See all 4 routes on Charles County Water Trails
Maryland | Charles County / Southern Maryland
Charles County Water Trails
Chapel Point State Park to Port Tobacco Marina
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
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
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
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
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
The official Port Tobacco River Trail follows the tidal river from the small Chapel Point launch toward the fee-controlled Port Tobacco Marina endpoint.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Chapel Point State Park small canoe/kayak launchChapel Point is a small-boat launch with little beach at high tide; inspect the carry and waterline.
Take-out
Port Tobacco Marina public fee rampPort Tobacco Marina is privately operated and fee-controlled; current hours, fees, parking, and take-out permission must be confirmed.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Chapel Point is a small-boat launch with little beach at high tide; inspect the carry and waterline.
- Port Tobacco Marina is privately operated and fee-controlled; current hours, fees, parking, and take-out permission must be confirmed.
- Do not land at private docks, waterfowl blinds, or unmarked shoreline.
Watch for
- USGS 01660795 lower-Potomac proxy and, for Mattawoman, USGS 01658000 same-creek station
- tide, wind, waves, current, shallow beach, driftwood, strainers, thunderstorms, cold water, and boat traffic
- parking/fees, long portage, launch hours, private or federal shoreline, day-use/camping permits, and hard named take-outs
- Chapel Point tide and beach, Port Tobacco Marina hours/fees, Port Tobacco River current, waterfowl blinds, private banks, and hard marina take-out
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.
Score & sources
Data and sources
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
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.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Potomac River near Newburg, MD |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | Not calibrated yet |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Maryland DNR/Charles County water-trail wind, tide, and access guidance |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
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 corridorCharles County/DNR Port Tobacco River Trail, Approximately 2.5 miles from Chapel Point to Port Tobacco Marina in the Port Tobacco River
The official Maryland DNR/Charles County water-trail package names the corridor, public access, route options, and relevant distance or same-launch boundary.
- Authoritative public accessChapel Point State Park small canoe/kayak launch to Port Tobacco Marina public fee ramp
Charles County and Maryland DNR identify the endpoint facilities. Coordinates are near-water anchors and current operation/fees/permits must be confirmed.
- Proxy flow and tidal evidenceUSGS 01660795 Potomac River near Newburg, MD clearly labeled proxy
The station provides regional or upstream planning context, not a local safe-flow, safe-depth, or tide cutoff. Use current marine/tide conditions and observed water.
- Camping postureChapel Point provides a primitive paddle-in campsite by permit; Port Tobacco Marina offers camping/RV context. Confirm current reservation/permit and do not camp without authorization.
Camping is separately controlled by the named park, marina, permit, or day-use rules; no informal shoreline camping is claimed.
- Live gaugeUSGS 01660795, Potomac River near Newburg, MD
This is a clearly labeled proxy or route-context station; local water, tributaries, releases, and weather can differ materially.
- 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 Charles County tide, wind, access, or route hazards.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
Share your trip
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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All 4Nearby routes by distance
Quick answers
Charles County Water Trails paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Charles County Water Trails?
Paddle Today watches Potomac River near Newburg, 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 Charles County Water Trails route start and end?
This route starts at Chapel Point State Park small canoe/kayak launch and ends at Port Tobacco Marina public fee ramp, about Approximately 2.5 miles from Chapel Point to Port Tobacco Marina in the Port Tobacco River on the water.
Is this Charles 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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.