Explore your Chesapeake - wade into its waters, delve into its human stories, fall in love with its natural beauty. We want to connect you with the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers through its exceptional parks, wildlife refuges, museums, sailing ships, historic communities, trails and more. Below you'll find links to a number of websites that will help you get out and explore the Chesapeake.
Use the tabs below to find great places to visit in the Chesapeake Bay region or search through over 500 public access sites in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and D.C. to find opportunities for boating, fishing, wildlife observation and beach use.
The Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network spans seven states and Washington, D.C., to connect you with the Bay's special places. From parks, refuges and water trails to historic museums and vessels, experience your Chesapeake at a Gateway near you.
Experience the Chesapeake Bay region the way John Smith did 400 years ago on the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, which includes scenic paddling and hiking opportunities along the routes Smith explored in the 1600s.
Visit the websites of the various state tourism offices to learn about their exciting events, places and travel opportunities: Maryland | Virginia | Pennsylvania | Washington, D.C. | West Virginia | Delaware | New York
State parks offer many great opportunities for family and outdoor activities, from playgrounds and picnic areas to hiking, biking and overnight stays. Find a state park: Maryland | Virginia | Pennsylvania | West Virginia | Delaware | New York
From Blackwater to the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Chesapeake region offers some of the most breathtaking and richly historic national parks and wildlife refuges in the country. Plan your visit today: National Parks | National Wildlife Refuges
From colonial times until the advent of modern satellite technology, lighthouses rose to the challenge of guiding vessels through the Chesapeake Bay's channels and byways. Visit one of the Bay's guiding lights today.
The Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network has something for everyone - from special parks and museums to historic communities, land and water trails. Each month, the Network highlights some of its sites that offer you a unique look at life on the Chesapeake. These thematic lists can help you explore the Network and experience your Chesapeake.
Exploring Water Trails - Celebrate National Rivers Month with the Chesapeake. Explore the Bay and its tributaries on the water as you boat or paddle by kayak or canoe along Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network water trails. These trails offer you a glimpse at the startling beauty of the Bay and its watershed, a peek at the vast wildlife and natural areas that make up the heart of the Chesapeake, and an appreciation for the diversity of the Bay and its great rivers.
Paddle along this 38-mile New York water trail and enjoy the Chesapeake Bay's northernmost watershed areas. Experience this major Susquehanna River tributary and travel the same route that early 19th century settlers used for transporting goods down stream to Maryland.
Kayak these five interconnected water trails that stretch across 90 miles of natural habitat. With three tidal rivers and 50 navigable creeks with dozen of access sites, you can experience an array of historical and natural sights, including the third oldest lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay, a tide mill, steamship wharves, quaint fishing villages, and birds galore.
Alexandria, Mount Vernon, George Washington's birthplace, Point Lookout, and Robert E. Lee's family home are just a few of the sites to enjoy while canoeing the Potomac River Water Trail. With an almost 100-mile route to explore Maryland and Virginia shorelines from Washington, DC to the Chesapeake, you can observe historic landmarks, as well as natural areas and wildlife.
Paddle down the 38-mile Rivanna River Water Trail in your canoe or kayak and explore the land that Thomas Jefferson once roamed. Visit the various sites along the river trail with which Thomas Jefferson was once associated.
For 228 miles along the West Branch of the Susquehanna, you can explore Pennsylvania's wild lands, scenic beauty and history by water. Paddlers can experience first-hand this region, known as the Lumber Heritage region, where Pennsylvania's virgin timber was harvested throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The York Water Trail follows the tidal York, Mattaponi, and Pamunkey rivers for approximately 120 miles to the confluence with the Chesapeake Bay. Paddlers can visit a host of Gateways along this trail and explore the natural estuaries and historic sites dating to the 1600s.
MarylandBeautiful.com is the #1 online Maryland Tourism Guide to Maryland vacation attractions and events located in Maryland.
B&O Railroad Museum – Baltimore and Ellicott City, and Mount Clare, Maryland If you are a fan of the B&O, or any railroad for that matter, you will want to visit the B&O Railroad Museum. The museum is the oldest, most comprehensive American railroad collection in the world. In 1829 businessmen, surveyors, and engineers set... [Continue Reading]
B&O Railroad Museum – Baltimore and Ellicott City, and Mount Clare, Maryland is a post from: Maryland Tourism
Have you always been interested in codemakers and codebreakers? Here is a chance to get to know the story behind the closed doors of the world of Cryptology. The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) is home to America’s codemakers and codebreakers. The National Security Agency has provided timely information to U.S. decision makers and... [Continue Reading]
National Cryptologic Museum – Fort Meade, Maryland is a post from: Maryland Tourism
Baltimore Inner Harbor – Baltimore, Maryland Take a run down area of town which was a port area populated by dockworkers, sailors and other types that probably wouldn’t be the type you would want to hang out with and turn it into one of the areas most attractive tourist areas and you have the history... [Continue Reading]
Baltimore Inner Harbor – Baltimore, Maryland is a post from: Maryland Tourism
GoatMan Hollow helps raise money for the Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department. GoatMan Hollow has always set out to make the community better through entertaining the public. GoatMan Hollow is comprised of an all volunteer staff from surrounding communities through out Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. Started in Hyattsville Maryland, GoatMan Hollow has operated in Riverdale Park and is now located in College Park Maryland in the old 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant located at: 5240 Paintbranch Parkway, College Park Maryland 20740. GoatMan Hollow will be open Friday and Saturday Nights in October starting October 01, 2011. GoatMan Hollow's website can be found through a google search using keywords "GoatMan Hollow".
