Head to Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary For a Unique Kayaking Adventure

Did you know there is a place less than an hour from Washington, DC where you can kayak through history? Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary in Charles County, Maryland gives you the chance to glide among the ‘Ghost Fleet’ — the remains of over 100 wooden steamships built as part of a massive World War I American shipbuilding effort. Even more amazing is the amount of life that this unique ecosystem now supports. Besides an abundance of marine life, common bird sightings include bald eagles, herons, ospreys, and cormorants. Not to mention the sanctuary is home to islands of vegetation woven into the skeletons of the sunken boats. Kayaking here will bring you up close and personal with both a piece of America’s history and the natural world. Here’s what you need to know before you spend the day kayaking and exploring at Mallows Bay in Maryland. May to September is the recommended time for this exciting outdoor adventure in the DC area, but of course it’s all weather dependent. 

​*This post contains affiliate links; if you purchase something familyTravelsUSA may receive a small commission. As always, opinions are my own.

A Bit of Mallows Bay History

​While Mallows Bay has always been a local hidden gem, it gained even more recognition after July, 2019. That was when NOAA designated roughly 18 square miles as Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary, the first new sanctuary in almost 20 years. The area is culturally significant to a number of Native American tribes including the Piscataway Conoy Confederacy. So what’s the story behind The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay that appears to rise and fall with the tides? It stems from a large shipbuilding effort in America during World War I. A decision was made at the time to rely on a robust lumber supply and build wooden steamships rather than use steel. For a two year period, over a dozen states were involved in building almost 300 ships to support the war effort. The war ended before the ships could be put to use, and the need for wooden ships for transport was minimal. After unsuccessful efforts to sell the ships during the 1920’s, in 1922, a salvage company purchased over 200 of the wooden ships. Fast forward a few years to the ships being towed to Mallows Bay, where many were eventually burned in their final resting place.  

Kayaking at Mallows Bay

On the day of our most recent kayak adventure at Mallows Bay, we entered the water just after high tide had peaked (disregarding our own advice to visit during low tide!). It gave us the chance to first explore a bit of Mallows Creek, which is not recommended or easily accessible during low tide. By the time we hit the water trail around the main shipwreck area, we were still several hours from low tide. Although the Ghost Fleet is best experienced at low tide, we did see a fair amount of structures peeking up from the water. The Mallows Bay Water Trail Guide outlines the water route to follow and includes a short description of each of the 16 featured sites (and the fact that the map was sea-worthy was helpful). Numbered buoys correspond with each point of interest on the map. Seeing bits and pieces of wooden ships covered in natural vegetation or metal rivets that formed the outline of a ship was definitely a unique experience. Even though we visited on a bright, sunny day, I couldn’t shake the feeling that at any moment one of the wooden ghost ships would come streaming out of the water like a scene from a Pirates of the Caribbean movie! 

Besides World War I relics, the area is home to shipwrecks that range from the Revolutionary War to the steel-hulled Accomac, the largest and most recent addition (1973) to the collection. Look towards the bow in the photo below and you will see that the abandoned ship is now home to a giant osprey nest. In fact, I think one of the bonuses of this kayak adventure is all the bird watching. Cormorants lined up on the pylons, and took off one by one. A group of seagulls appeared to be walking on water when in fact they were standing on ship remnants just under the surface. Herons glided by, and at one point my husband spotted a bald eagle. It was easy to see how the area is such an important ecosystem for wildlife and why it is now a designated marine sanctuary. 

Things to Know Before You Go

The most important thing to keep in mind when kayaking anywhere, and particularly at Mallows Bay, is safety. Always factor in the tide schedule, weather, and experience of the kayaker before you head out. The area is best visited during low tide when more of the ships are visible. The area is not recommended for inflatable kayaks or stand up paddleboards, and paddlers always need to be aware of metal objects just under the waterline throughout the paddling route. For any kayak adventure:
       ✓  Always wear a personal flotation device
       ✓  Bring snacks & a full, reusable water bottle
       ✓  Don’t forget the sunscreen and hat
       ✓  Use a dry bag for things like car keys and cell phones.
​
I’ve used a waterproof phone bag like this one on a lanyard a few times already while kayaking, and love the ease of use and quality of the photos taken.  ​

If you are bringing your own kayak, you can launch from Mallows Bay Park. There are no fees to get into the park. It’s always a good practice to download maps to your device before you leave home, but when we visited there was a small wooden hut dockside that housed copies of the self-guided Water Trail Guide I mentioned earlier. If you want to explore by land, before you go I recommend you download the self-guided habitat walk using the Mallows Bay Land Trails Map. Follow the trail to over a dozen points of interest. FYI - there is also a portable toilet on site.   

Guided kayak tours of Mallows Bay are available seasonally through several local vendors, including Atlantic Kayak Company and also through Charles County Recreation and Parks. Because of the extensive field of sunken ship remnants, Mallows Bay is definitely a place where you would benefit from having a local guide lead the way. We look forward to exploring some of the other opportunities highlighted in the Water Trails in Charles County map, available on the Mallows Bay Park website. 

If you can’t make it in person, the Chesapeake Conservancy has created a few virtual tours to peak your interest. They were one of the partners involved in creating the paddle guide referenced above. For further reading, here’s another great resource with more of the fascinating history of the ships at Mallows Bay.  

Tweet