Out and About in Maryland’s Backyard A fisherman’s haven, a cyclist’s dream and natural wonders just waiting to be discovered carve out the backroads and shores of Maryland’s great outdoors. BY CHRIS LANDERS OUTDOORS The boundary line between Maryland and Virginia along the Potomac is one of the state’s best recreational fishing spots. Fishermen report catching striped, largemouth and smallmouth bass, as well as shad and the terrifying, yet fun-to-catch invasive snakehead fish. Deep Creek Lake, with waters flowing all the way to the Mississippi, is known for its bass fishing, and allows outboards. This lake is the place to catch yellow perch, walleye and occasional northern pike. Cross Island Trail, Kent Island From the western mountains to the beaches of the Eastern Shore, Maryland is home to a host of opportunities for outdoor recreation—whether it’s a lazy day of fishing or a more energetic pursuit. Cast for rockfish in the bay, bike through winding mountains along the Western Maryland Rail Trail and explore natural wonders from rocky cliffs to sandy Atlantic shores. By day, the beaches of Ocean City are filled with families out for the summer sun, but as the evening begins, you can see a daily shift change as a different crowd descends on the beaches with rods cast into the surf. The Susquehanna Flats is a popular spot in rockfish season, and there are plenty of local guides to advise you. Just north of Baltimore is a wild trout stream, the Gunpowder, with deep pools and long gravel runs. 36 ✥ VISITMARYLAND.ORG | 1-877-333-4455 From the 185-mile C&O Canal Towpath bike trail along the Potomac River to the 1.4-mile boardwalk cruise along the Chesapeake Beach Rail Trail, there are bike trips for every endurance level. The Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal Towpath come together in historic Cumberland. Both are easily accessible via Amtrak, since Western Maryland was built by the railroad, which services surrounding cities on the route and makes it easy to bring a bike along. For towpath cyclists interested in more than a day trip, there are rustic campsites or canal lock houses every five miles along the trail. Near Baltimore, the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail follows 19.7 miles of the former Northern Central Railway (NCR) through Ashland, Phoenix, White Hall, Bentley Springs and Freeland, with a restored rail house along the way in Monkton. Further east, the Cross Island Trail runs across Kent Island, starting at the eastern end of the Bay Bridge and featuring stunning Chesapeake Bay views from a wide paved trail. Across the Eastern Bay, take in the waterfront from Talbot County’s Chesapeake Views Trail, one of a series of thematic bicycle rides laid out around St. Michaels. The Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail isn’t as long as its western cousins, but it packs a lot of Southern Maryland sightseeing into a 1.4-mile boardwalk along the ROLLING DOWN THE BACKROADS GONE FISHING IN MARYLAND
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2019 Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 36
