TRAVELS:

Lower Eastern Shore Section of the Chesapeake Country Byway from Vienna to Crisfield

Including MD 50, MD 54, MD 349, MD 352, US 13, & MD 413.

(originally published by the State of Maryland)

From Vienna, known for its rich Nanticoke River and Chesapeake Bay legacy, this section of the byway has two travel options. One travels north to Federalsburg, where a scenic creek flows from the Idylwild Wildlife Management Area and winds through town. The other heads east toward the urban center of the region, Salisbury. ​

Salisbury

History and culture mingle here with a pedestrian-friendly shopping plaza, a zoo, minor-league baseball, and the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, featuring the world’s largest and finest collection of decorative and antique decoys. Nearby is the Pemberton Historical Park, which was once home to a thriving 18th-century plantation along the Wicomico River. Tour Pemberton Hall, furnished to reflect the pre-Revolutionary period, and explore trails to view marshlands, waterfowl, cypress trees and historic sites. ​

Whitehaven, Princess Anne, Deal Island

In Whitehaven, a rural village below Salisbury, the historic Whitehaven Ferry runs on the Wicomico River. Then, in Princess Anne, the 200-year-old, neoclassical Teackle Mansion rests among 300 Federal-style and Victorian structures. West of town, the Deal Island Wildlife Management Area is one of the state’s finest places to view ducks and geese, as well as skipjacks, an historic sailing vessel used for dredging oysters.

Pocomoke City

Continue to Pocomoke City and the Delmarva Discovery Museum to explore how people’s lives have been shaped by the water and land. Get up-close with Diamondback Terrapins, Horseshoe Crabs, North American River Otters and more through hands-on exhibits about the Chesapeake’s habitats.

Crisfield

Follow the byway to one of the southernmost spots in Maryland - Crisfield - famous for its local seafood, peaceful water trails and annual Hard Crab Derby. Kayak or canoe among towering loblolly pine forests and tidal marshes with sandy beaches at Janes Island State Park  - a nature lover’s paradise.

Smith Island

Cruises and ferries run from Crisfield to nearby Smith Island Maryland’s only inhabited island accessible only by boat. Here visitors can see the Chesapeake watermen’s life in action at its docks, villages and at the Smith Island Crabmeat Coop. Don’t miss having a piece of Smith Island Cake, Maryland’s official state dessert.