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See all 6 routes on Calvert County Water Trails

Maryland | Calvert County / Southern Maryland

Calvert County Water Trails

Jefferson Patterson Park to St. Leonard Creek bounded route

Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.

Route location

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DistanceBounded St. Leonard Creek route from the JPPM south access; confirm the current creek option distance on the park map
DifficultyModerate
Typical time1–4 hours depending on creek reach
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Patuxent River near Bowie, Maryland.
River contextPatuxent River near Bowie; same-river context only — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by U.S. Geological Survey via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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Conditions

Gauge history and hourly forecast

Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.

Gauge detail

Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

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Weather

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Route overview

Quick facts and what's next

Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.

Quick facts

On-water distanceBounded St. Leonard Creek route from the JPPM south access; confirm the current creek option distance on the park mapJefferson Patterson Park to St. Leonard Creek bounded route
DifficultymoderateThe source describes recreational moving water, but shallow rock, current, cold water, debris, and bridge or access hazards remain material.
ShuttleCar shuttleNo shuttle is required; launch and return at the JPPM south soft access. Park in the designated lot and drive to the beach only for loading/unloading as the park rules allow.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current Calvert County, Maryland DNR, park, marina, launch-fee, parking, tide, marine-weather, and Maryland boating/PFD rules. No route-specific permit beyond the named endpoint rules is claimed.
CampingOptions nearbyJefferson Patterson Park is day use for this route. Use a separate campground or lodging basecamp; do not camp on the beach or creek shore.
SeasonMar-NovSpring through fall is the practical planning season, but Maryland water levels, recent rain, temperature, debris, and daylight control every launch decision.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

TomorrowChecking

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WeekendChecking

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A bounded JPPM south-access route into St. Leonard Creek, using the park’s designated non-motorized beach access and excluding the open-water continuation toward Nan’s Cove or the Patuxent.

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Prepare this trip

Take the plan with you

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Start

Put-in

Jefferson Patterson Park south soft access at Petersons Point
Open map

JPPM identifies two non-motorized water accesses; this card uses the southern Petersons Point access because the route is named toward St. Leonard Creek.

Finish

Take-out

Jefferson Patterson Park south soft access return
Open map

Vehicles must remain in the designated parking lot; the beach carry and park hours are hard logistics controls.

Plan this segment

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • JPPM identifies two non-motorized water accesses; this card uses the southern Petersons Point access because the route is named toward St. Leonard Creek.
  • Vehicles must remain in the designated parking lot; the beach carry and park hours are hard logistics controls.
  • The older guide does not provide a stable single distance for this bounded creek option; use the current park map and turn around conservatively.

Watch for

  • USGS 01594440 Patuxent watershed proxy and current marine/tide forecast
  • wind, waves, current, wakes, shallow creek turns, debris, thunderstorms, cold water, cliffs, and private shoreline
  • park hours, parking, launch carries/fees, marina traffic, fishing lines, and hard named endpoints
  • JPPM south beach, parking carry, Petersons Point, St. Leonard Creek turns, shipping traffic, shallow water, tide, wind, and private shoreline

Route gallery

See this route on the water

Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.

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

Score & sources

Data and sources

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
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Gauge inputChecking

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Weather inputChecking

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Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking

Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.

Why
  • Checking evidence-strength notes.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge sitePatuxent River near Bowie, MD
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floorNot calibrated yet
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreMaryland DNR/Calvert County water-trail tide, wind, and access guidance
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
NotesWhat to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Named moving-water corridorMaryland DNR/Calvert County Jefferson Patterson Park to St. Leonard Creek Trail, Bounded St. Leonard Creek route from the JPPM south access; confirm the current creek option distance on the park map

    The official county guide describes the named route, route-specific distance or bounded option, access facility, and local hazards.

    Source

  • Authoritative public accessJefferson Patterson Park south soft access at Petersons Point and Jefferson Patterson Park south soft access return

    Current Maryland DNR public-access records and the county guide identify the access facility. Coordinates are on/near-water anchors; verify current operations, fees, and carry.

    Source

  • Proxy flow and tidal evidenceUSGS 01594440 Patuxent River near Bowie, clearly labeled watershed proxy

    The station is not local to these tidal routes and supplies no safe-depth or tide cutoff. Use current marine/tide conditions and observed water.

    Source

  • Camping postureJefferson Patterson Park is day use for this route. Use a separate campground or lodging basecamp; do not camp on the beach or creek shore.

    Camping is separate from day-use launch access and must follow the named park, marina, or county rules.

    Source

  • Live gaugeUSGS 01594440, Patuxent River near Bowie, MD

    This is a clearly labeled proxy or route-context station; local water, tributaries, releases, and weather can differ materially.

    Source

  • Approved route imageryRights-cleared public-agency or public-domain corridor image

    Rights-cleared Maryland public-river image used as regional context; it does not certify Calvert County tide, wind, access, or route hazards.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

Paddler reports

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Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

More in Maryland

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Maryland route guideBrowse every tracked Maryland route.Calvert County / Southern MarylandJump to routes in this region.

More on Calvert County Water Trails

All 6
Hallowing Point to Caney Creek and Benedict Community ParkCalvert County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 4 miles round trip into Caney Creek; the Hallowing Point to Benedict crossing is just over 1 mile round tripKings Landing Park to Cocktown Creek loopCalvert County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 3 miles round trip, shorter turnarounds permittedMarina West at Kellam’s Park Fishing Creek loopCalvert County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 5.5 miles round trip along Fishing Creek, shorter turnarounds permittedNan’s Cove to Rock Creek and Broomes Island bounded loopCalvert County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 1 mile for adjacent coves, 2 miles round trip to Rock Creek, or 5 miles round trip to the mouth of Island Creek

Nearby routes by distance

St. Mary’s County Water TrailsPort of Leonardtown Park to Abell’s Wharf · about 10 mi awayModerate · Approximately 6 miles one way; the guide also identifies Leonardtown Wharf and Camp Calvert as intermediate public access pointsSt. Mary’s County Water TrailsGreat Mills Launch to St. Mary’s City · about 10 mi awayModerate · Approximately 7 miles one way along the shoreline; guide describes route choices from approximately 1 to 10 milesSt. Mary’s County Water TrailsTall Timbers Landing and Herring Creek loop · about 15 mi awayModerate · Bounded Herring Creek loop along approximately 10 miles of shoreline; confirm the current route distance and turnaround on the county mapSt. Mary’s County Water TrailsPiney Point Lighthouse and Museum Creek loop · about 18 mi awayModerate · Approximately 5.5 miles round trip within Piney Point Creek; the 4-mile Piney Point Landing extension is excluded

Quick answers

Calvert County Water Trails paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Calvert County Water Trails?

Paddle Today watches Patuxent River near Bowie, MD and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does this Calvert County Water Trails route start and end?

This route starts at Jefferson Patterson Park south soft access at Petersons Point and ends at Jefferson Patterson Park south soft access return, about Bounded St. Leonard Creek route from the JPPM south access; confirm the current creek option distance on the park map on the water.

Is this Calvert County Water Trails route good for beginners?

This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.

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