OPEN FOR EXPLORATION History and nature merge at Point Lookout State Park—a beautiful spot that just so happens to be one of the state’s most popular parks as well as a key to Maryland’s Civil War history. First a hospital for Union soldiers, then a prison camp for captured Confederates, Point Lookout was also a stop on the Underground Railroad, where enslaved people who crossed the Potomac from Virginia reached the protection of federal authorities and joined the Union Army. The park provides ample campsites, a 710-foot fishing pier and surf fishing areas, and hunting grounds. Birders take note: Point Lookout is a migrant concentration point, especially in autumn. Look for shorebirds, raptors, songbirds—and ghosts. Point Lookout is considered one of the most haunted places in America. A Great Blue Heron Fishing on the Patuxent River Turn back the clock even further to prehistoric eras at Calvert Cliffs State Park. When the shallow sea that covered Southern Maryland in prehistoric times receded, these cliffs were left behind. Now they are a great place to look for fossils. Perfect for a hike and a cookout, this state park offers six trails through the woods and wetlands. The 1.8-mile Red Trail, which goes over the fossil-rich cliffs (bring a bucket for your finds) and down to the beach is feasible even for families with little ones—it’s about an hour each way. Outside of the park, Indian Head Rail Trail also offers hikers and bicyclists up-close views of deer, osprey, turtles, and other wildlife in the woods surrounding this relatively flat trail, which runs more than 10 miles from White Plains to Indian Head. More natural beauty can be found at Battle Creek Cypress Swamp as you stroll beneath massive cypress trees and through beautiful marshland on this park’s well-maintained boardwalk. Look for owls, hawks, a large albino snapping turtle, and other wildlife. In addition to the cypress trees themselves, the sanctuary protects several endangered species of songbirds, frogs, and wildflowers. The water also reveals secrets at Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary, designated in 2019. This marine sanctuary just 30 miles south of Washington, D.C. is famous for its Ghost Fleet—more than 100 steamships from WWI—as well as wrecks from Revolutionary War times through the 1900s. The wrecks are largely submerged during high tide but emerge when the waters ebb. Mallows Bay @nicolereneepost 94 / VISITMARYLAND.ORG
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2022 Maryland Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 94
