Our GreenWays:
The word Chesapeake has a magical quality, conjuring up image after image of glorious adventuring. Riding the wind aboard a sun-kissed sailboat. Reeling in a raucous rockfish. Paddling a calm, winding creek. Pedaling up to a throwback country store. And then, of course, the pelicans.
Wait, the pelicans?
Ah, that’s part of the magic, too. In wandering the Beach to Bay Heritage Area on Maryland’s lower Eastern Shore you’ll find all of the adventures that make the Chesapeake such a famous and cherished travel destination—hiking, sailing, birding, fishing, cycling, paddling, hunting, and more. But you’ll also find fun surprises. Pelicans on the Bay? Orchid-hunting? The spooky remnant of an ancient cypress swamp?
Best of all, this Beach to Bay slice of Chesapeake heaven is set on an easy-to-manage landscape. One moment, you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere—deep in the woods, perhaps, or out in a vast countryside. In the next you’ll be strolling the streets of a small town—browsing boutiques, visiting little museums, and sampling intoxicating flavors at a local brewery, distillery, or eatery.
OK, back to those pelicans. They’re relative newcomers to the Chesapeake Bay, arriving only in the 1980s. But the first bold couple that ventured up to play house in new territory started a bigger migration trend. More than 1,000 pelican pairs now make their homes in rookeries on islands in the middle of the Bay.
A pair of tour operators make pelican trips out of Crisfield, a town that bills itself—with good historical reason—as the “Crab Capital of the World.” After a 40-ish-minute ride through open waters, those boats will swing close to an island shore, putting you very nearly in the midst of a gaggle of squawking, swooping avian wonders. Needless to say: Bring your best camera!
The tours by Delmarva Birding are staffed by birding experts, while Experience Smith Island is operated by a native of the nearby, history-laden island of that name. A third option: The last time my wife and I went pelicaning we contracted with a local waterman. He did some crabbing while we were aboard, too, and even let us pitch in a little.
Birding fun awaits all over the Beach to Bay Heritage Area. Shorebirds skittering on beaches, herons hunting in marshy shallows, songbirds looking for love in dense forests. Did you know the Chesapeake Bay region boasts the largest population of nesting bald eagles east of the Mississippi River? Our county tourism offices can point you to birding hotspots and connect you with guided expeditions.
Wait, the pelicans?
Ah, that’s part of the magic, too. In wandering the Beach to Bay Heritage Area on Maryland’s lower Eastern Shore you’ll find all of the adventures that make the Chesapeake such a famous and cherished travel destination—hiking, sailing, birding, fishing, cycling, paddling, hunting, and more. But you’ll also find fun surprises. Pelicans on the Bay? Orchid-hunting? The spooky remnant of an ancient cypress swamp?
Best of all, this Beach to Bay slice of Chesapeake heaven is set on an easy-to-manage landscape. One moment, you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere—deep in the woods, perhaps, or out in a vast countryside. In the next you’ll be strolling the streets of a small town—browsing boutiques, visiting little museums, and sampling intoxicating flavors at a local brewery, distillery, or eatery.
OK, back to those pelicans. They’re relative newcomers to the Chesapeake Bay, arriving only in the 1980s. But the first bold couple that ventured up to play house in new territory started a bigger migration trend. More than 1,000 pelican pairs now make their homes in rookeries on islands in the middle of the Bay.
A pair of tour operators make pelican trips out of Crisfield, a town that bills itself—with good historical reason—as the “Crab Capital of the World.” After a 40-ish-minute ride through open waters, those boats will swing close to an island shore, putting you very nearly in the midst of a gaggle of squawking, swooping avian wonders. Needless to say: Bring your best camera!
The tours by Delmarva Birding are staffed by birding experts, while Experience Smith Island is operated by a native of the nearby, history-laden island of that name. A third option: The last time my wife and I went pelicaning we contracted with a local waterman. He did some crabbing while we were aboard, too, and even let us pitch in a little.
Birding fun awaits all over the Beach to Bay Heritage Area. Shorebirds skittering on beaches, herons hunting in marshy shallows, songbirds looking for love in dense forests. Did you know the Chesapeake Bay region boasts the largest population of nesting bald eagles east of the Mississippi River? Our county tourism offices can point you to birding hotspots and connect you with guided expeditions.
