Patuxent River Park - Jug Bay Natural Area

Wildlife reigns supreme at Maryland's other bay

During a recent "Wilderness in Washington" segment of the Kojo Nnamdi Show, outdoor gurus Candy Thompson and Paul Elliott gushed about Jug Bay Natural Area, a Patuxent River Park property in eastern Prince George's County, Maryland.

Candy Thompson:
"Fabulous...You can paddle there, you can hike there, you can fish there..."

Paul Elliott:
"One of the remarkable things about Jug Bay is that you can stand there looking out over the river, and it's very hard to determine what century you're in. It's a timeless landscape."

• Recognized as a National Audubon Society Important Bird Area location
• Component of Maryland's National Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
• Part of the Chesapeake story as told by the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network
• "Two thumbs up!" - Siskel & Ebert

The wooden bridge across Mattoponi Creek connecting Jug Bay Natural Area with Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary

Recreation and Nature on the Land

Jug Bay Natural Area attracts two main types of outdoor enthusiasts: aquatic paddlers and terra firma hikers. This article is geared towards landlubbers, but check back with us in the future - we'll test the Patuxent River waters (literally) during the warmer months.

Featuring 8+ miles of natural surface trails, Jug Bay's hiking network is understandably overshadowed by the park's namesake tidal wetland. With that said, motivated hikers can easily make a day out of it. Trail highlights include:

• Brown Trail (Black Walnut Creek Nature Study Area): Directly accessible from the Visitor Center, this hiking trail network (not open to bicyclists) includes a half mile boardwalk through marshes and wetlands.
• Green Trail: Connecting to Black Walnut Creek Nature Study Area, the Green Trail follows the ridge offering excellent Jug Bay views once the leaves have fallen.
• Red Trail: The park's longest trail, the Red Trail accesses historic Croom Airport, now a large, open field, and the starting point of Chesapeake Critical Area Tour.

Featuring colorful underbrush, towering hardwoods, wetland amphibians, and melodic songbirds, this Patuxent River Park location is a naturalistic feast for the senses. Birders in the know should check out the Patuxent River Bird Checklist brochure available in the Jug Bay Natural Area Visitor Center. Naturalists, amateur or otherwise, are invited to join a Park Ranger on guided woodland hikes, which are scheduled for Saturday afternoons several times a month.

Blessed as it is with natural beauty and recreational opportunity, Jug Bay goes one step further in an effort to lure inquisitive history buffs. Tucked into a wooded clearing just a few hundred yards from the Visitor Center, Patuxent Rural Life Museums is a collection of buildings and exhibits designed to represent Prince George's County living during a less complicated time. Visit on weekend afternoons (1-4 PM) for the guided tours and demonstrations.

Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Tour

Ospreys on a nesting platform in the Patuxent River

The Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Tour is a four-mile dirt roadway hugging the Patuxent River shoreline. Open to walkers, bicyclists, and cars (only on Sundays), the main draw of the tour is the 1,000 foot wooden boardwalk bridge connecting Jug Bay Natural Area to Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary. Overlooking the Mattoponi Creek marshlands, the bridge sports a tower ideal for bird watchers.

Jug Bay 10K/5K Run for Wildlife and 3K Fun Walk

A paddling and wildlife-viewing haven like Jug Bay Natural Area forces visitors to slow down their busy lives and appreciate nature. But on Jug Bay 10K/5K Run for Wildlife race day,  scheduled for 9:00 AM on Saturday, November 7, 2009, the slow down concept need not apply. Expected to attract about 300 participants, event organizers welcome runners and walkers (either pre-registered or walk-ins), spectators, and volunteers. As Kyle Lowe, Park Ranger and Run for Wildlife creator, states, "The race location sells itself."

Spotting Blue-winged Teals (a migratory type of duck) may not be on the minds of oxygen-starved runners, but race day funds have been a boon to the Jug Bay wildlife. All event proceeds go towards conservation/environmental projects like osprey nesting tower construction, Sora Rail tracking research, and the expansion of outdoors education. 

With ecosystem preservation a top priority, it's clear that Prince George's County Parks and its partners recognize the real stars of Jug Bay.

Location / Directions: Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Park Size / Trail Distance: 2,000 acres; 8+ miles
Surface / Difficulty: Natural; Easy
Trail Map: Jug Bay Natural Area
More Information: For events and programs, visit Jug Bay Natural Area online

Jug Bay is just one of the many Prince George's County Parks offering frequent volunteer opportunities. Learn more about how to get involved.

- Osprey image courtesy Flickr user Renee Belisle

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