Paddle the Potomac River

There are many opportunities to explore the Potomac River on a paddle craft.

Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program

Overview

Perhaps no other body of water in America has defined our country quite like the Potomac River. From the American Indian communities who first called this region home to the American Revolution, the Civil War, and industrial progress into the 21st century, the Potomac is truly “the Nation’s River.”

The Potomac River is the second-largest tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. Dozens of small, vibrant rivers and streams flow through forests, farms, towns, and rural communities, coming together to form the Potomac. The river provides a critical link to the Bay; before roads crisscrossed the landscape, the Potomac transported trade goods and travelers to the Chesapeake and the world beyond.  

To learn paddling opportunities and trip ideas, visit the Paddle the Potomac website. 

History

American Indians
In the 17th century, the Piscataway people lived in the Potomac River watershed as well as on the western coast of the Chesapeake Bay from what is now St. Mary’s City north to Baltimore. Their ancestors had arrived in the area around 9,500 B.C.E and their descendants still live in the area today — several descendent Tribes are recognized by the state of Maryland. The principal leader of the Piscataway people was known as the Tayac.

The Tribe’s first contact with Europeans was when Captain John Smith ventured into their territory in 1608. Pressure from European colonization caused people in towns along the Potomac to leave their traditional lands. Some merged with other tribes and retreated to locations that the English had not yet touched. 

Later, in the early 1900s, a Piscataway man named Philip Sheridan Procter became an activist for American Indian cultural revival after returning from battle in World War I France. Among his accomplishments was the preservation of the Moyaone archeological site, which today is a National Historic Landmark protected by the National Park Service under Piscataway Park. Proctor, who became known as Turkey Tayac, is buried in the park.

War of 1812
In the late summer of 1814, the British sailed the lower Potomac River as a diversionary feint to keep the American forces guessing their intent (another feint sailed up the Chesapeake Bay while the main contingent of the Royal Navy proceeded up the Patuxent River and landed forces at Benedict). The purpose of the Potomac River feint was to capture Fort Washington and provide a means of evacuation for the invading land forces should they need assistance.

The Potomac feint was riddled with bad luck as the hastily-prepared crews made their 120-mile passage up the winding, shoal-filled river. The ships anchored off Maryland Point on August 24, the same day that Ross and Cockburn completed their land march and burned Washington. Upon seeing the red glow from the flames in Washington and believing that the goal of capturing the capital had been met, the Potomac squadron made the command decision to proceed on its own. On August 26, the squadron passed Mount Vernon and came into view of Fort Washington, just 12 miles from Washington, D.C., and 6 miles from Alexandria, VA.

The British attempted to attack the fort but the Americans blew it up themselves as ordered by the commanding officer, leaving the capital and the City of Alexandria undefended. The British squadron arrived in Alexandria and occupied the town from August 28 through September 3. During that time, the town capitulated and provided the squadron all its tobacco, grain, cotton, and flour.

Word came that Americans were building batteries along the Potomac to contest the squadron's downriver return. The British encountered American batteries at Indian Head but the British squadron was able to make it safely to the open waters of the bay by September 9 with seven warships and the booty from Alexandria.

Details

Activity

Paddling

Pets Allowed

Yes

Activity Fee

No

Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.

Reservations

No

Accessibility Information

Some of the sites on the Potomac River with universally accessible launches include:

• Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve in Stafford County, Virginia
• George Washington Birthplace National Monument on Popes Creek
• Occoquan Water Trail at Lake Ridge Park in Prince William County, Virginia.

Visit www.paddlethepotomac.com for more information about launch sites.