Hike Location: Smallwood State Park
Geographic Location: southwest of Waldorf, MD (38.55846, -77.18813)
Length: 2.2 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: May 2018
Overview: A lollipop loop passing General Smallwood’s historic
Retreat House.
Park Information: http://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/southern/smallwood.aspx
Directions to the trailhead: On the south side of
Washington, D.C., take I-495 to Maryland SR 210 (exit 3). Exit and go south on SR 210. Drive SR 210 south 18 miles to SR 225 and
turn left on SR 225. Drive SR 225 east
1.6 miles to SR 224 and turn right on SR 224.
Drive SR 224 south 3.8 miles to the signed park entrance on the
right. Turn right to enter the park, pay
the entrance fee, and follow signs for the boat ramp, where this hike
begins. Park in any of the lots near the
boat ramp.
The hike: Established
in 1958, cozy Smallwood State Park protects 628 acres on the south bank of Mattawoman
Creek just before it empties into the Potomac River. The park is named for General William
Smallwood, a Patriot Revolutionary War major general from Maryland who later
served as Maryland’s 4th Governor.
General Smallwood’s Retreat House and grave lie within the park’s
boundaries, and they will be seen on this hike.
The park
makes the most of its waterside location, as it features the Sweden Point
Marina, numerous fishing piers, and some boat launch ramps. The park also offers a small campground with
15 campsites and 5 mini cabins, 3 picnic pavilions, a playground, and two short
hiking trails. The park’s longest and
best hiking trail is the General’s Walk Trail described here. The General’s Walk Trail takes you through
some nice woods as it connects the boat ramp, the campground, the park office,
and the historic Retreat House area, and it makes a nice shady hike on a warm
summer day. (Aside: the trail map
available for download on the park’s website is far better and more detailed
than the trail map you will get at the park entrance station, so be sure to
download or print a trail map before you come.)
 |
| Bridge at boat ramp |
There are
several places from which you could start the General’s Walk Trail, but I chose
to start at the boat ramp. Look for a
wooden bridge that is located at the boat ramp area’s south side and heads over
an inlet of Mattawoman Creek. Mattawoman
Creek looks more like a river at this point, and although the bridge looks old,
it got me safely over the water.
 |
| Mattawoman Creek, as seen from bridge |
 |
| Trail sign at campground |
Upon
reaching the south side of the bridge, climb slightly on a paved path to reach
the asphalt campground road, then look up and slightly right for a green wooden
sign that says “General’s Walk Foot Trail.”
The single track dirt trail heads into the woods here and descends
slightly to reach the bank of an unnamed creek/wetland that features a lot of
trees and shrubs. Several bird boxes
have been built over the water, and I saw a family of Canada geese enjoying a
humid day on the shady water.
On my
mid-May hike, I passed a stand of mountain laurel in full bloom, though it
looked out of place beside the wetland.
Just past 0.5 miles, you reach a trail fork. The left option is a spur trail that leads to
a picnic shelter, so you want to stay right to continue along the wetland. The General’s Walk Trail is marked by some
white rectangular paint blazes, but there may not be a blaze at the exact point
where you need one.
 |
| Climbing away from the creek |
After
passing a bench along the creek, the trail angles left and begins a short but
steep climb, gaining 100 feet of elevation in just over 0.1 miles. Some wooden steps aid the ascent. At 0.9 miles, you reach the top of the hill
and enter the park’s historic area, a mowed-grass area dominated by the brick
Retreat House. The Retreat House is a
restored 18th century tidewater plantation that is only open the
first and third Sunday afternoons from May through September. Even if the house is not open on your visit
(it was not on mine), you can admire the structure from the outside and peep in
to the adjacent herb garden.
 |
| General Smallwood's Retreat House |
Pass around
the right side of the Retreat House and start following a brick path as it
heads southeast away from the house.
Some other small structures are located on this site, but the brick path
leads to the other large structure: the black wooden tobacco barn. Walk around the barn and cross the nearby
park road to reach a parking lot for the park’s playground and picnic pavilion
#3. Another green wooden sign similar to
the one you saw at the campground marks where the trail reenters the woods.
 |
| Tobacco Barn |
Next you
start my favorite part of this hike, which features some nice beech trees and
some sweet gums. After a gradual descent,
the trail curves sharply left to rise slightly.
At 1.4 miles, you reach the park maintenance area and park office. Angle right, cross the park road, and then
angle left into the grassy area beside the park office to find where the trail
reenters the woods again.
Some wet
areas will need to be negotiated as you pass some old wooden structures that
time and the forest have reclaimed.
After dipping through a small but steep ravine, the trail comes out at
the campground road. Turn right and walk
along the road to close the loop, then turn right again and walk back across
the wooden bridge to return to the boat ramp and complete the hike.
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