THE PARKS...
Downs Memorial Park
Phone - (410) 222-6230
Website - http://www.aacounty.org/RecParks/parks/downs_park/index.cfm
Admission Fee - Yes, closed Tuesdays
Directions - Pasadena, Anne Arundel County; take Pinehurst Road off Mountain Road (MD 177).
The Park
In the early days of English settlement Bodkin Neck was the property of land speculators. It came under cultivation in 1828 when Henry Dunbar purchased most of the peninsula. The land that would become Downs Park was lumbered until the mid-1800s and eventually cultivated to grow vegetables on Deer Park Farm. In 1913 the property was purchased by H.R. Mayo Thom who converted his now Rocky Beach Farm - named for the red sandstone thrusting out of the sandy beach - into a gentleman’s summer estate.
The Walks
A paved perimeter trail loops 3.6 miles around the Downs Park property. Most of the twisting route is easy hiking through woodlands of oak and maple and holly and gum. There are another three miles of unpaved trails through the Natural Area, including an eco-trail with interpretive sites. Many of these natural paths are old farm roads - wide and soft under paw.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Macadam and sandy dirt
Workout For Your Dog - Level going throughout
Swimming - Behind the North Overlook is an isolated, scruffy 40-yard stretch of sand known as Dog Beach just for canine aquatics; there is excellent wave action from the Chesapeake Bay and enough sand for digging.
Restrictions On Dogs - Downs Park is one of the most dog-friendly parks in Maryland; a dog drinking bowl is chained to a water fountain and there is a “pet parking” stall outside the Information Center - dogs are not allowed to walk through the formal Mother’s Garden
Something Extra
At the South Overlook is an osprey nesting platform to observe the activities of the fish-hunting hawk. Although preferring a flat-topped tree, ospreys will happily choose man-made structures such as these for homes. Out on the water, an osprey will hover above the surface looking for a fish before striking with talons extended. An adult bird will succeed one time in four with this maneuver. There is also an aviary and raptor pen for up-close viewing of these striking carniverous birds.
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Phone - (410) 639-7056
Website - http://www.fws.gov/northeast/easternneck/
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Rock Hall, Kent County; from Route 301 take Route 213 North towards Chestertown. In Chestertown, turn onto MD 291 (also marked “to Rt. 20”). At the T-intersection, turn right onto MD 20 South towards Rock Hall. After 12 miles, at the blinking red light in Rock Hall, turn left onto MD 445 and continue six miles to the refuge entrance bridge.
The Park
European settlers arrived in the mid-1600s when Colonel Joseph Wickes and his partner, Thomas Hynson, were granted tracts until they owned all of Eastern Neck Island. The Hynson heirs gradually sold all their holdings to the Wickes descendents by 1902. In 1950 land here was sold to a developer who began planning a housing subdivision. Alarmed citizens appealed to the federal government and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the entire island between 1962 and 1967 to preserve its valuable wildlife habitat. The present refuge office is the only house ever built in the “Cape Chester” subdivision.
The Walks
There are several miles of quiet park roads that lead to different points on the island but you will want to concentrate on the short footpaths through the refuge. The shortest - but maybe not the quickest if you dally to admire the views - is the Bayview-Butterfly Trail that takes in expansive vistas on the Chesapeake Bay, a wooded pond and a restored grassland in less than one-half mile. The Duck Inn Trail and Boxes Point Trail are out-and-back affairs that cover over a mile round-trip. The going is easy for your dog on wide, natural surfaces alternating between open fields and open forests. The trails lead to the wide Chester River with secluded sandy beaches and frisky waves that will excite any water-loving dog.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt, sand, boardwalk
Workout For Your Dog - Level going throughout
Swimming - The open waters of the Chester River are accessed from the trails or at the boatramp at Bogles Wharf Landing
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The 1.2-mile Wildlife Loop is devoted to the habitat of the rare Delmarva fox squirrel, found only on the peninsula. The largest of the handful of local tree squirrels, the reclusive creature is hard to spot even though it grows over two feet long. Look for a flash of white belly and large bushy tail with black edge stripes in tree cavities or scampering along the ground.
Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge
Phone - (757) 331-2760
Website - http://www.fws.gov/northeast/easternshore/
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Cape Charles, Northampton County; on the east side of Route 13 directly north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
The Park
The Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, located at the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, was established in 1984 for migratory and endangered species management and for wildlife oriented recreation. The 1153 acres of maritime forest, myrtle and bayberry thickets, grasslands, croplands, and fresh and brackish ponds provide important habitat for wildlife.
