Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail

About Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail

The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail commemorates the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812 and gets its name from our national anthem. Consisting of water and overland routes, the trail extends from Virginia through southern Maryland, closely following the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. As this trail passes by the shoreline of Douglas Point Special Recreation Management Area in Charles County, Maryland, it follows the War of 1812 route of the British fleet, which chocked Washington, D.C. with shipping blockades and whose sailors ravaged the coastline of the Chesapeake Bay with frequent raids. This trail commemorates the people, events, and naval history, which inspired our national anthem. Douglas Point is a water stop for the water trail at Blue Bay. The shoreline provides access to the +2 miles of trails including the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and the historic Chiles Homesite with interpretive signage. There are picnic facilities at Blue Bay overlook, with a stunning view of the Potomac River. During your stop at the Blue Banks shoreline, test your luck at finding shark teeth and other fossils. Flickr Album

How to Get There

Douglas Point has two parking lots, North Trailhead and South Trailhead. The two parking lots are about 1 mile apart and are connected by Cal Posey Trail. From Interstate Highway 95/495 in Maryland: Take Exit 3 for Hwy 210 South to Hwy 225, connecting with Hwy 224. Take 224 for about 14 miles. You should see signs for Nanjemoy and the Purse State Park. The parking lot is on the right side. From US-301 N: Turn left onto MD-6 (Port Tabacco Rd). Take MD-6 for about 15 miles. Turn right onto Greenleek Hill Rd and in 0.2 miles keep right to continue on Greenleek Hill/Jacksontown Rd for 2.3 miles. At the end of the road take a right onto Liverpool Point Rd, and at the stop sign (400 feet ahead) take a left on MD-224 S. The parking lot will be on the right in 1 mile. Trailhead Address: North Trailhead – 9275 Riverside Rd, Nanjemoy, MD Chiles Homesite Trailhead – 9699 Riverside Rd, Nanjemoy, MD

Plan Your Visit to Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail

Heading to Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• Park map (PDF)
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)