Upper Yough Maryland whitewater

Upper Youghiogheny Freindsville Maryland MD
Class IV-V Whitewater

(Only 30 minutes from Ohiopyle, PA and 15 minutes from Deep Creek Lake, Maryland) 

Are you ready for one of the crown jewels of East Coast whitewater rafting?  The only class 5 Maryland white water rafting.  Summer time class V whitewater is a real treat. Especially when it is available three times a week from April until October.

Upper Yough Rafting

There you will get suited up and receive your initial safety talk. Once in your gear and properly warned about your future endeavor, you head for the put-in. There you will meet your raft guide, climb into a raft and put on the water! YAHHOO!! The fun begins....The first two miles of the Upper Yough is deceivingly calm and tranquil. Enjoy it! Soon you'll be dropping into Gap Falls & your adrenal glands will start working overtime. You will pick your way down through Class IV rock ledges and tight slots making your way to the pool above Bastard Falls. This is where it gets interesting.

CLASS V RAFTING

Four Class 5 rapids back to back falling a ridiculous hundred and twenty feet per mile. Steep drops, big munchy holes, tight chutes, and powerful wave trains characterize this section of the river. When you pause in the pool below National Falls and gaze back upstream, it will dawn on you that this is what real whitewater is all about. This is just the beginning to your Class 5 day. You still have the likes of Heintzerling Falls and Meat Cleaver to deal with, not to mention Powerful Popper, Lost and Found, and the Rockies 1 through 4.

Due to the incredibly tight and technical nature of this section of the Youghiogheny, an immense amount of precision rafting is needed to get down the river. River guides that are on the Upper Youghiogheny have been rafting on average 5 years. By the last rapid you will have had your fill, and you can feel free to relax through the remaining calm water.

Wilderness Voyageurs' Friendsville Outpost is riverside, you will float into the takeout where there are adult beverages and and a great meal fresh from the Falls City Restaurant and Pub.

Now all you have to do is enjoy a beautiful Appalachian evening and swap river stories till it’s time to hit the road.

Upper Yough Release Schedule

The Upper Yough has a dam release on every Monday and Friday, plus the first Saturday of every month beginning in April and ending in October.  There are also Deep Creek Dam releases every Saturday from June 18th until the 17th of September. Saturday trips are especially sought after, so book in advance. But the Monday and Friday trips are less crowded, so instead of seeing a boat in every pool, you see the nature that you came to enjoy.  Check the Upper Yough release schedule. Call us at 800-272-4141 to book your trip!