Antietam Creek & Monocacy River, Maryland
by Bob Rancan
Fri-Sun, May 29-31, 2026
On the last weekend in May, I was able to get in a long-wished for paddle…to the Antietam Creek in Maryland through the site of the September 18, 1862 Civil War battle, which resulted in 23,000 American casualties – killed, wounded or missing in a single day.
I have no trepidations when it comes to planning any river day trip but the three day excursion could not have been done without the organizational genius of Melody Wenger. She booked a wonderful AIRBNB in Hagerstown, Maryland, bought all the food and cooked two breakfasts for eight: no question – there would not have been a trip without her.
Arriving mid-day Friday, we met at the Visitor Center of the Antietam National Battlefield. We watched the excellent interpretive film, listened to a heartfelt talk by a young Park Ranger and drove the auto tour of the Battlefield, stopping at every stop for some walking and reflection. We made a day of it on a hot, sunny afternoon. We then gathered to relax for some time at the townhouse and after a lot of phone research made our way into downtown Hagerstown for dinner at a funky place called the Broad Axe. I don’t know if anyone ordered the catfish nuggets or crab balls but I opted for beer and a burger.
Saturday morning we launched at Devil’s Backbone County park on the Antietam Creek, about 7 miles above the Battlefield. It was a beautiful day and the Creek had stayed up after some heavy rains earlier in the week. My fear had been that there would not be enough flow in this dry spring but it was more than adequate. This river is characterized as a fast-moving stream that flows across flat rocks which have eroded in such a way to create small ledges and thus short drops to cross, fun even with the turbid water limiting our ability to see the bottom. The current was moving but we really only encountered one cross-river downed tree. It took a little time to negotiate the high bank but with two intrepid guys with hand saws and clippers clearing as much as they could we kept moving. After lunch we paddled under two stone bridges in the Battlefield. The first harbored an amazing colony of Cliff Sparrow nests and the second, Burnside Bridge, where about 500 Confederate riflemen held off Ambrose Burnside’s division for three hours was of course the highlight of the trip for me.
After the paddle, our heroine Melody ran to the store, got more supplies and with the help of Peter Walker cooked a big spaghetti and meatball dinner… a perfect repast after a long day of paddling.
On Sunday it was decided to do a short stretch of the Monocacy River, upstream from Frederick, MD and well above the site of an 1864 Civil War Battlefield. This would put us closer to the PA border and an easier ride home for those who needed to get home for Monday. The Monocacy is a popular paddling and fishing river and there were indeed lots of people enjoying both activities. We did about 6 plus miles of easy flat water but it was remote and the birding was excellent.
BIRDS: Battlefield Park – Many Eastern Bluebirds occupying lots of bluebird boxes along the drive and a curious ground hog at the picket fence at Bloody Lane; Antietam Creek – Eagle, Warbling vireos and yellow warblers heard, American Redstarts, Eastern Kingbird, Orchard Oriole, Common Mergansers, Great Blue Herons, Red Tail Hawk and many Cliff Swallows; Monocacy River- Eagle, Osprey, Great Blue Herons, Common Mergansers, yellow warblers, Baltimore Orioles, Eastern Kingbird, Cedar Waxwings, Cardinals.
The trip was perfect and I am so glad that some good friends joined me in my quest to paddle through history. Thanks to Melody, Bob Zega, Chris Meyers, Alex Trotta, Jim More, Peter Walker (who detoured on his way home from Raleigh, NC) and those recent Jersey ex-pats, Teri Rocco Boselli and Mike Boselli, who came over from their new home in West Virginia. Maybe next year we can hit a river near them and also go through the Monocacy Battlefield.
Bob