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Muddy Branch
Tributary
Muddy Branch flows 11.9 miles from Gaithersburg, Md., through the Blochouse Point Conservation Park. Muddy Branch is a small but ecologically important tributary of the Potomac River that winds through Montgomery County, Maryland, linking suburban communities to one of the region?s most scenic natural corridors. Rising in Gaithersburg, the stream flows southwest through parks, forests, and conservation lands--including Muddy Branch Stream Valley Park and Blockhouse Point--before passing under the C&O Canal near Pennyfield Lock and entering the Potomac. Its watershed includes neighborhoods such as Kentlands, Lakelands, Travilah, and Darnestown, all of which drain into the stream and shape its health. Despite its proximity to development, Muddy Branch retains long stretches of wooded banks and supports a popular multi?use trail system, making it both a recreational asset and a reminder of the county?s original Piedmont landscape. There is an access point to Muddy Branch from the parking area at Pennyfield Lock. It requires going through a culvert under the canal to reach the Potomac River nearby.
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Contact Information
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Ave.
Annapolis MD 21401
877-620-8DNR
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