The Star-Spa ngled Banner National Historic Trail

The Sassafras River Wat er Trail follows a portion of t he St ar-Spangled Ba nner National Along the Sassafras River • • • Historic Trail, which is managed by t he National Pa rk Service . The Star-Spangled Banner About t he River The War of 1812 Sassafras Natural Resources Trail t races the War of 1812 Management Area in the Chesa peake. From 1812 to 1815 Americans Over 20 miles long, the Sassafras River traces On May 61 1813, British Rear Adm iral Sir George fought to protect t heir rights and economic the shores of Maryland's Cecil and Kent Sassafras Natural Cockbu rn led his naval independence, facing superior enemy forces on counties before reaching its confluence with Resources Management Water Safety forces up the Sassafras the homefront and t he high seas. The st rategically the Chesapeake Bay between Howell Point and Area contains nearly River t o raid the twin Grove Point. The tributary begins near the town 1,000 acres of Safety is your responsibility. However, if you choose important Chesapeake region felt the brunt of t he ports of Georgetown wetland s, woodlands, to explore the Sassafras River, make sure you have the / 6u!Jppod/ uo.QoaJJaJ/ WoJ ·tf+unoJwa>J "MMM war. Along the trail you will encounter tangible of Sassafras, where the heavily wooded corridor and Fredericktown. :11sfA t!iunoJ 1ua>1 u1 6u11pp od inoqo and agricu ltural fields. appropriate boating skills before setting out and always evidence of the war and stories that bring people features shallow water and the average width is After quickly defeating ;now u1oa1 01 ·11011 l aJDM JAfl:I soJjossos a41 uo s1u1od ssa:xJO J!fqnd and event s to life. Find o ut more at: only around 20 feet. After passing under the Route the loca l militia, t roops a41 Jo O)fJO(ow D SUJO)UfOW 'pUD/AlDIN 'ii.wno) JUiJ)/ the State Forest and 301 Bridge, the river widens and the landscape torched loca l homes, pue1AJe1A1 'A~uno) ~ua)I Maryl and Park Service • Always carry and wear your life jacket. transitions from woodland to farmland with a few food stores, and boats. As legend has it, a brick home www.starspangledtrail.net and provides pu blic residential communities interspersed along the t t he top of the hill in Georgetown was saved by local Research your route and leave an itinerary with a 61o·s+Ja[o1douo+1ns·MMM recreational opportunities including hiking, biking, way. he roine Kitty Knight, who pleaded wit h the British friend or loved one '/!Dll J<>J DM l31mc1 equestrian t ~ail r' iljlfb, rd. , IJ , -. • .,. M anagement s.1 rwrrn officers for mercy n'1'le repea'tetlly putting out the JCMJH so,;J ·:~r ill/ ,, IWLJJJ,;jffJnJJll 'I/Hr''~ ~~SIUJWPD Area also contains nearly three miles of hor lin t1l ong SJ:Jil(OJd OUOJ/115 'UOL)DZJUObJO /OUOLJOJnpa J.t/OJd LIOU V flames wit h he r broom. Today that home is known as • Avoid boating or paddling alone. The Captain John Smith The twin ports of Georgetown and Fredericktown the Sassafras River and Tu rn er's Creek, er ating orw 'JUI 'spafoJd eue~ 1n s the Kitty Kn ight House (shown above), a popular inn dominate the scenery downriver of the Route 213 of the most pristine view-sheds on t he cnt1r riv 'r. and restaurant. In May 1813 and agai n in Ju ly 1814, • Check the weather and tide before you leave and Chesapeake National For more information about t he Sassafras N, tural 810 ·a>Jo adosa1p a4Jjosa11o+s 'MMM Bridge, with both communities serving as busy homes and residents up and down t he Sassafras and make sure you are prepared for inclement weather. ·oa1v a60lfJaH a>(oadosa4J a41 Jo sa11015 a41 pLIO centers for recreational boating. Between Turn er's Resources Management Area visit: ii.1110 4inv soa1v afJDl fJbirds can often be spotted soaring overhead. www.dnr.state.rnd.us/boating/regulations/ '>(JOMJoN S/JOl JJ(Oadosa4J Smit h Chesa peake National In addition to being one of the premier launch s1t0" n a41 46no141 aJJMfJDd 1ouoµoN a41 Aq papJ"OJd The beautiful American SDl\1 /IDJl lAJ/J s0Jjosso5 a41 JO/ !l\Jas >1Jed 1euo91?N a41 lotus (Nelumbo lutea) national w at er trail. The 3,000 boaters, Turner's Creek County Park conta ins 143 .i r , popular destination for powerboats, paddle