Scarboro Creek is located within the E.A. Vaughn Wildlife Management Area across the Chincoteague Bay from Assateague Island. The E.A. Vaughn WMA has been improved by biologists to most benefit wildlife and create the best habitat for them. Amongst the marshes and forests, many song birds, raptors, shore birds, and migratory birds are found here along with a great variety of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. This is a beautiful place to explore and observe wildlife and study the rich plant life. Take a trip up the Scarboro Creek as well as the Pikes Creek and enjoy peaceful paddling. When you are on the open bay, be cautious of rough water due to high winds.

This trip explores several tributaries of the Patuxent River; Mattaponi Creek, Lyon’s Creek, Weir Creek, and Broad Creek. These tributaries may even be more alluring than the main river as they wind and intimate path through the marshes with a great diversity of beautiful plant life. The area is also filled with much wildlife and the quiet environment allows you to view them in their natural habitat, especially waterfowl and beaver, muskrat, and river otter. Every season has a little something different to offer and this route is great for any time of year. The put-in site is used by both powerboaters and paddlers and these small side streams allow you to escape the noise of Jug Bay.

The Upper Sassafras flows from east to west, with its navigable waters almost reaching Delaware. This journey takes you into that uppermost section, where the river becomes narrow enough to step across. Few boats travel these peaceful waters, wildlife are abundant, great birding opportunities are present, and scenery is beautiful and diverse. You will paddle through marsh, forest, several side creeks, and coves all devoid of human activity.

On this route you will explore marshes and travel up and down the bay side. There are long expanses of sand to enjoy where you can stop for a while and rake for clams or float among the colorful windsurfers as they whisk by on a breezy day. The marshes and beach are perfect places to observe a plethora of shorebirds and waterfowl. The views and scenery are splendid.

The Chesapeake Beach area marks the beginning of the Calvert Cliffs formation that continues all the way down to Drum Point, at the mouth of the Patuxent River. This is primarily an open bay excursion with a side trip up Fishing Creek. As you paddle, you will pass sand cliffs, about 100 feet high, with sandy beaches at the base. These beaches are rich with fossils, particularly shark’s teeth. The trip of Fishing Creek offers very striking scenery full of perch, crabs, and great blue herons. The creek is lined with grass and rich, deep mud as it meanders quietly through the town of Chesapeake Beach and provides great contrasting beauty to that of the bay.

The channel splits into two and you have three options on how to proceed. Something you must look for, is the landmark, the lighthouse on Assateague. Its light can be seen from 22 nautical miles. It is prohibited to land anywhere in the island to walk to the lighthouse. However, you can drive to it. It is open to visitors. There are many routes you can explore, take your time and go at it as you wish.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge encompasses more than 27,000 acres of brackish tidal water wetlands, evergreen and deciduous forest, open field, and impoundments of freshwater. It is also home to more than 250 bird species, 35 species of reptiles and amphibians and many resident mammals. On this trip you will paddle up Coles Creek, which winds through the center of Blackwater, thus allowing you to experience a great deal of the beautiful nature found here. There are also many side creeks and coves to explore and find a truly quiet and peaceful place to soak it all in.

This trip offers both a memorable beginning and end, keeping the paddler interested and engaged throughout the paddle. The beginning, downstream portion of this route takes you through an area with one of the most visible and active populations of bald eagle in Maryland. The end of day explorations wind through the upstream sections of Zekiah Swamp, a magical forested labyrinth where woods and water emerge. The waterway is broad and the lack of other boat traffic creates a serene paddle. Posey Creek is worth exploring and displays tall marsh grasses which border the creek and great wildlife viewing opportunities and Old Mill Branch is filled with miniature islands, delicate flowers, and painted turtles. The final hour on the water is beautiful as Zekiah Swamp swallows you in its forest and the diversity of plant life and wildlife are amazing.

The waters of Cedar Creek spill into Delaware Bay at a place called Mispillion Light. It shares a common quality, along with Broadkill, Old Mill, and Prime Hook, of remoteness, minimal development, and a variety of distracting scenery. The marshes are exceptionally pleasant to explore as the grass is relatively short, allowing good views from the boat. To begin, the creek demands some tight maneuvering around sharp turns and under low-hanging limbs and deadfall to reach open water. Before long, it all opens up to a wide marsh lined by distant pine forest with a few summer homes scattered. While the surrounding scenery is spread way out, the creek is usually narrow. The best take-out is a public boat ramp about a quarter mile below Route 36 on the left.

This is a great paddle from Morgan Creek to Chester River and Chestertown, a historic town with beautiful, fully restored old houses from the 18th century and all types of shops, restaurants, and handsome streets to wander. On the journey down Morgan Creek, you are likely to notice lots of wildlife, especially songbirds, raptors, muskrat, and fish. Once you pass under the MD 213 bridge you will come to the High Street public dock area at the edge of Chestertown. Just past this is a marina/restaurant where you can take out and with permission can keep your kayak on restaurant property. Here you can take a break and walk around Chestertown. On the return trip, paddle upstream on the Morgan for serene paddling through freshwater-tidal marshlands, forested wetlands, and upland forest. This paddle is absolutely gorgeous.