Youghiogheny, Maryland and Pennsylvania

Difficulty: Class II to IV

Season: April through October

Trip Length: One day

This is the mother of commercial rafting—not only because it''s perhaps the first river to host commercial rafting, but also because it''s the first whitewater experience for thousands. The Yough is easily reachable from Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and Baltimore, and a reasonable trip from the greater New York metro area. The river is wildest in Maryland, a little more manageable in Pennsylvania. Exquisite Swallow Falls State Park offers runs that are either short and ultra-hairy, or longer and ultra-hairier.

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