Point Lookout Railroad Trail:
Maryland
Trail Map
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Description:
The Point Lookout Railroad Trail (also called Periwinkle Point Nature Trail) follows a corridor that was cleared in the early 1800s for a planned railroad line connecting Point Lookout, Maryland, to Washington, DC. Active rail service came to some portions of the corridor over the years, but this 1-mile section was never completed. Today it is still quiet, as a peaceful dirt path running through historic Point Lookout State Park.
The trail entrance is located near the southern end of the trail. Here you will find the Civil War Museum/Marshland Nature Center, where you can stop in from May to September to learn more about the park's history as a Civil War prison camp.
From the start, bear right for a leisurely walk on the trail's northern-and longer-section. The trail is bordered by 6-foot-high reeds and pine trees and provides an occasional glimpse of the Point Lookout Creek. Marshy areas are found immediately adjacent to the trail and occasionally the trail itself is waterlogged, requiring slight off-trail navigation. This section of the trail ends in an open, privately owned field.
Turning left at the nature center will take you along a short (less than a quarter mile) stretch of trail where waterfowl and other wildlife viewing is abundant. The trail's end is a rewarding one, with beautiful views of Lake Conoy and the Point Lookout Creek. Late-summer visitors may be treated to migrating monarch butterflies, and if you are on the trail during the spring or fall, be sure to watch for migratory birds.
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Parking & Trail Access:
From Interstate 495, take MD Route 4 south until you cross the Solomons Island Bridge. After the bridge, turn left at the first traffic light onto MD Route 235, heading south. Follow this into a small town called Ridge and turn left at the blinking red light onto MD Route 5, heading south. Follow Route 5 as far as it will go (it takes a sharp right turn as you approach the 5-mile mark) all the way to Point Lookout State Park. In the off-season, stop at the park headquarters to get a code to open the gate to the camping area. After you pass the headquarters office, take your first right into the camping area. After passing the gate, take your first right and then bear left to campsites 26-20, where you will access a parking lot that is adjacent to the trail entrance.
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