craft, produces the largest flower Suggested Paddling Gear mile John Sm ith Trail, managed of land featuring hiking t rai ls, bathroom f ciliti s, and and workboats. As such, it can be especially busy of any plant in North a picnic pavilion. The site was once a thriving Ioctl I by t he National Park Service on weekends from May through October. For America, with a peak 11111 JH l II SIJl.LI Vd shipping port where loca l agricult ural products wN Life Jacket First Aid Kit in collaboration w it h many partners, t races t he paddlers seeking peace and quiet, the Sassafras blooming season of mid­ disbursed throughout the region . Today, a gr nwaters are stands on t he original site where an earlier comm1 , 1y Chesapeake Bay and m any major rivers bet w een ~· - ~ This plant wa s once a Ample Drinking Water Bai ler/Bilge Pump accessible by only the smallest vessels. shipped supplies to George Washington's Army dur mg 1607 and 1609. Along t he John Smit h Tra il are hoto by Chri rino favored food source for Cha rt, Compass & GPS Cell Phone the American Revolution. Kent Museum is located American Indians, who ate parks, m useums, historic sites, and w at er t rails just up the hil l from the park, contai ning antique Dry Bag w/ Extra Clothes Sunscreen & Hat American Indians on t he Sassafras the starch-rich roots and large seeds. Today, America n offering opport unities for recreation and discovery. agri cult ural implements from Kent County's form ing Tow Rope Water Shoes lotus is found in only three locations on the Ch esa peake Explore Smith's voyages, American Indian cultures, past . For Museum hours, visit : Prior to the arrival of European Bay: the Elk/Bohemia River syst em, Mattawoman Creek and the 17t h century Chesapeake. www.kentcounty.com/farmmuseum settlers, America n Indians on the Potomac River, and the Sassafras River. Find out more at: Leave No Trace lived along the waters of the Sassafras River for over 10,000 Puritan Tiger Beetle Mount Harmon Plantation When padd ling or boating on the Sassafras River it www.sm ithtra ii. net years. The river's tidal fresh might not seem like one person's actions could have SASSAF RAS RIV ER wat ers provided rich food a meaningful impact on the environment. However, Of the 5,000 Purit an tiger beet les left on Earth, 4,500 Located on th C ell sources for the indigenous when your actions are combined with those of reside in t he state of Maryland. In the Chesa pea ke, Co unty side f th peoples, including emergent thousands of others, t hey can ultimately do great harm t hese beetles ca n only be found along Calvert Cliffs and Sassafras Rive1 on a wetland plants such as arrow to the river's ecosystem. gorgeous peninsula And the Associated Creeks of Northern Kent Cou nty arum (Tuckahoe), yellow pond lily, Am erican lotus, and the high, sandy bluffs of t he Sassafras River. Puritan tiger beetles lay their eggs in t hese natural ly eroding bordered by Back pickere l weed. Spring spawning runs of sha d, herring, Individuals voyaging on the Sassafras River are cl iffs, whil e adu lt s spend t heir lives on t he sandy and McGill Cr0c ks, striped bass, and perch served as an important source encouraged to follow Leave No Trace idea ls and beaches below. Mount Harmon of protein, while woodland ga me such as whitetail practices. Here are a few suggestions for how you can Plantation trac rt <> deer, w ild t urkeys, and black bear were hu nted for help preserve the Sassafras: their meat and furs . Indian settlements were typically rich history b.i k to Bald Eagles a 1651 land grtint locat ed along t he water's edge at the heads of creeks Dispose of waste properly and make sure to carry from Cac>c tl 1u<> • or springs, with populations in each community ranging The high, forested cliffs of the Sassafras River out all of your waste with you. Ca lvert, t he second Lord Baltimore, t o Godfrey H.i1m on from a few fa milies to a few hundred residents. provide idea l habitat for the bald eagle (Haliaeetus The plantation became a thrivi ng center for tob.icw leucocephalus). Ba ld eagles can be seen throughout Leave the natural environment as you found it. Do shipping and was recorded on early maps of tlw ;ir r,1 the river, with the heaviest concentrations found on not disturb rocks, plilnts, trt'es, or artifacts. John Smith Visits the Sassafras as "World's End." Today, Mount Harmon Pl,mt,1t1on '" 1 th I ' r section be ~-ee-.. 