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Boating adventures abound here as well. Hop on a fishing charter out of Deal Island, Crisfield, or Ocean City. Take the self-guided approach by renting a boat from a local park or marina. When you’re on the Chesapeake and its rivers, you’ll be sailing in the wake of centuries of maritime history. Think Native American canoes big enough for a couple of dozen passengers. Think British explorer John Smith—yes, the guy who claimed that Pocahontas saved his life. Think about the majestic Chesapeake sailing ships of yore—schooners, bugeyes, clippers, and pungies among them. If you get the chance, be sure to exchange friendly waves with our local Chesapeake watermen. They’re harvesting crabs and oysters nowadays just like their ancestors did across many generations.
Even landlubbers will find a share of maritime magic. A pair of small car/bike ferries take short sails across the calm Wicomico River. The one at remote Whitehaven might rank as the country’s oldest continuously operating ferry, as it dates to 1688. While there, consider setting your GPS for nearby Green Hill Church, a stately waterfront affair built in the mind-boggling year of 1733.
More options: Visit the dock in Crisfield when workboats are unloading. Head to the harbor at Deal Island to admire its fleet of old-school sailing skipjacks—those vessels rank among the Chesapeake’s most cherished living traditions. The volunteer docents at the nearby Skipjack Museum are often retired captains or deckhands.
A pair of renowned coastal destinations await on the Atlantic Ocean side of this Beach to Bay landscape. The beach resort of Ocean City, also known as the “White Marlin Capital of the World,” is home to the world’s largest billfish tournament. Among the other denizens of the deep chased by anglers here are tuna, flounder, maco, and striped bass (rockfish). The commercial dock in West Ocean City is another fun place to watch boats unload. Those harvests are headed fresh as can be for local restaurants and seafood markets
Even landlubbers will find a share of maritime magic. A pair of small car/bike ferries take short sails across the calm Wicomico River. The one at remote Whitehaven might rank as the country’s oldest continuously operating ferry, as it dates to 1688. While there, consider setting your GPS for nearby Green Hill Church, a stately waterfront affair built in the mind-boggling year of 1733.
More options: Visit the dock in Crisfield when workboats are unloading. Head to the harbor at Deal Island to admire its fleet of old-school sailing skipjacks—those vessels rank among the Chesapeake’s most cherished living traditions. The volunteer docents at the nearby Skipjack Museum are often retired captains or deckhands.
A pair of renowned coastal destinations await on the Atlantic Ocean side of this Beach to Bay landscape. The beach resort of Ocean City, also known as the “White Marlin Capital of the World,” is home to the world’s largest billfish tournament. Among the other denizens of the deep chased by anglers here are tuna, flounder, maco, and striped bass (rockfish). The commercial dock in West Ocean City is another fun place to watch boats unload. Those harvests are headed fresh as can be for local restaurants and seafood markets
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Work up an appetite for that seafood on nearby Assateague Island. Renowned for its thriving population of wild, diminutive ponies, the island is accessible through both a state park and a national seashore. The beaches are pristine. Hiking trails serve up breathtaking views of inland bays. Paddling and cycling aficionados love the place, too.
Between Beach and Bay is a landscape tailor-made for explorers. Some great hiking trails run through the 18,000-acre Pocomoke River State Park and Forest. This is where you can lose yourself (figuratively speaking!) in that cypress swamp, the last remnant of a dark, dense, and soggy forest that stretched clear up into neighboring Delaware in centuries gone by. Here is the country’s northernmost stand of bald cypress, an oddball tree that sprouts knobby “knees” in the soil around its trunk. Those knees look like children gathered around an elder, eager to hear a story, don’t they?
The swamp does have stories to tell. A traveler in 1809 dubbed it “one of the most frightful labyrinths you can imagine.” It’s been a hiding place over the centuries for everyone from British loyalists and escaped slaves to moonshiners and fugitives from justice.
Rent kayaks at the park if you want to paddle the Pocomoke. The last time my wife and I headed out on that storied waterway, we rented from an outfitter, the Pocomoke River Canoe Company in Snow Hill. They dropped us a few miles upriver, launching us on a spectacular half-day of easy downstream paddling. If memory serves, we saw a grand total of one house until getting back to the edge of town. Janes Island State Park, near Crisfield, is another popular paddling destination.
