River guideMaryland

St. Mary’s County Water Trails

Plan a paddle across 1 paddle area. Compare distance, difficulty, and today’s conditions before choosing your stretch.

8mapped trips

8planning routes

4.5–10 midistance range

Moderatedifficulty options

Two paddlers move downstream on the Monocacy River beneath wooded banks in Maryland. — **Monocacy River Water Trail paddling context**Photo by Saki / National Park Service · National Park Service public-agency image

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Your tripGreat Mills Launch to St. Mary’s CityApproximately 7 miles one way along the shoreline; guide describes route choices from approximately 1 to 10 miles · 3–8 hours depending on shallow wat · moderate

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Paddle · StrongPaddle · GoodWatch closelySkipPlanning only

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River overview

St. Mary’s County Water Trails paddle planning

What to verify before you commit.

Water levels

These St. Mary’s County Water Trails routes use Patuxent River near Bowie, MD as the main gauge reference.

Route options

Compare 8 scored routes across St. Mary’s County / Southern Maryland. Open a route page for put-in, take-out, distance, source confidence, and access notes.

Difficulty

St. Mary’s County Water Trails routes here are marked moderate, so choose the stretch that fits your group and conditions.

Quick answers

St. Mary’s County Water Trails paddling FAQ

Where can I paddle the St. Mary’s County Water Trails?

Paddle Today tracks 8 St. Mary’s County Water Trails routes across St. Mary’s County / Southern Maryland. Compare the route cards on this page, then open an individual route for put-in, take-out, distance, and access notes.

How should I check St. Mary’s County Water Trails water levels?

Start with the route score and gauge notes for the stretch you plan to paddle. This hub includes routes watched with Patuxent River near Bowie, MD, and each route page explains its own target range or low-water floor.

Which St. Mary’s County Water Trails route is best today?

Use the live route cards above to compare today's Paddle Today scores. The best stretch can change with water level, recent trend, weather, access, and route difficulty.