Maryland Official Visitors Guide - 2017
Beaches & Waterways
Chris Landers 2016-12-08 03:53:56
With thousands of miles of shoreline to choose from, find your sandy sweet spot on the Atlantic shore, Chesapeake beaches, along the banks of crystal-clear rivers, or surrounded by mountains at Deep Creek Lake.
SANDY GETAWAY
Beach walkway at Point Lookout State Park, Scotland
Making a Splash
From the mountains to the bay, Maryland’s got a sandy beach for every taste.
Oocean City
For Marylanders, summer means going “downy ocean, hon.” Amusement park rides at Trimper’s, a handful of quarters at Marty’s Playland, a huge helping of Thrasher’s fries, and a dip in the Atlantic Ocean are the essence of summer.
VARIETY OF BEACHES
Ocean City Beach and Pier
Assateague Island State Park
A sandy stretch of land crisscrossed by wildlife trails, Assateague is the ideal spot for beach camping, made extraordinary by the appearance of the famous wild horses that roam the shore. It’s no wonder National Geographic Traveler named it one of the 10 best U.S. state parks.
A beach on Chesapeake Bay
Matapeake Beach
Just across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on the Eastern Shore’s Kent Island, Matapeake provides beautiful views, trails and a public beach (including a separate dog beach).
Rocky Point and Hart-Miller Island
If you’re looking for a different kind of sand, Rocky Point Golf Course is the only waterfront golf course on the western side of the Chesapeake. Hawk Cove and Pleasure Island at Hart-Miller Island State Park, accessible by boat, offer beach camping for those who want to go a little off the beaten path.
Sandy Point State Park
This state park offers stunning bay views, as well as swimming, fishing and hiking. Sandy Point’s location on the Atlantic Flyway makes it an ideal spot for bird-watchers and wildlife seekers, just minutes from downtown Annapolis.
Breezy Point Beach
A half-mile of sandy beach, a netted swimming area, and a 200-foot pier for crabbing and fishing make Breezy Point in Chesapeake Beach a perfect getaway spot. Families will love to stay at the attached campground and search the beach for prehistoric sharks’ teeth.
North Beach and Chesapeake Beach
These twin beaches are connected by a summer shuttle, and they’re just an hour away from Washington, D.C., making them an easy weekend trip for city folk. There’s plenty to do, and the Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa offers upscale digs if you’re looking to get away from it all.
Calvert Cliffs State Park
This is a grand, natural bay beach for swimming, hiking and just being in the great outdoors. The big draw, though, is fossil collecting along the sandy quarter-mile stretch of beach—more than 600 species of fossils have been found along the shore.
Rocky Gap State Park
Rocky Gap offers the best of lakefront living, with a public beach, biking and hiking trails, championship golfing, fishing and boating. For indoor fun, Rocky Gap also has a resort and casino on the lake.
Deep Creek Lake
With 69 miles of shoreline, Deep Creek is the state’s largest man-made lake, with a swimming beach and boat rentals plus a host of events and nearby restaurants. For a dose of exhilaration, check out Adventure Sports Center International’s white-water courses designed for Olympic-caliber athletes (and those that want to be).
Leave the Shores Behind
If you’ve only explored Maryland from the land, you haven’t seen the half of it.
Set on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, crisscrossed by rivers and streams, and centered on the mighty Chesapeake Bay, watersport adventures abound in Maryland. Retrace history by boat, paddle through tranquil marshes or raging rapids, or just kick back and enjoy the ride.
WATERSPORT WONDERLAND
Wednesday Night Races in Annapolis
Sailboat or Motor Boat?
Annapolis, Edgewater and Deale all have charter outfits that offer boat rentals with or without a captain. Tilghman Island Marina on the Eastern Shore has a fleet of pontoon and sailboats at hand, along with personal watercraft. Out west, area businesses on Deep Creek Lake rent pontoon and ski boats, and in Southern Maryland Solomon’s Boat Rental can set you up with a powerboat.
White-water rafting on the Youghiogheny River
History on the Water
If you’re interested in traveling lighter (and a little slower), a kayak may be in order. In St. Mary’s County, choose from numerous water trails covering the Potomac and Patuxent rivers. In nearby Charles County, check out Mallow’s Bay, the sunken home of nearly 230 World War I-era ships.
The Choptank and Tuckahoe Rivers Trail on the Eastern Shore includes Frederick Douglass’ birth place. The Monocacy Scenic River Water Trail covers 41 miles through Civil War sites. Water trails also cover the Middle and Upper Potomac River and C&O Canal. Western Maryland’s New Germany State Park offers kayaks, paddleboats and rowboats to explore the 13-acre lake’s diverse wildlife habitat.
The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail traces his journey along the Chesapeake, or for an urban adventure, launch your kayak in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
Paddle the Day Away
Paddlers head out to sea (or bay) on rented boards up and down the Coastal Highway in Ocean City. SUP Annapolis offers lessons and rentals on the Severn River. Boating in DC has paddleboards, kayaks and canoes for rent at National Harbor and offers stand up paddleboard yoga classes. Paddle or Pedal in North Beach and Chesapeake Beach covers all the bases with kayak, canoe, paddleboard and sailboat rentals. From Riley’s Lock at the mouth of Seneca Creek, Active Nature offers paddleboard classes, as well as moonlight tours led by veteran paddlers.
White Water Ahead
For rafters, the Youghiogheny River’s Class IV and V rapids offer some of the best white water in the world. The Savage River in Garrett County has been home to whitewater world championships and Olympic trials, and several times a year the Army Corps of Engineers schedules dam releases for white-water recreation. For a slower ride, tubing is available on Antietam Creek and the Gunpowder River.
Resources
Public boat launch facilities (by county) dnr.maryland.gov/Boating/Pages/water-access/ boatramps.aspx
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