Spriggs Farm park launch

[J.A. Veil]

Since the cold weather arrived, fewer of our members are out there fishing. There are only occasional posts. I had some errands to run in Arnold this morning and decided to visit the Spriggs Farm Park kayak launch. Here is what I found.

This waterfront park (an old farm property surrounded by expensive homes) is located off of Bayberry Drive in Arnold, MD. It was opened to the public in October 2015. I launched there twice during the first month and caught fish trolling in the outer end of the Magothy River on both trips. But the water access was not easy. You could drive to the top of a steep cliff and unload. There was an uneven dirt trail down to the beach. Once there, you were in a wide section of the Magothy not far from Ulmstead Point and across from Dobbins Island.

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Because of the difficulty navigating that original trail, I never returned to launch there. The neighbors in this area were not happy about having outsiders coming into their neighborhood and created some issues. One of the responses the county made was to put a locking gate on the entrance road. You need to go online to get the code for the lock.

Over time, the county has made some improvements but has not made beach access any easier. Here are a few photos I took this morning. The first photo shows the end of the road on top of the cliff. When I went there in 2015, you could park in this area. Now, it is clearly marked so that you can unload in this area but must park farther back. The top of the trail to the beach is next to the post on the right side of the photo.

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The next photo shows the top of the trail. I it is uneven with some twists and tree roots.

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The next two photos show the bottom end of the trail -- a steep set of steps. The first photo is the view from the top -- the second one is taken from the beach looking up.

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My reaction was that I am unlikely to ever use this facility because of the difficulty getting my kayak to the water. The steep steps at the bottom would be really tough to navigate with a cart. The most likely way to use this launch is to carry your kayak down the steps. It is a shame that access is not easier, as there are very few public access points on the Magothy.

[dsaavedra]

It is disappointing there is not better public access to the Magothy. Isn't the launch at Beachwood similar to this? I have never been there because I've heard it's not great for the large sit-on-top fishing kayaks we typically use.

[J.A. Veil]

The Beachwood launch is at the bottom of a long hill. But there are no steps or really steep sections. It is not fun, but is manageable. Also, there is no locked gate at Beachwood.

[Red_Beard]

It is disappointing there is not better public access to the Magothy. Isn't the launch at Beachwood similar to this? I have never been there because I've heard it's not great for the large sit-on-top fishing kayaks we typically use.

I have a Hobie Compass, and have launched it at Beechwood a couple of times. Pulling it back up hill is a good work out that will get your heart pumping, but its doable. I find its easier to go downhill on these paths if you turn your kayak around backwards, and let gravity do its thing while you brake and steer from behind.

[dsaavedra]

That's good perspective, thanks guys. I may give Beachwood a shot in the next couple weeks just to try some new water.

[J.A. Veil]

I find that the Beachwood hill requires a similar amount of effort as the Homeport Farms hill. Homeport is steeper but has some paved sections. The path at Beachwood is dirt with tree roots and is a bit uneven. As I am dragging my kayak and cart back up either hill, I usually switch hands several times as one side of the body gets tired.

[Mark]

There is a path at Beachwood that meanders through the park and heads toward the launchsite. At the end of that path there is vertical drop of about 2 to 3 feet. While longer than the straight path, it is not as steep and presents an easier way to return to your vehicle providing you can can get your gear over that intitial drop point near the launch.

Indeed it is unfortunate that both public kayak launch sites have hilly terrains. However, for those able to use them, the fishing opportunities are excellent. What I like the most about fishing the Magothy is its many creeks and tidal ponds, its generally clean waters and the variety of species to include largemouth bass and bluegills in additional to stripers, yellow perch, white perch, channel cats, pickerels and snakeheads.

[Lisa]

John, the condition of Spriggs is a continuing disappointment. Those steps were supposed to be a temporary fix until park improvements began. It's been 3 years. At this time last year we were told that the project permits were stalled. If you want to send your photos to someone and ask what's going on, I recommend District 5 Councilwoman Amanda Fiedler. https://www.aacounty.org/departments...ers/district-5 She represents Spriggs and is good at constituent service.

Lisa