The Walks
Canine hiking in the refuge takes place on a pair of wide, grassy trails and lightly traveled park roads providing a pleasing mix of open air hiking and woodsy walking. The 1/2-mile Interpretive Trail loops through mixed hardwoods, past an old cemetery, and out to the saltmarsh overlook. A 1/2-mile Butterfly Trail winds through a field of flowers, brambles, grasses and shrubs.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Sandy dirt roads and grass
Workout For Your Dog - Flat and easy
Swimming - None
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
A climb to the top of a WWII bunker affords a panoramic view of refuge marshes, barrier islands, bays, inlets, and the Atlantic Ocean.
Elk Neck State Park
Phone - (410) 287-5333
Website - http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/elkneck.html
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Northeast, Cecil County; from I-95 exit onto Route 272 (North East Road)and go south 2.4 miles to Route 7 (East Cecil Avenue). Cross State Route 7, stay on Route 272 and go 11 miles to the end of the road and the park.
The Park
At Turkey Point the Northeast and Elk rivers have pinched a finger of land in the Upper Chesapeake Bay so violently that it swells to more than 100 feet above the water. The result is Elk Neck State Park, a vibrant mix of sandy beaches, marshlands and hardwood forests.
The Walks
There are five main trails at Elk Neck State Park. None is longer than two miles and all can be covered in a leisurely afternoon of canine hiking. The White Trail through the Thackery Swamp is a self-guiding nature trail. The Black Trail skirts the shoreline of the Elk River and the waters of the Chesapeake Bay can be reached from the Blue Trail at Turkey Point. You start your explorations on an old access road high above the waters that soon turns towards the Old Turkey Point Lighthouse. The various footpaths radiate off the main trail across the peninsula.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt roads and woods paths
Workout For Your Dog - Gradual climbs to Turkey Point
Swimming - Spirited dog swimming on small sandy beaches on the Chesapeake Bay
Restrictions On Dogs - No dogs on the North East Beach
Something Extra
A lighthouse was authorized by Congress in 1831 and two years later a tower and keeper’s quarters was situated on a 100-foot bluff where the North East and Elk Rivers converge. Originally, the 35-foot tower had a panel of red glass to warn ships they were approaching the shallows. The beacon was visible for 13 miles and was the highest of 74 lighthouses on the Chesapeake Bay. The keeper’s quarters are gone but the tower and spectacular views remain atop the grassy bluffs.
Fair Hill NRMA
Phone - (410) 398-1246
Website - http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/fairhill.html
Admission Fee - Yes, parking fee
Directions - Rising Sun, Cecil County; take Exit 100 off I-95 on MD 272 North. Turn right on MD 273 and follow to the intersection of MD 273 and MD 213. Turn right to the office.
The Park
William du Pont Jr., great grand-son of the founder of the chemical giant, built a sporting empire in Delaware that spilled over the state line into Fair Hill. He operated Foxcather Farms, stabling five Kentucky Derby starters over the years. His horse farm at Fair Hill covered more than 5,000 acres and was one of the largest private land holdings in the East. Fair Hill was purchased by the State of Maryland in 1975 and the equestrian trappings of the farm have survived intact, including an active steeplechase course and stable that was home to 2006 Kentucky Derby champion Barbaro.
The Walks
This is the Godzilla of area hiking. Traversing its 5,613 acres are over 75 miles of natural, multi-use trails. Many go through rolling hayfields as befits its stature as a leading equine training center. Most of the trails in Maryland are heavily forested and if you like the feel of sunshine on your face and long hikes across open fields Fair Hill is the place to bring your dog. The trails through the fields are typically doubletrack (old dirt vehicle roads). Singletrack trails dominate in the forested areas. The stiffest climbs are in the vicinity of the Big Elk Creek but most of the trails are like walking a steeplechase course. Fair Hill is also a good place to spot house ruins along the trail.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Old dirt farm roads mostly
Workout For Your Dog - Long hikes on rolling terrain
Swimming - If your dog loves a good swim pick a trail near the Big Elk Creek
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The Big Elk Creek surges through the property and is spanned by many trail bridges, including one of Maryland’s five remaining covered bridges. The Big Elk Creek Covered Bridge was built in 1860 at a cost of $1,165.00. When it was reconstructed in 1992 after sustaining extensive damage from heavy trucks, the tab was $152,000.
First Landing State Park
Phone - (757) 412-2300
Website - www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_ parks/fir.shtml
Admission Fee - Vehicle entrance fee
Directions - Virginia Beach; From I-64, take Northampton Boulevard/U.S. 13 North (Exit 282). Go through 8 lights, then turn right at the Shore Drive/U.S. 60 Exit (last exit before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel). Take a right on Shore Drive and go 4.5 miles to the park entrance. For the Trail Center and trails, turn right.