So many other parks to wander! Follow the trails at E.A. Vaughn Wildlife Management Area near Stockton or Deal Island Wildlife Management Area near Dames Quarter. The Nature Conservancy has a network of trails along Nassawango Creek, above Snow Hill. This is one of the best places around to go orchid hunting in springtime. Nearby is the Furnace Town Historic Site, set on land that in the mid-1800s housed a bustling bog-iron furnace. Wooded trails run along the Wicomico River at Pemberton Park near Salisbury, where you’ll also get to stroll the grounds of a stately 1741 plantation house.
Every fall, more than 6,000 cyclists descend on the Beach to Bay Heritage Area for the annual Sea-Gull Century ride. That’s the weekend to ask about if competitive pedaling is your thing. But tens of thousands of cyclists come this way to revel in more peaceful rides, taking in the timeless scenes that unfold along flat and gentle backroads. The “View Trail 100” is one popular route, but there are plenty of other options. Whether it’s a ride, a hike, a sail, or some other adventure, the tourism offices in the three counties that make up the Beach to Bay Heritage Area will lead you to the Chesapeake magic you’re hoping to find. Chances are, you’ll find some surprises along the way, too. Happy wandering!
Information about the Beach to Bay Heritage Area:
https://www.beachesbayswaterways.org/
Between Beach and Bay is a landscape tailor-made for explorers. Some great hiking trails run through the 18,000-acre Pocomoke River State Park and Forest. This is where you can lose yourself (figuratively speaking!) in that cypress swamp, the last remnant of a dark, dense, and soggy forest that stretched clear up into neighboring Delaware in centuries gone by. Here is the country’s northernmost stand of bald cypress, an oddball tree that sprouts knobby “knees” in the soil around its trunk. Those knees look like children gathered around an elder, eager to hear a story, don’t they?
The swamp does have stories to tell. A traveler in 1809 dubbed it “one of the most frightful labyrinths you can imagine.” It’s been a hiding place over the centuries for everyone from British loyalists and escaped slaves to moonshiners and fugitives from justice.
Rent kayaks at the park if you want to paddle the Pocomoke. The last time my wife and I headed out on that storied waterway, we rented from an outfitter, the Pocomoke River Canoe Company in Snow Hill. They dropped us a few miles upriver, launching us on a spectacular half-day of easy downstream paddling. If memory serves, we saw a grand total of one house until getting back to the edge of town. Janes Island State Park, near Crisfield, is another popular paddling destination.
So many other parks to wander! Follow the trails at E.A. Vaughn Wildlife Management Area near Stockton or Deal Island Wildlife Management Area near Dames Quarter. The Nature Conservancy has a network of trails along Nassawango Creek, above Snow Hill. This is one of the best places around to go orchid hunting in springtime. Nearby is the Furnace Town Historic Site, set on land that in the mid-1800s housed a bustling bog-iron furnace. Wooded trails run along the Wicomico River at Pemberton Park near Salisbury, where you’ll also get to stroll the grounds of a stately 1741 plantation house.
Every fall, more than 6,000 cyclists descend on the Beach to Bay Heritage Area for the annual Sea-Gull Century ride. That’s the weekend to ask about if competitive pedaling is your thing. But tens of thousands of cyclists come this way to revel in more peaceful rides, taking in the timeless scenes that unfold along flat and gentle backroads. The “View Trail 100” is one popular route, but there are plenty of other options. Whether it’s a ride, a hike, a sail, or some other adventure, the tourism offices in the three counties that make up the Beach to Bay Heritage Area will lead you to the Chesapeake magic you’re hoping to find. Chances are, you’ll find some surprises along the way, too. Happy wandering!
Information about the Beach to Bay Heritage Area:
https://www.beachesbayswaterways.org/
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Environmental Issues on the Shore
Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore possesses an extensive variety of environments, including barrier islands, coastal bays, tidal wetlands, cypress swamp, upland fields, and old growth forests. Located in the geographic province known as the "Embayed Coastal Plain," Worcester, Somerset and Wicomico counties link the fragile barrier island system on the east with the Chesapeake Bay and islands on the west. The counties lie within the watersheds of the Wicomico, Manokin, Big Annemessex and Pocomoke rivers. Dominated by wetlands, each of these watersheds contains a diversity of natural, physical and social characteristics. The Maryland Coastal Bays Program is an important organization that works to improve water quality, protect habitat and enhance forests and wetlands.
