Above: Sailwinds Park East – Cambridge . Below: Chesapeake City. DORCHESTER COUNTY TOURISM RALPH ESHELMAN Above: Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art – Salisbury . Left: Kayakers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Right: Easton. ©TIM TADDER WHILE YOU’RE IN THE AREA WATERFRONT VILLAGES WITH WALKABLE town centers make Maryland’s Eastern Shore a warm and friendly place to relax any time of the year. The Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network consists of dozens of Eastern Shore locations offering easy access to boating, bird watching, fishing and sightseeing opportunities. Popular gateways include Janes Island State Park , with its 30 miles of water trails near Crisfield, and the Wye Grist Mill , which is still operating more than two centuries since it ground flour for General George Washington’s Continental Army. St. Michaels offers prime access to the Miles River, while Turner’s Creek Landing in Kennedyville is a recreational link to the Sassafras River. Much of the region is also just an hour’s drive from Ocean City, a favorite family 36 | nps.gov/stsp destination with white-sand beaches, seaside amusements and an iconic boardwalk. The Maryland portion of a Cape-to-Cape Scenic Byway ambles 79 miles along the Atlantic Coast. The Chesapeake Country National Scenic Byway connects many of the Eastern Shore’s waterfront communities and historic sites. It runs for more than 400 miles from Chesapeake City south to Crisfield, winding along unspoiled landscapes toward opportunities for kayaking, biking on mapped routes, gallery hopping and seafood dining. A giant, sail-shaped canopy off U.S. Route 50 in Cambridge marks the spot of the Sailwinds Park East visitor center. Cambridge is also one of several Maryland Arts & Entertainment Districts in the region and is the starting point for the 125-mile Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Scenic Byway and All-American Road. Wildfowl decoy carving is a traditional craft celebrated in this region at several annual festivals and sites such as Salisbury’s Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art and Crisfield’s Tawes Historical Museum (two more Bay gateways!). Carvers don’t need to travel far for inspiration — biking-friendly Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge is a favorite stop for migrating waterfowl and boasts the largest nesting population of bald eagles on the East Coast. Meanwhile, the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center in Grasonville is visited by more than 200 species of birds throughout the year. Paved biking routes in various parts of the region promise exceptional views. On Kent Island, the Cross Island Trail extends from the Bay, through Stevensville’s historic district and past impressive wetlands. Charm is in ready supply throughout Easton, which has been listed among America’s “best small towns” and is a regional hub of arts and culture. The same can be said for nearby St. Michaels, WARD MUSEUM OF WILDFOWL ART
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