Southern Maryland
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Hiking Guides and Maps Hike 1: Point Lookout to St. Mary's City Southern Maryland: Point Lookout to Oxon Cove One of the great delights of travel is immersion in a culture — in its history, foods, and the esthetics and economics of landscapes. This is certainly true along the route of the Potomac Heritage Trail in southern Maryland. You can learn about how tobacco and seafood have shaped the economy, land and communities. And you can discover how a region reinvents itself through the diverse array of foods and farm products available today. Along the way are pick-your-own farms and farmstands, markets and restaurants featuring local produce. To help you turn a day trip into an excursion, there are bed and breakfasts and country inns. The route from Point Lookout, at the mouth of the Potomac River, to Oxon Hill, just south of Washington, D.C., is covered in six hikes. Most of the hiking and walking opportunities are separated by significant stretches of roadway — ground most people will cover by car in ten to fifteen minute interludes. While not the traditional way of traveling a trail, it does allow more time for stopping at farmstands and heritage sites, compared to bicycling or hiking — and for hiking at the parks and sites along the route. Or you can make an easy two or three day outing bicycling the road walks and exploring the many natural areas and heritage sites on foot. Two other influences on the landscape are noteworthy: The U.S. military and American Indians. Military installations have been present for almost as long as the European settlers. The Patuxent River Naval Air Station and the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center located at Indian Head and Stump Neck are significant features of the culture and local economy. Interestingly, some of the largest natural areas of Southern Maryland are adjacent to the bases. With the abundance of places and streams bearing names such as Nanjemoy, Mattawoman, Wicomoco and Chicamuxen, one would expect a richly interpreted history of the region's original people. Yet little remains on the land itself, either in the way of landmarks, present-day settlement, or literature. Even the meanings and origins of many names are largely lost. The best known people of the area were the Conoy, also called the Piscataway for the village they inhabited on the river. They spoke an Algonquian language and were closely related to the Nanticoke of the Chesapeake's Eastern Shore and the Kanawha of West Virginia. The Patuxent, whose principal village was in today's Calvert County, were also associated with the Conoy. The Potawomeck, Wicomoco and others in the Powhatan confederacy from the Virginia side of the river came as visitors and appear to have been prolific place namers. According to the chronicles of Captain John Smith's exploration of 1608, the place names they used are some of the ones that survive today — albeit in forms transformed through time. provide perhaps the most comprehensive picture of the region at the moment of contact with Europeans. Resources Each county's chamber of commerce or tourism division provides information on historical, natural and cultural attractions. The Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland offers information of the entire region. For a complimentary copy of Southern Maryland Harvest, a publication listing farms, B & Bs, and restaurants and other heritage-based businesses, contact the Council. The Council also offers resources on public transportation, bicycle maps and public events. Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland Afro-American Heritage Society Bard's Field Bed and Breakfast Brome-Howard Inn Chapel Point State Park
Fort Foote Fort Washington Goose Bay Marina and Campground Historic St. Mary's City La Grande RV & Camping Resort La Plata Farmers' Market Mattawoman Creek Art Center National Colonial Farm Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club Piscataway Park Point Lookout State Park Part of Plenty Bed & Breakfast Port Tobacco Historic District
Relax Inn Seaside View Campground Smallwood State Park Smith Island Sojourn St. Clement's Island-Potomac River Museum St. Mary's City Farmers' Market St. Mary's College
St. Mary's River State Park St. Michael's Manor Vineyard Bed and Breakfast Hale House Take it Easy Campground Thomas Stone National Historic Site |
Did You Know?
Prince William Forest Park was used by the Office of Strategic Services (forerunner to the CIA) as a training camp for spies during World War II. Today, you can rent a cabin where spies once learned their trade.