See all 8 routes on St. Mary’s County Water Trails
Maryland | St. Mary’s County / Southern Maryland
St. Mary’s County Water Trails
Great Mills Launch to St. Mary’s City
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
Loading the route coverage map.
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 Upper St. Mary’s River Trail follows the river from the county’s canoe/kayak launch at Great Mills to the small St. Mary’s City soft landing.
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
Great Mills Canoe/Kayak LaunchGreat Mills is a canoe/kayak-only wooden ramp with a carry down steps; inspect the waterline before committing.
Take-out
St. Mary’s City Launch at college sailing centerThe guide’s 7-mile shoreline figure is route context, not a fixed GPS line; route choices and water conditions alter distance.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Great Mills is a canoe/kayak-only wooden ramp with a carry down steps; inspect the waterline before committing.
- The guide’s 7-mile shoreline figure is route context, not a fixed GPS line; route choices and water conditions alter distance.
- Tippity Wichity Island is private; the St. Mary’s College landing requires current access and parking compliance.
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
- Great Mills steps/ramp, Route 5 bridge, shallow sand, strainers after rain, Tippity Wichity private island, marina crossings, St. Mary’s City soft landing, 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.
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 | Patuxent River near Bowie, 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 | St. Mary’s County water-trail tide, wind, and public-landing 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 corridorSt. Mary’s County/DNR Upper St. Mary’s River Trail, Approximately 7 miles one way along the shoreline; guide describes route choices from approximately 1 to 10 miles
The official county water-trail guide names the route, public endpoints, distance or bounded option, and route-specific tide/wind/shallow-water guidance.
- Authoritative public accessGreat Mills Canoe/Kayak Launch and St. Mary’s City Launch at college sailing center
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.
- 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.
- Camping postureCounty public-landings rules prohibit overnight parking/camping, and the St. Mary’s City soft landing is day use. Use separate lodging or campground; do not camp on Tippity Wichity Island or river banks.
County landing rules prohibit overnight parking/camping/open fires; camping requires a separate legal site or campground.
- 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.
- 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.
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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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 Great Mills Canoe/Kayak Launch and ends at St. Mary’s City Launch at college sailing center, about Approximately 7 miles one way along the shoreline; guide describes route choices from approximately 1 to 10 miles 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.