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See all 8 routes on St. Mary’s County Water Trails

Maryland | St. Mary’s County / Southern Maryland

St. Mary’s County Water Trails

Port of Leonardtown Park to Abell’s Wharf

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

Route location

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Open access map
DistanceApproximately 6 miles one way; the guide also identifies Leonardtown Wharf and Camp Calvert as intermediate public access points
DifficultyModerate
Typical time3–7 hours depending on tide
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

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Gauge detail

Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view

Gauge

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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 distanceApproximately 6 miles one way; the guide also identifies Leonardtown Wharf and Camp Calvert as intermediate public access pointsPort of Leonardtown Park to Abell’s Wharf
DifficultymoderateThe source describes recreational moving water, but shallow rock, current, cold water, debris, and bridge or access hazards remain material.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage at Abell’s Wharf and shuttle to Port of Leonardtown Park. Confirm the soft-launch carry, limited parking, intermediate public landings, and final wharf operations before launch.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current St. Mary’s County public-landing hours, sunset-to-sunrise closure, no-overnight-parking/camping/open-fire rules, Maryland boating/PFD requirements, tide, marine-weather, and posted closure notices.
CampingOptions nearbyPublic landings prohibit overnight parking, camping, and open fires. Use separate lodging or campground; no McIntosh Run or Breton Bay shoreline camping is claimed.
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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Plan

Plan your trip

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

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A public-access McIntosh Run and Breton Bay route from Port of Leonardtown Park through Leonardtown Wharf and Camp Calvert toward Abell’s Wharf.

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Prepare this trip

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Start

Put-in

Port of Leonardtown Park soft launch
Open map

Port of Leonardtown is a canoe/kayak soft launch with limited public access; confirm current parking and carry.

Finish

Take-out

Abell’s Wharf public landing
Open map

The guide’s intermediate access sequence is the hard logistics chain; private homes, duck-blind shoreline, and marina docks are not alternatives.

Plan this segment

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Port of Leonardtown is a canoe/kayak soft launch with limited public access; confirm current parking and carry.
  • The guide’s intermediate access sequence is the hard logistics chain; private homes, duck-blind shoreline, and marina docks are not alternatives.
  • Abell’s Wharf is a public landing but facilities and seasonal restroom operations can change.

Watch for

  • USGS 01594440 Patuxent proxy and current tide/marine forecast
  • shallow water, sand/portage, strainers after rain, wind, waves, current, wakes, cold water, marina traffic, and private shoreline
  • sunrise/sunset landing hours, parking/carry, small public beaches, limited lots, and hard same-launch returns
  • Port of Leonardtown launch, Leonardtown Wharf, Camp Calvert, Breton Bay, duck blinds, Abell’s Wharf, 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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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 scoreSt. Mary’s County water-trail tide, wind, and public-landing 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 corridorSt. Mary’s County/DNR McIntosh Run Trail, Approximately 6 miles one way; the guide also identifies Leonardtown Wharf and Camp Calvert as intermediate public access points

    The official county water-trail guide names the route, public endpoints, distance or bounded option, and route-specific tide/wind/shallow-water guidance.

    Source

  • Authoritative public accessPort of Leonardtown Park soft launch and Abell’s Wharf public landing

    St. Mary’s County public-landing records and the water-trail guide identify the endpoint facilities. Coordinates are on/near-water access anchors and current operations must be verified.

    Source

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

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

    Source

  • Camping posturePublic landings prohibit overnight parking, camping, and open fires. Use separate lodging or campground; no McIntosh Run or Breton Bay shoreline camping is claimed.

    County landing rules prohibit overnight parking/camping/open fires; camping requires a separate legal site or campground.

    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 St. Mary’s 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

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Photos

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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

All 140 routes
Maryland route guideBrowse every tracked Maryland route.St. Mary’s County / Southern MarylandJump to routes in this region.

More on St. Mary’s County Water Trails

All 8
Great Mills Launch to St. Mary’s CitySt. Mary’s County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 7 miles one way along the shoreline; guide describes route choices from approximately 1 to 10 milesPiney Point Lighthouse and Museum Creek loopSt. Mary’s County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 5.5 miles round trip within Piney Point Creek; the 4-mile Piney Point Landing extension is excludedSt. Inigoes Landing Jutland Creek loopSt. Mary’s County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 6.75 miles round tripSt. Inigoes Landing Kitts Point loopSt. Mary’s County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 4.5 miles round trip

Nearby routes by distance

Calvert County Water TrailsJefferson Patterson Park to St. Leonard Creek bounded route · about 10 mi awayModerate · Bounded St. Leonard Creek route from the JPPM south access; confirm the current creek option distance on the park mapCalvert County Water TrailsNan’s Cove to Rock Creek and Broomes Island bounded loop · about 10 mi awayModerate · Approximately 1 mile for adjacent coves, 2 miles round trip to Rock Creek, or 5 miles round trip to the mouth of Island CreekCalvert County Water TrailsSolomons Island Patuxent River loop · about 10 mi awayModerate · Approximately 2 miles round trip to Point Patience or Sandy Point, with optional coves and Back Creek extensions excludedCalvert County Water TrailsHallowing Point to Caney Creek and Benedict Community Park · about 14 mi awayModerate · Approximately 4 miles round trip into Caney Creek; the Hallowing Point to Benedict crossing is just over 1 mile round trip

Quick answers

St. Mary’s County Water Trails paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling St. Mary’s 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 St. Mary’s County Water Trails route start and end?

This route starts at Port of Leonardtown Park soft launch and ends at Abell’s Wharf public landing, about Approximately 6 miles one way; the guide also identifies Leonardtown Wharf and Camp Calvert as intermediate public access points on the water.

Is this St. Mary’s 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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