Paddle Maryland ― A Guide to Rivers, Creeks, and Water Trails

With the Chesapeake Bay—the largest estuary in the United States—the Potomac, Monocacy, and Patapsco Rivers, and countless streams, creeks, swamps, and marshes, Maryland is an ideal locale for people to take to the water and enjoy the natural beauty of the Free State.

In Paddle Maryland, life-long Marylander and devoted paddler Bryan MacKay presents twenty-two of his favorite canoe and kayak trips. From lazy floats down the Potomac to swamp excursions on the Eastern Shore, each trip has been selected for its incredible scenery and ample opportunities to observe nature. Included are both tidal and nontidal paddling trips, and MacKay, an ecologist, describes the wildlife and vegetation you will encounter along the way. Considering biodiversity, conservation, and climate change, MacKay also discusses what these issues mean for Maryland’s waterways and their inhabitants.

With its beautiful illustrations and wealth of practical advice and information, this indispensible guide will appeal to all who love to explore the natural wonders of Maryland with a paddle in their hands.

Paddle Maryland is a companion guide to Hike Maryland and Cycle Maryland.

Bryan MacKay is a senior lecturer emeritus in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He is the author of A Year Across Maryland: A Week-by-Week Guide to Discovering Nature in the Chesapeake Region and Baltimore Trails: A Guide for Hikers and Mountain Bikers.