Gunpowder River

The Gunpowder River is a river in Maryland, United States. It is formed by the joining of Big Gunpowder Falls and Little Gunpowder Falls. Big Gunpowder begins in the extreme southern part of Pennsylvania's York County. From there, the Big Gunpowder flows in a generally southeast direction through the length of Baltimore County until it reaches Joppatowne where it is joined by Little Gunpowder Falls.

Little Gunpowder Falls, as its name implies, is much smaller. Throughout its length, it forms much of the boundary between eastern Baltimore County and western Harford County until it reaches Big Gunpowder. From there, the Gunpowder River is mainly a tidal estuary of the Chesapeake Bay that continues to form the boundary between Baltimore and Harford counties.

Both the Big and Little Gunpowder rivers flow through hilly agricultural and forest land for much of their length. In fact, there are no less than four separate state parks that form Gunpowder State Park, the largest state park in Maryland. At two points, the Big Gunpowder is dammed to form major reservoirs for the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. These lakes are known as Prettyboy Reservoir and Loch Raven Reservoir. By the time the Gunpowder reaches the Bay, however, it is no longer a rural river, but a suburban river that passes under Interstate 95 and many bedroom communities for Baltimore. Nonetheless, the Gunpowder State Park on the Chesapeake Bay may give one the impression that this is still a somewhat remote river.

ee also

*List of Maryland rivers
*List of Pennsylvania rivers