availability: the parking lot in front of the closed Kitzmiller Station and The Creamy Oasis that are adjacent to the bridge & gravel path along E Center Street & the Kitzmiller River Walk trail.
Featured Kayak: Wave Sport Recon

Description:

This video showcases the section from Potomac State Forest & from Wolf Den Run State Park to Kitzmiller; while not representative of its upstream Potomac State Forest raging counterpart, this section, the last 2.3 miles of the Kitzmiller run, makes for a sweet taste & training for the full on run. 4.0ft. makes for a solid minimum & this section makes for a good first time run & is a step above the below the dam "Bloomington" section.

True wilderness, and found in its remoteness, are the finest qualities of what defines Western Maryland as a special region in its own right, akin to West Virginia's Tucker County. Potomac State Forest and its "land above the dam" of the North Branch of the Potomac River is the finest, most undisturbed, & most pristine wilderness in all of Maryland, & is enigmatic of its deep cultural & present day Appalachian heritage, history, & the continued & preserved present day way of life for many of those who call such it home, in the remaining coal country communities such as Kitzmiller, that at one point, like all of Western Maryland's "ghost towns," had its own "October Sky" film feel & way of life or a largely by gone era. See the Kitzmiller town website (linked in the resources comment below) for a look into its (and representative to most of Western Maryland) history & antiquity of the once booming coal mining era of generations ago, as well as historic floods, relics of which Kitzmiller's Coal Bucket restaurant has on fully display

Being ultra remote, the rugged Kitzmiller section of the North Branch is Maryland's premier wilderness whitewater run, and is MD's most wild & scenic river & section of the Potomac. The trip is 15 miles from Gormania, WV to Kitzmiller, MD, although Steyer, MD (2.5 miles downstream of Gormania, WV. ) is also a popular & often more preferred Put-In. Kitzmiller is commonly known as "The Land of a Thousand Ledges," & according to Precision Rafting also goes by the nickname "The Land of a 1,000 Hydraulics." East of the Ridge and Valley Province, many of the younger generation are more commonly donning the nickname "Kitz," which without question is a disservice to the Appalachian heritage of the greater Kitzmiller area & to the antiquity of the Potomac River basin, particularly so regarding the corridor of its headwaters & the Age of Discovery era that predated the C&O Canal & B&O Railroad epoch. Located high up, & near the headwaters of the North Branch with few major tributaries, "Kitzmiller" is considered one of those rare runs (but not as rare as the regional creeks & microcreeks) that requires a substantial rainmaker/snowfall to make for enough flow for a 24-48hr run time. Normally, & dependent on intensity the holding window for 5ft.+ averages about one day, & tends to hold for a few days at the four foot range, & precipitously drops at 5.5ft+. Refer to its American Whitewater profile (linked in the comment below) for firsthand comments and an in-depth description of the entire run & the most significant rapids (e.g. Rattlesnake & Maytag)

Please Comment if:
You would like to join up
You have ran Kitzmiller
Any known runs of:
Abram Creek
Difficult Creek
Laurel Run
Lostland Run
Stony River

Featured Scenes:
The North Branch Viewed from Kitzmilller, MD & the Kitzmiller Riverwalk Trail (0:40)
Kayaking the North Branch from Wolf Den State Park to Kitzmiller, MD (5:35)
Abram Creek (7:15)
The Town of Kitzmiller (14:09)
Potomac State Forest:
Maps (15:06)
Cascade Falls at Lostland Run (15:34)
Potomac Overlook Trail AKA The Cliffs (15:32)
Potomac Riverside Trail (18:00)