Also located in Patuxent River Park is the site of Columbia Air Center. After leaving Jackson's landing, paddle 1.6 miles until you get to Shelby's Landing. With your park permit, put-in your canoe at Shelby's Landing. Get out of your canoe and follow the paved road to your right and walk .4 miles until you get to an interpretive sign near a cornfield. Opened in 1941, this field used to be Columbia Air Center, the first black-owned and operated airport in America. The founder of the airport, John W. Greene, Jr., was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1901. Although Greene and many other black pilots were viewed as pioneers in aviation, they did face racial discrimination from white-controlled airports, which prompted them to look into ways of opening their own airfield. Greene and other black pilots in the Washington, D.C. area organized their own aviation group, the Cloud Club, and began to look for a location to operate.

Originally called Riverside field, the Cloud Club chose a potato field near the Patuxent River. During World War II, the U.S. Navy used Riverside Field for training missions. After the war, Greene was given authority to reopen the field as Columbia Air Center. The Center, which owned four aircrafts, offered classes in aviation. By 1946, 25 students enrolled in primary classes at the flying school. The Columbia Squadron, the first black Civil Air Patrol in the Washington area, was formed at this center.

In 1950, it was one of the most active airports in Prince George's County and continued to operate under Greene's management from 1941 to 1956. In 1958 the airfield was closed to all traffic after activities gradually decreased because of increasing vandalism and problems with the land lease. A year later, in 1959, the field became part of the Patuxent River Watershed Park as the first purchase of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Besides an interpretive sign that marks the historic field, there is little evidence that the empty field used to be a black-owned airfield. Patuxent River Park is opened daily from 8 a.m. to dusk. For information, call 301-627-6074.

There is a canoe launch in Patuxent River Park called Queen Anne Canoe Launch. Since the first three historic sites have canoe landings in Patuxent River Park, you must buy a park permit to put-in at those landings. The cost of a permit is $5 for residents of Prince George's or Montgomery counties and $10 for all other residents. Prior to the day you decide to go canoeing you should get a permit at Patuxent River Park visitation center located at 16000 Croom Airport Road. To get to the visitation center going south on US 301, turn left onto Croom Station Road and go 2.5 miles to Croom Road. Then turn left and go 1.3 miles to Croom Airport Road. After .2 miles, turn left at the park entrance and go 1.5 miles to the park office and parking lot. If you have any questions, you can call Patuxent River Park at 301-627-6074, or visit their website at www.pgparks.com/places/parks/patuxent.html