Suggestions for Nice Place to Paddle, Maybe a little island beach?

[UnkleRob2020]

Good morning Everyone,

I am planning to take my girlfriend on a relaxing paddle on Sunday. She has braved Eastern Bay and Jonas Green on some very rough days and I would like to pick a spot that is calm, relaxing, scenic, and maybe has a little island or beach that we can pull up on and just sit on the sand and enjoy the beach and take a breather from paddling.

I am hoping to keep it within an hour or so of College Park area.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[thedutchtouch]

go to mattawoman creek. launch from slavins dock, head left (upstream), if you paddle for a while you'll come across a small chain of islands on the left hand side/ if there's peop tlehere then on the righ hand side potentially some (mostly muddy/rocky, but some same) beach areas if you go at low tide. even if you dont go to the island this entire area is pretty protected and doesn't get too wavy (if you head to the right, downstream towards the mouth of the creek, it gets much wider and you can get some wave action. this is not my go-to spot to bring the kids, last time i went they both had their lines broken off by large catfish so they're itching to go back (dad has replaced the line on their dock demons with newer/stronger line ) I stack two tandem ocean kayaks on top of my civic, it's a ~45-50 min drive from us usually.

[dsaavedra]

I think your options for islands on the western shore will be limited. There are 2 islands on the Rhode River, which is a very sheltered river and offers very easy access from Carr's Wharf. Parking at this spot can get very tight, so it's best to arrive early. Flat Island is very small and has a sandy beach area, Big Island is much larger and is mostly wooded, I'm not sure if it has any beaches but you might be able to find a spot to pull up and have a little rest. There were 2 other islands in this river but they have succumbed to erosion and sea level rise and are underwater now. Flat Island is in danger of the same fate, so be mindful if you go there: https://www.capitalgazette.com/envir...811-story.html

Another option is St. Clement's Island State Park in St. Mary's county. St. Clements Island Museum is just a stones throw from the actual island (3 mile round trip) and they claim to have a soft launch but it's not clear to me from looking at Google Maps where exactly it is... Next closest launch would be Newtone Neck Soft access, which would be roughly a 10 mile round trip to the island and back. This would involve crossing the mouth of Breton Bay and paddling out into the open Potomac river, which may or may not be out of the comfort level of your paddling partner.

The lower eastern shore will offer you many more island opportunities but it's a longer drive. I don't have any specific suggestions as I'm not as familiar with this area.

[J.A. Veil]

If you are interested in sights other than nature, consider paddling in Spa Creek in Annapolis. The most likely spot to launch would be Truxtun Park (I think you need to pay for parking there now). You can paddle past multi-million dollar waterfront homes and yachts, and up into Ego Alley (the Annapolis City Dock). On a warm Sunday, there will be many boats and people out and about.

I am not sure about islands, but there are tiny pocket parks and little beaches at the end of some of the city streets where you could stop and relax.

There is another small public kayak launch in Back Creek. It is just past the fence for Bert Jabin's yacht yard off of Edgewood Rd. Google Maps labels that spot as Capital SUP.

[UnkleRob2020]

This forum is so helpful. Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

Someone close to me passed away on Friday and weekend plans were mostly canceled, but I had promised my girlfriend a nice paddle and a picnic, so we launched at Carr's Wharf at 6am on Sunday and watched the sunrise while she had breakfast on the beach. We hung out at Flat Island but did not stay long and we did not go past the shoreline. There is a sign posted on the island about human impact causing erosion and loss of habitat. In the short time that we were there, two of the large boats docked in the area launched small zodiac style boats to bring their pets to the island to "use the facilities." They paid no attention to the sign and trampled all over the island. I can see why it is struggling. You would think that people who clearly love nature would be more concerned about preserving it.

[Red_Beard]

I missed this thread earlier, but another spot I highly recommend for a fun paddle with some options for beaches/islands to stop on is Mallow's Bay. Paddling around the ship wrecks is a unique and fun experience that any Maryland kayaker should try out sometime. My wife and I paddled it a couple years ago, and she really enjoyed it. The fishing can be pretty decent in the cove behind the bay as well. One buddy of mine caught a 6 lb largemouth there once.

[dsaavedra]

While browsing Google Maps last night I found another trio of islands that look like they would be nice to visit: Treasure Island, Sand Island, and Battery Island. They are located off the mouth of Swan Creek near Aberdeen MD. If you have access to Aberdeen Proving Ground it looks like there is a soft launch at a place called Shoreline Park. If not you should be able to launch at Concord Point Park in Havre de Grace (this park was the start point for Day 1 of the kayak relay race I participated in) and the islands are 3 miles due south. The islands look nice and sandy and I can see several boats rafted up near them in the aerial imagery on Google, so it must be a nice spot to hang out.