Get out and enjoy nature. These are a few places with public access to the water.
Smallwood State Park
On the tidal freshwater estuary near its mouth at the Potomac River.
Boat launches, picnicking, camping, nature trail, historic house of William Smallwood, revolutionary war general and 4th governor of Maryland. Nominal entry fee.
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/smallwood.html
DIRECTIONS: Take Route 301 south to La Plata, to west on Route 225. At the light at Route 224 turn left (south). Park entrance is approximately 3 miles on the right.
From Route 210 south towards Indian Head, take a left (east) at a traffic light onto Route 225. Cross Mattawoman at head of tide and turn right at the next light onto Route 224 (south). Park entrance is approximately 3 miles on the right.
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Mattawoman Wildland Walk on the George Wilmot trail.
Maryland Wildlands—No facilities. Please respect nature.
Fifteen minute walk on a blazed natural path through forested wildlands to the shore of the tidal-freshwater estuary. Birding, waterfowl, photo-ops.
DIRECTIONS: From the beltway take Route 210 south (Indian Head Highway) After about 14 miles, pass through the light in Bryans Road. Continuing on 210, pass through a blinking yellow signal and turn left at the next traffic light onto Rte 225. Take Rte 225 across Mattawoman Creek and turn right at the next light onto Rte. 224 (Chicamuxen Rd), heading west. About 0.7 miles from the light, look for Lackey High School on your left. The trail head will be off the right shoulder 0.3 miles past the high school driveway. (The trailhead is at a grassy outcropping off the shoulder immediately after the 1st telephone pole beyond a guardrail.) Small DNR signs and large heaps of soil that block dumping mark the trail head.
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Mattingly Park in Indian Head
Canoe & kayak rentals from Up the Creek. See:
http://www.upthecreekrntls.com/home.html
Fishing pier, boat ramp, picnic tables.
Upstream are some of the finest tidal freshwater marshes to be seen. Abundant wildlife, including eagles, egrets, ospreys, herons, geese, ducks.
From the beltway, take Rte 210 south to the end of the highway (about 20 miles). Just before the entrance gate to the naval facility, turn left onto Mattingly Avenue. The avenue dead-ends at the Mattawoman estuary. Parking is available a half-block before the creek; there is limited parking at the boat launch on the creek itself.