Paddle TodayFind the best paddle near you today

Live score, water level, and weather.

See all 5 routes on Patuxent River

Maryland | Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties / Central Maryland

Patuxent RiverWootons Landing to Jackson’s Landing

A lower-central Patuxent Water Trail route from Wootons Landing through Patuxent Wetlands Park and Mount Calvert to the public Jackson’s Landing launch at Jug Bay. It is a tidal freshwater route with explicit seasonal/permit controls and a reservation-based camping context at the endpoint park.

Route location

Loading the route map.

Open access map

Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 9.5 river miles from Wootons Landing to Jackson’s Landing
DifficultyEasy
Typical time3–7 hours depending on tide
ShuttleCar shuttle
Two paddlers move downstream on the Monocacy River beneath wooded banks in Maryland.
Route photoMonocacy River Water Trail paddling contextPhoto by Saki / National Park Service

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
View Primary Source
Embed this route

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceApproximately 9.5 river miles from Wootons Landing to Jackson’s LandingWootons Landing to Jackson’s Landing
DifficultyeasyThe source describes recreational moving water, but shallow rock, current, cold water, debris, and bridge or access hazards remain material.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage at Jackson’s Landing, then shuttle to Wootons. Confirm the seasonal closure, permit, reservation, parking, and carry at both endpoints; preserve daylight for a route with large marsh bends and limited substitute landings.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current county-park and Patuxent River Park hours, day-use or special-use permit requirements, launch reservations, Maryland boating/PFD rules, weather advisories, and posted closures. No route-specific paddling permit is claimed beyond the named park requirements.
CampingOptions nearbyJackson’s Landing has reservation-based primitive camping in the Patuxent River Park system, while the intermediate sites are day-use or separately managed. Confirm the campsite, overnight parking, launch hours, and no-tie-up rules directly with the park.
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

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan

Plan your trip

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

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A lower-central Patuxent Water Trail route from Wootons Landing through Patuxent Wetlands Park and Mount Calvert to the public Jackson’s Landing launch at Jug Bay. It is a tidal freshwater route with explicit seasonal/permit controls and a reservation-based camping context at the endpoint park.

Access map

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
Start

Put-in

Wootons Landing Wetland Park floating canoe/kayak launch
Open mapDirections to put-in

Wootons Landing is an official county floating launch with a material carry from parking.

Finish

Take-out

Jackson’s Landing, Patuxent River Park
Open mapDirections to take-out

The Patuxent Wetlands and Mount Calvert sites are listed by the water trail, but wet-edge access, hours, and park rules vary; verify before treating them as bailouts.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Choose a shorter tripOptional

Access planner

Choose your launch and take-out

This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.

On-water distance9.5 miMixed access
On-water time3–7 hours depending on tideFull route option
ShuttleCar shuttleChoose a shorter in/out pair for a shorter day.

Wootons Landing Wetland Park floating launch to Jackson’s Landing, Patuxent River Park is about 9.5 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.

Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • Wootons Landing is an official county floating launch with a material carry from parking.
  • The Patuxent Wetlands and Mount Calvert sites are listed by the water trail, but wet-edge access, hours, and park rules vary; verify before treating them as bailouts.
  • Jackson’s Landing is public but seasonally closed January–March and subject to permits/reservations; use the current managing-agency instructions.

Watch for

  • USGS 01594440 upstream proxy discharge/stage and trend
  • tide and wind direction, shallow mud, marsh vegetation, strainers, cold water, thunderstorms, and water-quality advisories
  • park hours, permits/reservations, parking/carry distance, current launch depth, private-bank boundaries, and daylight
  • Jackson’s Landing January–March seasonal closure, permit/reservation status, and sunset deadline

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.

Trip schedule

Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.

Browser plans

Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.

Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.

Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.

Gauge detail

Water-level history and forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Weather

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

Route gallery

Photos

Check each caption: some photos show the surrounding area rather than this exact trip.

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

Sources

Data and sources

Read the access and hazard notes and check the linked guides. We do not issue a daily score for this trip.

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 corridorWootons Landing to Jackson’s Landing, approximately 9.5 miles

    The official Patuxent Water Trail map identifies the route’s public endpoint and intermediate access sequence.

    Source

  • Authoritative endpoint accessWootons Landing county floating launch and Jackson’s Landing M-NCPPC launch

    Anne Arundel County documents Wootons; the official Jackson’s Landing record documents operator, hours, seasonal closure, permits, parking, and water-trail use.

    Source

  • Tidal flow and camping guidanceUse local tide/wind and launch depth; Jackson’s Landing primitive camping is reservation-based

    The water trail identifies tidal launch/camping posture, and the NPS provides the broad/shallow river context. The upstream USGS station is a proxy rather than a local threshold.

    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 moving-water context; it does not certify Patuxent tide, wind, access, or water-quality conditions.

    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

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

Share your trip

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or explore different rivers within 75 straight-line miles.

More in Maryland

All 131 routes
Maryland route guideBrowse every tracked Maryland route.Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties / Central MarylandJump to routes in this region.

More on Patuxent River

All 5
Governor Bridge Natural Area to Queen Anne Canoe LaunchPrince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties / Central MarylandEasy · Approximately 8.5 river miles from Governor Bridge to Queen Anne, following the Patuxent Water Trail mid-river access sequenceJackson’s Landing to Selby’s LandingPrince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties / Central MarylandEasy · Approximately 2.7 river miles from Jackson’s Landing to Selby’s LandingQueen Anne Canoe Launch to Wootons LandingPrince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties / Central MarylandEasy · Approximately 5.2 river miles from Queen Anne to Wootons LandingSelby’s Landing to Clyde Watson Boating AreaPrince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties / Central MarylandEasy · Approximately 13.5 river miles from Selby’s Landing to Clyde Watson

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Calvert County Water TrailsMarina West at Kellam’s Park Fishing Creek loop · about 14 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 5.5 miles round trip along Fishing Creek, shorter turnarounds permittedAnacostia River Water TrailBladensburg Waterfront Park to Anacostia Park boat ramp · about 14 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 9 miles one way from Bladensburg to Anacostia ParkCalvert County Water TrailsKings Landing Park to Cocktown Creek loop · about 16 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 3 miles round trip, shorter turnarounds permittedKent Island Water TrailsShipping Creek Landing to Romancoke Pier · about 19 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 3.6 miles one way from Shipping Creek Landing to Romancoke Pier

Quick answers

Patuxent River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Wootons Landing to Jackson’s Landing route on the Patuxent River?

This planning route has no live Paddle Today score. Review the linked water-level sources, current access notices and route-specific hazards before travel.

Where does the Wootons Landing to Jackson’s Landing route on the Patuxent River start and end?

This route starts at Wootons Landing Wetland Park floating canoe/kayak launch and ends at Jackson’s Landing, Patuxent River Park, Approximately 9.5 river miles from Wootons Landing to Jackson’s Landing on the water.

Is the Wootons Landing to Jackson’s Landing route on the Patuxent River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a easy route. Review the difficulty notes, hazards and current access conditions against your group's skills. No live score assesses this trip.

Flag a change

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.

Report a changeEmail update