Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Location
St. Mary's County
Endpoints
Point Lookout State Park
Mileage
1
Roughness Index
2
Surface
Dirt, grass
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 por-
tions 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, re-
quiring slight off-trail navigation. This section of the trail ends in an open, privately
owned field.