The Park
In 1873 a U.S. Weather Bureau Observation Center was established at Cape Henry and the next year a U.S. Life Saving Station was built. A small community grew up around the stations and it seemed like the area was about to boom. A group of Norfolk investors formed the Cape Henry Syndicate to encourage development but the popularity of Virginia Beach down the road never materialized. In 1933 the Syndicate sold 2,000 acres to the Commonwealth of Virginia for $157,000. Federal Civilian Conservation Corps workers arrived and built Seashore State Park, one of Virginia’s original six state parks. The park’s name was changed in 1997 to First Landing State Park as an homage to the first place where members of the Virginia Company landed in 1607.
The Walks
The trail system at First Landing State Park, designated as part of the National Recreation Trail System, features 19 miles of dog-friendly hiking. The marquee walk is the Bald Cypress Trail that circles a cypress swamp for 1.5 miles, much of the way on elevated boardwalks. Airborne Spanish moss drapes many of the ancient giants. In 1965 the park’s natural area was included in the National Register of Natural Landmarks because of its distinction as the northernmost location on the East Coast where subtropical and temperate plants grow and thrive together, darkening the trails with their richness. Looping off the red-blazed Bald Cypress Trail is the 3.1-mile blue Osmanthus Trail, named for the American olive tree that grows abundantly on the fringes of the dark lagoon along the trail. Another worthwhile detour from the Bald Cypress Trail is the quarter-mile High Dune Trail that uses wooden sleeper-steps to ascend a steep, wooded dune. It is easy walking on these packed sand and soft dirt trails that are further cushioned to the paw by pine straw from majestic loblolly pines. There are gentle undulations that spice up the flat canine hiking along the 8 hiker-only trails and the 6-mile Cape Henry Multi-Use Trail.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: pine-strewn paths, wooden boardwalks and sandy soil
Workout For Your Dog - Level going throughout save a few tiny dune-mounds
Swimming - It doesn’t get much better than the Chesapeake Bay for canine aquatics
Restrictions On Dogs - Dogs are allowed on the trails and on the beach that stretches along the Chesapeake Bay, except in swimming areas
Something Extra
Just off-shore are views of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, one of the seven modern engineering marvels of the world. Each span of the 17.6-mile crossing utilizes more than 2,500 concrete piles to support the trestles. Construction of the bridge-tunnel complex required undertaking a project of more than 12 miles of low-level trestles, two 1-mile tunnels, two bridges, almost 2 miles of causeway, four man-made islands and 5-1/2 miles ofapproach roads, totaling 23 miles.
Flag Ponds Nature Park
Phone - (410) 586-1477
Website - http://www.calvertparks.org/flagpond.htm
Admission Fee - Yes, per vehicle
Directions - Lusby, Calvert County; ten miles south of Prince Frederick on MD 4, turn left at sign.
The Park
Flag Ponds Nature Park is one of three public beaches on the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County. Visitors frequently find ancient fossils deposited from the Calvert Cliffs. The park maintains season hours and doesn’t open until 9:00 a.m. in season.
The Walks
Most visitors to this small Chesapeake Bay park will jump on the main half-mile trail to the sandy beach but canine hikers know better. The North Ridge Trail will lead to two freshwater woodland ponds in the course of a mile or so. The North Loop provides another half-mile of quiet canine hiking. As you go keep an eye out for the abundant Blue Flag Iris wildflower that gives the park its name.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Wooded dirt trails
Workout For Your Dog - Yes, working the elevation drop down to the bay
Swimming - Just try keeping your water-loving pooch out of the Chesapeake Bay
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
When you finally decide to head down to the beach with your dog you will pass the relics of a major “pound net” fishery that operated here until 1955. One shanty that housed fishermen in season has survived to house an interpretive exhibit of the Bay’s historic fishing industry.
Fort Howard Park
Phone - (410) 887-7529
Website - None
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Baltimore City; follow North Point Road through Fort Howard to its end at the VA Hospital and make a left into the park.
The Park
The British selected North Point, now part of Fort Howard Park and the southernmost point in Baltimore County, as the landing site for a 6-ship invasion force on September 12, 1814. In the pre-dawn hours 4700 British marines disembarked here to begin a 17-mile march on Baltimore. Later that day the Americans engaged the force in the Battle of North Point, slowing the invaders and triggering a demoralizing chain of events for the British that hastened the end of the War of 1812. The army returned to North Point in 1899 to build Fort Howard as the headquarters for the coastal defense of Baltimore. The fort was named for John Edgar Howard of the Maryland Continental Army who received one of only 14 medals awarded during the American Revolution for his heroism at the Battle of Cowpens. In subsequent years the fort was an infantry training center (under General Douglas MacArthur for a time) through the Vietnam War, when a mock Vietnamese village was constructed here. The base was turned over to Baltimore County for use as a park in 1973.
