PAN Access Advisory

Muddy Creek south of Lancaster PA,
at PA Route 74

 

by Bing Garthright, (301-330-1225) April  21, 2004

 

Muddy Creek, south of Lancaster, PA, is usually paddled from Rte 74 to its mouth.  Lately there has been a change of ownership of the land that paddlers were using to put in.  Cars have been towed and the old put-in on the left bank below the bridge is not available.

 

One remaining, perhaps fragile put-in with no adverse posting, but with a 75-yard carry, is to put in on the right bank, upstream from the Rte 74 bridge, now that the old dam has been removed.  Park on the right side of the road when facing south, on the south side of the bridge (i.e., SW side).  (The left (SE) side of the road would be very dangerous due to speeding traffic there.)

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: DO NOT RING the doorbell to ask permission of the landowners.  They own a dog kennel and this just gets the dogs barking.  When dropping canoes, don’t block the driveway or the mailbox even temporarily.  Leave as few cars as possible near the bridge.  Although there is physical room for 6 cars, if you return from the shuttle with more than 2 cars, and if it’s not a Sunday, consider parking most of the cars at the church parking lot about one-half mile north of the bridge (i.e., run a second shuttle just for drivers of return vehicles); on Sunday, run that second shuttle even further.  This information thanks to Brian Mahoney of Lancaster Canoe Club (LCC), gotten to PAN through Dick Swomley of LCC and MCC.

 

PLEASE NOTE: No private owner or organization ever invites paddlers to use their land.  Most are kind enough to tolerate it.  Just as we paddle at our own risk, we use advisories, parking spaces, and access sites at our own risk.

 

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