The Chesapeake Bay itself is recognized internationally as the largest and, historically, the most productive estuary in North America, with a watershed encompassing 64,000 square miles, portions of six states and the Nation's capital, 150 rivers and over 2 million acres of wetlands. A history of "Maryland's Arcadia" by Truitt and Callette described this region as the first English immigrants found it"
The area teemed with fish and furbearers since there were the ocean, the bays and the creeks, bordered by marshes and the deep, gentle Chesapeake tributary, the Pocomoke River, bordered by vast and almost impenetrable swamps in which to grow the ever abundant bald cypress, noted for its durability in building.
Much of this richness exists today. The area contains the nothernmost extent of bald cypress and is home to the largest nesting population of bald eagles east of the Mississippi. Coastal habitat and a temperate climate interact to create the northernmost breeding range of several southern birds. However, the area is most distinctive because of the close association between the ocucupations and ways of life and the resources of the land, water and seasonal cycles.
Archeological evidence indicates the diverse uses many native American groups had for the resources of the area. In more recent times, uses have included agriculture, timbering, commercial and sport fishing, recreational and commercial boating, sand and gravel mining, hunting and tourism. Today, strong relationships still exist between communities and the water, reflected in the evolution of shellfishing and processing, boat building and other industries.
Text is from: Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Plan, The Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Council, Inc. February 2, 1994
Camping on the Lower Eastern Shore
Discover beautiful sandy beaches, quiet tidal creeks, expansive marshes and majestic loblolly pine forests. rom the maritime forests of Janes Island State Park along the shores of the Chesapeake to the saltwater marshes of Assateague Island National Seashore and State Park, camping enthusiasts find accommodations to suit their needs.
In addition to public campsites there are also a number of quality private campgrounds. Campgrounds offer improved sites, electric hookups, showers, swimming, boating, hiking trails and nature programs. Between beach and bay, campers have access to the Pocomoke River State Park, offering campers an inside experience with the mysterious Pocomoke River. One of the deepest rivers for its size in the United States, the Pocomoke also hosts the largest stand of northernmost bald cypress trees. It offers excellent fishing and canoeing opportunities as well. All area campgrounds take reservations and can handle trailers and RVs.
Pocomoke River State Park: Shad Landing (near Snow Hill) and Milburn Landing (near Pocomoke City) offer a number of excellent amenities including tent sites, cabins, trailer hookups, boat rentals, picnic areas, boat ramps, fishing piers, a swimming pool and nature trails.
Camp at Janes Island State Park (near Crisfield), a 3,600 acre state park surrounded by unexcelled boating, fishing and crabbing opportunities. The Hodson Area on the mainland, features campsites and cabins, a marina and boat rentals for campers and pontoon boat service to Janes Island during the summer months. The island itself is accessible only by boat and is entirely undeveloped.
In addition to public campsites there are also a number of quality private campgrounds. Campgrounds offer improved sites, electric hookups, showers, swimming, boating, hiking trails and nature programs. Between beach and bay, campers have access to the Pocomoke River State Park, offering campers an inside experience with the mysterious Pocomoke River. One of the deepest rivers for its size in the United States, the Pocomoke also hosts the largest stand of northernmost bald cypress trees. It offers excellent fishing and canoeing opportunities as well. All area campgrounds take reservations and can handle trailers and RVs.
Pocomoke River State Park: Shad Landing (near Snow Hill) and Milburn Landing (near Pocomoke City) offer a number of excellent amenities including tent sites, cabins, trailer hookups, boat rentals, picnic areas, boat ramps, fishing piers, a swimming pool and nature trails.
Camp at Janes Island State Park (near Crisfield), a 3,600 acre state park surrounded by unexcelled boating, fishing and crabbing opportunities. The Hodson Area on the mainland, features campsites and cabins, a marina and boat rentals for campers and pontoon boat service to Janes Island during the summer months. The island itself is accessible only by boat and is entirely undeveloped.