The Walks
The Endicott Trail is a paved walk through the “Bulldog at Baltimore’s Gate” that enables your dog to ramble through the gun batteries and ammunition magazines and to clamber on top of the earth-covered parapets that are camoflauged from the open water. Although a dummy grenade was found in the picnic area in 1988 it is unlikely your dog will sniff out any old ordnance here. A nature trail – bushwhacking may be required - leads to the marshy extremities of the shady 61-acre park. Another trail follows under a Ropes Course 20 feet up in the trees. Keep four feet on the ground here.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt and concrete
Workout For Your Dog - Not unless you go around a few times
Swimming - The shoreline is mostly broken seawall but there is access to the open water at a small stone beach - beware of broken glass and shells on paws
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Where else can your dog climb into an actual battery and scan the Patapsco River just like gunnery officers who once aimed guns over the water capable of accurately firing 1,000-pound projectiles eight miles?
Grandview Nature Preserve
Phone - None
Website - None
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Hampton; From I-64 take Exit 263B onto Mercury Boulevard North. Take a left on Foxhill Road and a left on Beach Road. Continue on Beach Road for 2.6 miles, and then turn left on State Park Drive. Park along the road and walk to the entrance at the end of State Park Drive.
The Park
Winslow Lewis was a sea captain turned engineer and inventor in the early 19th century. He created a new lighting system based on Argand oil lamps and in 1812 the United States Congress awarded him a contract to equip all American lighthouses with his lamps.Lewis was soon building most of the new lighthouses in the country. He developed standard cookie-cutter plans for brick lighthouses in five sizes. He came here in 1829 to construct a 30-foot tower on Grandview Beach. The Back River Lighthouse, keeper’s quarters and a 144-foot bridge over the marsh all cost less than $5,000.In reality, Winslow Lewis knew little about accepted engineering standards and most of his lighthouses were poorly constructed or too short for their intended purpose. Most had to be replaced but the Back River Light soldiered on, illuminating the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay until it was decommisioned in 1936.The historic lighthouse was left to deteriorate, overlooked by preservationists. In 1956 a hurricane washed it away. All that remains of the Back River Light, once built safely inland, is a jumble of rocks many yards offshore. Back on land, the Commonwealth of Virginia has created a 578-acre preserve at the north end of Hampton.
The Walks
You bring your dog to Grandview to hike on its more than two miles of white sand beach. A short trail through the marsh and dunes curves to the Chesapeake but you can no longer hike on the dunes so the beach is it. And that’s plenty for most dogs.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: beach sand
Workout For Your Dog – a good hike on the beach will be a workout for your dog
Swimming - The gentle surf will beckon even the most timid of dogs into the water..
Restrictions On Dogs - Dogs are not allowed in the Preserve from May 15 to September 15
Something Extra
For most true crime buffs the sensational murder case of the 1930s was the New Jersey kidnap case of Charles Lindbergh’s baby. But Grandview had its share of sensational headlines at that time as well.In September 1931, Elisha Kent Kane III, a university professor from a prominent Pennsylvania family, brought his young wife to Grandview Beach to learn how to swim. Jenny Graham Kane was apparently terrified of the water and the shallow lapping of the Chesapeake Bay seemed benign enough. But something went terribly wrong that day. Kane was soon racing his car through the streets of Hampton with his wife slumped unconscious beside him. When he reached the hospital she was dead.Kane would be tried for his wife’s murder but no one - including the jury - could decide if he was a grief-stricken husband or a cold-blooded killer. After less than four hours of deliberation Elisha Kane was acquitted but even today no one knows the real story of what happened that day at Grandview Beach.
Hughlett PointNatural Area
Phone - None
Website - www.dcr.virginia.gov/natu-ral_heritage/natural_area_pre-serves/hughlett.shtml
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Kilmarnock; Go four miles north of town on US 200. Turn right (east) onto Route 606 and go about 2 miles to Route 605. Turn right (south) on Route 605 and go about 2 miles to the preserve parking area on the left. In 1994 The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation won a $654,000 grant to purchase 210 acres on this remote peninsula and save it from waterside development.
