Rich Resources

Rich Resources. Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. John Smith and his crew spent a month exploring the Potomac River in 1608, during the first voyage through the region. Smith mapped the town of Pamacocack at the mouth of the Mattawoman Creek.

This powerful creek with its teeming diversity still demonstrates the rich resources native people enjoyed here for thousands of year. Wetlands and large beds of submerged aquatic vegetation provide a lush feeding ground for anadromous fish, species who live in the ocean and spawn in fresh water. Fishing birds, such as herons, ospreys, and egrets, also come here to feast.

“(We came to the Potomac) to search what furs…and what…minerals, rivers, rocks, nations, woods, fishings, fruits, victual, and what other commodities the land afforded, and whether the bay were endless or how far it extended.” , Captain John Smith, The General History of Virginia, 1624.

(Inscription above the image on the right) , Mattawoman Creek is said to have a greater concentration of largemouth bass than any other Potomac tributary.

Explore the diversity and beauty of Mattawoman Creek: , The nearly 30-mile Mattawoman Creek features natural shorelines evoking the time of Captain John Smith’s travels here. , Pitch your tent or rent a cabin as Smallwood State Park as your base-camp for exploring the area. , Launch your boat or paddle craft from the park’s Sweden Point Marina to explore Mattawoman Creek or venture into the Potomac. , Paddle the quiet upper reaches of the creek and discover the wonderful diversity of plants and wildlife.