GoatManHollow Theatrical Haunted Attraction, College Park Maryland is a post from: Maryland Tourism
Spring Grove Hospital Center – Catonsville, MD The Spring Grove Hospital Center Alumni Museum is located on the campus of Spring Grove Hospital Center on the ground floor for easy access. The museum’s modest collection includes photographs, records and drawings from throughout the hospital’s history, as well as a small library of hospital-related documents,... [Continue Reading]
Spring Grove Hospital Center – Catonsville, MD is a post from: Maryland Tourism
Maryland, like many states have jokes and stories that have been popular and passed on for generations. Some are confusing and you have to did deep to find their historical meaning. The Maryland State Moto is: “Fatti Maschii, Parole Femine” The technical translation means “Manly Deeds, Womanly Words” … say what? I prefer more simple... [Continue Reading]
Maryland Jokes and Nicknames is a post from: Maryland Tourism
Hampton Mansion – Towson, Maryland The Hampton Mansion is a sedate Georgian mansion, elegantly furnished and settled amid gardens and shade trees. And this is true, but the history of the Mansion is what is of interest to those searching for the founding of the area and what it took to make it the estate... [Continue Reading]
Hampton Mansion – Towson, Maryland is a post from: Maryland Tourism
Hot Air Balloon Rides over Maryland's Eastern Shore. Get a Bird's Eye View!
Delmarva Balloon Rides – Eastern Shore, Maryland is a post from: Maryland Tourism
Mother Seton House – Baltimore, Maryland In 1808 Mrs. Elizabeth Seton and her three daughters came to Baltimore from New York City to establish a boarding school for girls. They set up in the three-story, Federal-style house which offered to her for the use by the Sulpician Fathers.. When they arrived at the house Mrs. Seton heard... [Continue Reading]
Mother Seton House – Baltimore, Maryland is a post from: Maryland Tourism
Walters Art Museum – Baltimore, Maryland This museum is only one of a few museums in the world to present a panorama of art from the thrid millennium BV to the early 20th century. There are thousands of treasures that will literally take your breath away with their beauty. You can see mummies, arms and... [Continue Reading]
Walters Art Museum – Baltimore, Maryland is a post from: Maryland Tourism
Virginia.org is the #1 online Virginia Tourism Guide to Maryland vacation attractions and events located in Virginia.
Many people love a beach sunrise, sand between their toes and a refreshing ocean breeze. It’s a beautiful thing, for sure, but have you experienced Virginia’s beaches from the air? Imagine what that looks and feels like. Better yet, find out! Parasailing Parasailing is an activity whereby a person is harnessed to a boat and [...]
Connect the dots down the Shenandoah Valley this summer when you visit all eight Virginia caverns. Each has very unique features and its own story to tell. A constant 50-something-degree temperature makes each cavern a welcome reprieve on a hot summer day. Set your course from north to south along US Route 11 or Interstate 81 to [...]
Centered around one night, June 22, the Great American Backyard Campout can happen anywhere – your own backyard, a neighborhood park or in one of Virginia’s 35 State Parks. Why camp? Virginia State Parks offers, “Camping is an affordable family vacation or weekend getaway experience – a family of four can go camping for less [...]
Do you ever hit the road without a real destination and just make it all up as you go along? My family does. We have a general idea, but no real agenda. If you’re looking to freely travel in the same fashion, I’ve come up with a five summer road trip ideas for just that [...]
The vast majority of Virginia’s waterfalls are products of mountain streams – mountain streams that are carrying a great deal of water after a good, soaking rain. At the time of this writing, the conditions are perfect for lacing up your hiking boots, grabbing your camera and experiencing a waterfall with someone you love. We’ve [...]
Sometimes we need to get away to a place that’s kind of magical. If I were you, I’d go to one of these places on a weekday to have a better chance at solitude. Below are five hidden outdoor gems of Virginia, not that there are only five, but because five seemed like a good number [...]
If you’re looking for a little bit of heritage and nostalgia, as well as a way to be included in something as notable as the 50th anniversary of the longest continually running outdoor drama in Virginia, head to Big Stone Gap this summer. The Trail of the Lonesome Pine is an outdoor drama based on [...]
Virginia is an amazing place for nature lovers. For some, rare birds and shy wildlife are literally right outside their back door. For others, a quick five minute drive to a park offers the reward of the cardinal’s song or playful squirrels scampering about. Ultimately, you have to decide how serious you are about wildlife [...]
First thing first: What is glamping? Glamping is the desire to be in and experience “the outdoors” but not really roughing it with tents, campers and equipment. Indeed, an equipped cabin could be considered glamping, as it’s an upgrade from a tent, but more on tent glamping in a bit. For now, go ahead and [...]
June 1 – 9, 2013 is National Fishing and Boating Week and we have five fun ways you can enjoy the water this week in Virginia. 1. Free Fishing Days - June 7-9 are designated Free Fishing Days in Virginia, where you are welcome to fish without a license in any freshwater or saltwater environments [...]
