Bring Your Kayak? Your Guide to the Closest Launches
The Potomac Team
Tips, guides, and updates from the Potomac team.
Potomac Vista Cottage sits back from the water on a quiet street, with no private beach, dock, or pier on site. That does not mean you need to leave your kayak at home. St. Mary's County maintains 15 public landings, and three sit closer to the cottage than the county wharf most guests default to.
Great Mills Canoe and Kayak Launch
On Route 5, this launch puts you straight onto the St. Mary's River.
St. Mary's City Waterfront Launch
Right by the college, with calm water and easy parking.
Point Lookout State Park
For a bigger day out, this spot adds a lighthouse, a Civil War museum, and a swimming beach to the trip.
Left Your Gear at Home?
Patuxent Adventure Center rents kayaks and paddleboards right in Leonardtown, at the wharf and at McIntosh Run Park, so getting on the water does not require owning a boat.