11 • 11 r's Creek Park and premiere heritage destination and nature preserve and • Respect all wildlife by enjoying it from a distance Betterton. Look for these majestic raptors as they soar On Au gust 1, 1608, Captain John feat ures a beautifully restored manor house, colonial and not disturbing it. above the river in sea rch of prey. Smith encountered a fleet of kitchen, pri ze house, formal garden, and nature t ra ils. ca noes filled with Tockwogh For information about tours, educational programs, and • Be considerate of others by respecting people's warriors at the mouth of the Knack's Folly special events, visit : privacy and minimizing noise. Sassafras River during his www.mountharmon.org • Always respect private property. Unless you know legendary exploration of the Knock's Folly is a otherwise, assume that all land is privately owned. Chesapea ke Bay. The Tockwogh meticulously prese rved 18th Watermen escorted Smit h and his men ce ntury, federal-style brick For more information on Leave No Trace visit: L'.Al''"" 1"'" '"""· to their fortified village seven home with command ing The lower Sassafras River contains a hea lthy population www.lnt.org miles upriver, possibly near views of Turner's Creek of working watermen who make their living fishing present-day Kentmore Park on Shrewsbu ry Neck. and the Sassafras River. and crabbing on the Chesa peake Bay and its tidal Credits: This map was designed ond produced by Sultana Image Above: A section ofJo hn Smith's 1612 map of According to Smith's journ als, the Englishmen received The home is open to the tributaries. Several watermen fish the river wit h pound Proj ects, Inc. with the assistance of the Chesapeake Bay a favorable reception: "Their men, women, and public on weekends from the Chesapeake showing the oldest known depiction nets, catching catfish, whit e perch, yellow perch, and Gateways and Watertroils Network and the M aryland chi ldren with dances, songs, fruits, furs, and what they May through October and of the Sassafras River. The map is oriented with North striped bass. Other watermen arrive in late summer to Heritage Areas Authority. Basemap was provided by the had, kindly welcomed us, spreading mat s for us to sit to the right and the headwaters of the Sassafras are contains interpretive displays about America n Ind ians, follow t he yearly migration of At lantic blue crabs up t he Washington College GIS office and refined by Locust Grove on, stretching t heir best abilities to express t heir loves." marked with a red cross (the cross is black on Smith's t he 1608 expeditions of Ca ptain John Smith, and Chesa pea ke. Many of these watermen spend the fa ll Studios. Content was developed in par tnership with Kent After exploring the Sassafras River and t he upper original map but has been highlighted here for clarity). agricultural practices in the surrounding countryside. operating out of Turner's Creek, where they have quick County, M aryland, and the Sassafras River Association. Bay for several days, Smith and his men depa rted for On this map the Sassafras River is referred to as the For more information about Knock's Folly visit: access to their pots in the Bay proper. "Tockwogh flu." The term 'flu" is an older abbreviation Jamestown on August 8th, never to return. www.dnr.state.md.us/ publiclands/ eastern/sassafras.asp for "river," and "Tockwogh" is the name of the American Learn more Indian tribe that Smith encountered on the river {also noted separately). The small boat on the map is the about how only rendering of the 30-foot open-boat in which Smith you can help and his crew explored more than 3,000 miles of the the Sasso/ras Sassafras KiverA ssociation Chesapeake and its tributaries between 1607 and 1609. www.sa ssafra s river.org Regional M ap of the Chesapeake 0 Fredericktown _ ____. __ This map is intended as a Boat Launch reference source only and is not to Bay \ be used as an aid for navigation. Sassafras River Area of Enlargeme nt Foxhole Landing ~~

