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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

St. Inigoes Landing Kitts Point loop

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

Route location

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Open access map
DistanceApproximately 4.5 miles round trip
DifficultyModerate
Typical time2–5 hours depending on open-water wind
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

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

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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 4.5 miles round tripSt. Inigoes Landing Kitts Point loop
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, but launch only after confirming St. Inigoes access and a conservative same-launch return window; carry a communication and rescue plan.
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 nearbySt. Inigoes Landing is day use and prohibits overnight parking/camping. Arrange separate lodging or campground; no beach or rest-area 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

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan

Plan your trip

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

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

The experienced-paddler Kitts Point loop from St. Inigoes Landing around Kitts Point into the lower St. Mary’s and Potomac waters.

DirectionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

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.

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Start

Put-in

St. Inigoes public landing sandy launch
Open map

The guide classifies the lower St. Mary’s River option as experienced-only; do not infer novice suitability from the same launch.

Finish

Take-out

St. Inigoes public landing sandy launch return
Open map

Kitts Point and the lower river are open-water boundaries, not a license to land on private beaches or jetties.

Plan this segment

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • The guide classifies the lower St. Mary’s River option as experienced-only; do not infer novice suitability from the same launch.
  • Kitts Point and the lower river are open-water boundaries, not a license to land on private beaches or jetties.
  • Use current marine conditions and tide predictions; the Patuxent proxy cannot establish a local safe-flow or safe-depth cutoff.

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
  • St. Inigoes launch, Kitts Point, Potomac/St. Mary’s confluence, Chicken Cock Creek, wind, waves, current, tide, traffic, and daylight

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
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

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 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 Kitts Point Loop Trail, Approximately 4.5 miles round trip

    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 accessSt. Inigoes public landing sandy launch and St. Inigoes public landing sandy launch return

    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 postureSt. Inigoes Landing is day use and prohibits overnight parking/camping. Arrange separate lodging or campground; no beach or rest-area 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

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

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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 excludedPort of Leonardtown Park to Abell’s WharfSt. Mary’s County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 6 miles one way; the guide also identifies Leonardtown Wharf and Camp Calvert as intermediate public access pointsSt. Inigoes Landing Jutland Creek loopSt. Mary’s County / Southern MarylandModerate · Approximately 6.75 miles round trip

Nearby routes by distance

Point Lookout State Park Water TrailsPoint Lookout Creek loop · about 6 mi awayHard · Bounded Point Lookout Creek water-trail route; confirm current park map distancePoint Lookout State Park Water TrailsLake Conoy water trail · about 6 mi awayHard · Bounded Lake Conoy water-trail route; confirm current park map distancePoint Lookout State Park Water TrailsPoint Lookout Chesapeake Bay and Potomac Point route · about 6 mi awayHard · Bounded around-the-Point route; confirm current park map distance and marine conditionsCalvert County Water TrailsSolomons Island Patuxent River loop · about 15 mi awayModerate · Approximately 2 miles round trip to Point Patience or Sandy Point, with optional coves and Back Creek extensions excluded

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 St. Inigoes public landing sandy launch and ends at St. Inigoes public landing sandy launch return, about Approximately 4.5 miles round trip 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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