Potomac

Islands of the Potomac WMA

Put-in would be at the Monocacy Boat Ramp at the Mouth of Monocacy Park, near Dickerson, MD.   The Long run take-out for this stretch is Rileys Lock boat ramp at the mouth of Seneca Creek, near Poolesville, MD.  On the Maryland side, other river accesses below Mouth of Monocacy and above Rileys Lock are Whites Ferry (6.4 miles below Mouth of Monocacy), Edwards Ferry (11.7 miles below Mouth of Monocacy) and Sycamore Landing (15.5 miles below Mouth of Monocacy), all of which are river left and all of which could be a short put-in or take-out.  C&O Canal hiker/biker campgrounds on the Maryland side along this stretch would include:  Marble Quarry campground (4 miles below Mouth of Monocacy and river left channel at Mason Island), Turtle Run campground (7.5 miles below Mouth of Monocacy and river left channel at Harrison Island), Chisel Branch campground (11.5 miles below Mouth of Monocacy) and Horsepen Branch campground (16.3 miles below Mouth of Monocacy and last non-permit campground).  On the Virginia side are Balls Bluff Battlefield Regional Park - Veterans Park Boat Launch (8.5 miles below Mouth of Monocacy  and river right channel at Harrison Island) and Algonkian Regional Park Boat Ramp (18.0 miles below Mouth of Monocacy), both of which are river right.  Difficulty is Class I moving water with the usual possibilities of strainers or shoals and the possibility of getting behind the wrong side of an Island for some of the intermediate access points.

Oxley, Mason and Maddox Islands can be accessed along this Montgomery County, Md Potomac River stretch.

Oxley Island is located near Dickerson, MD, one mile north of Whites Ferry. This island is approximately 30 acres and is just upstream from Mason Island.

Mason Island is also near Dickerson, MD, about one mile north of Whites Ferry. This island is 275 acres and is just down river from Oxley Island.

Maddux Island is located near Poolesville, MD. It is lo

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