Betterton

SHI/ PoM Neck~ Turner's Creek • ...,.._ Atlantic County Park & ""'""'"""""...-"-' Ocean Knack's Folly Turner's C eek Landing Betterton Landing Sl~ ~ mrm SI~ rJfDril Galena

313 444 213 Head of Still Pond Creek Green Po rnt Marina To Chestertown The Wh• rf at Handy's Point SI ~~ Green Point Landing Public Landings On or Near the Sassafras River

m ~~ Foxhole Landing (Kent) Turner's Creek Landing (Kent) A Head of Still Pond Creek (Kent) ft Fairlee Creek Landing (Kent) 0 Permit required for trailered boots; free for car top boats 0 Permit required for trailered boots; free for car top baa ts V Permit required for trailered boats; free for car top boats V Permit required for trailered boats; free for car tap boats

This is an ideal put-in site for canoes and kayaks, though In t he 18th century, Turner's Creek was a busy shipping Still Pond Creek is a scenic, protected tributary of the Fa irlee Creek is a scenic t ri butary to t he Chesapeake Bay paddling t his stretch of the river is only recommended center where local gra ins were shipped to ports Ch esapeake Bay. Prior t o European settlement, the land that feat ures wooded shorelines, scattered houses, and at high tide. There is a blue heron rookery directly throughout the Chesapeake. An old granary still sits on in and around the creek was a major fishing camp for la rge fa rms. Historically, t he w aters nea r t he mouth of across from the landing, and the upper Sassafras winds the site where an earlier version of the structure housed Native Americans who harvested the oysters that were this creek were used as a staging area for British Captain Map IWood land Creek when timed with a high tide, and those with vessels are the home to numerous bald eagles, osprey, and For information on permit requirements for Cecil is located on t he Kent County side of t he river 2 miles 16' or larger should consider using alternate sites such blue heron. Continuing north, ambitious paddlers will County landings {Cecil) please contact: 410-996- downstream from the ramp, and Turner's Creek Landing as Turner's Creek Landing. Paddlers should note that reach the mouth of Still Pond Creek in just over 6 miles . 8101. *Please note: Degree of difficulty is relative and physical conditions are this is big, open water that should only be explored in To Rock Hall subject to change. It is your responsibility to scout each location and is approximately 6.5 miles downriver. Heading sout h, it is 3.5 miles to t he mouth of Fairlee determine if it is appropriate for your skill level. calm conditions. Heading upriver, paddlers will pass by Creek, and 5 miles to Fairlee Creek Landing. Please not e tall, wooded bluffs on t he 2.4 mile trip to the mout h that none of these paddles should be attempted in high 0 1 2 3 4 5 of Lloyd Creek. Traveling downriver for 2.5 miles to winds or stormy w eather. Howell Point will put paddlers in the open w at ers of the Statute Miles Ch esapeake.

supported by:

w.srwt.org Partners on the Trail SULTANAA.PROJECTS PRES E R\ 'ATIO~ 'IHKOL'C.H l:.Dl:CATION