The Park
Jessie Dew Ball grew up in Ball’s Neck and was the first teacher at the Shiloh Road School (still standing at the corner of Routes 605 & 606). One day she met Alfred I duPont, one of the triumverate of cousins who turned a black powder manufacturer into the world’s leading purveyor of chemical products, who was in the neighborhood hunting ducks. Although twenty years her senior, Jessie Ball found she had much in common with the industrialist. The two married and Jessie Ball was to spend much of the rest of her life devoted to philanthropy. She donated to schools and churches in Northumberland County and gave so much to Florida that she and Alfred were named as two of the Most Important Floridians of the 20th Century.
The Walks
You will start your exploration with your dog here on a wide, soft and exceedingly agreeable path through a fragrant loblolly forest. Soon you will pop out on the beach of the Chesapeake Bay where you will be excused for thinking you have just landed on Tom Hanks’ deserted island in Cast Away. Ghost trees and fallen trunks pepper the enchanted shore -ineffective guardians against the relentless Chesapeake wave action. Follow the wide, sandy woods road as it sails away to your right until you reach the beach. The beach stretches in both directions before you. Although it may not seem obvious, you can close your loop by walking across the exposed beach to your left. Of course, in times of periodic high tide you will have to retrace your steps - no part of the preserve exceeds 10 feet in elevation. Your dog can also access an observation tower at the edge of the marsh.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: woods and beach
Workout For Your Dog - Level going throughout
Swimming - Absolutely, from the beaches of the Chesapeake Bay.
Restrictions On Dogs - Dogs are permitted in the preserve
Something Extra
The beach at Hughlett Point is habitat for the rare northeastern beach tiger beetle. This large-jawed predator once could be found from Massachusetts to Virginia but now lives at only two sites outside of the Chesapeake Bay. The tiger beetle still calls 50 sites around the bay home, including here. Look for the beetles in mid-summer, leaving their sandy burrows to make short flights over the beach, almost appearing to hop or scamper across the sand in pursuit of that next meal. The tiger beetle is a little less than one inch long with a bronze-green head and those imposing jaws.
Kiptopeke State Park
Phone - (757) 331-2267
Website - http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/kiptopek.htm
Admission Fee - Yes
Directions - Cape Charles, Northampton County; on the eastern shore of Virginia, Kiptopeke is three miles from the northern terminus of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, on Route 13. Turn west on Route 704; the park entrance is within a half mile.
The Park
The site was purchased by the Virginia Ferry Corporation for the northern terminus of the Virginia Beach to Eastern Shore Ferry. In 1949, when the terminus was moved from Cape Charles, the site was named Kiptopeke Beach in honor of the younger brother of a king of the Accawmack Indians who had befriended early settlers to the area. Kiptopeke means Big Water. In 1950 the terminus opened after the completion of a $2.75 million pier, promoted as the world’s largest and most modern ferry pier.
The Walks
More than four miles of fun trails for your dog traverse this bayside park. The Baywoods Trail slips through an uplands hardwood forest on wide, old roads and connects with expansive, sandy beaches via an extensive network of wooden boardwalks through the dunes. The southern beach is perfect for a hike but observe signs designating the special habitat area that is closed to visitors. Bicycle trails are available along the park’s entrance road and the Raptor, Songbird, Chickadee and Mockingbird trails.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Soft dirt roads, sand, asphalt and boards
Workout For Your Dog - Stairs take care of the bluffs
Swimming - Fantastic swimming in the Chesapeake Bay for dogs
Restrictions On Dogs - No dogs in the north beach swimming area; dogs are allowed in the campground but not in the yurts
Something Extra
Since 1963, Kiptopeke has been the site of bird population studies. Sponsored by the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory, formerly known as KESTRSAL, and licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, volunteers capture, examine, weigh, band and release resident and migratory birds each year from mid-August through November. In the raptor research area, hawks, kestrels, osprey and other birds of prey are observed and banded from September through November. Kiptopeke’s hawk observatory is among the top 15 nationwide.
Mason Neck State Park
Phone - (703) 339-2380
Website - http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks//masonnec.htm
Admission Fee - Yes
Directions - Lorton, Fairfax County; from I-95 exit on Route 642 East. Turn right on Route 1 (Richmond Highway) and left on Route 242 (Gunston Road). Continue on Route 600 past Gunston Plantation, making a right onto High Point Road at the sign for Mason Neck State Park/National Refuge and follow to park.
The Park
In the 1960s, after it was determined that the widespread use of the pesticide DDT was decimating bald eagle populations by weakening their eggshells, a nesting pair was spotted on Mason Neck. The Mason Neck Conservation Committee was formed to protect the area. A plan for a state park was hatched and the Commonwealth began purchasing land on the peninsula in 1967. The group’s mettle was tested immediately as they helped rebuff a steady parade of proposed development projects: a beltway, an airport, pipelines, a landfill. The long-dreamed-of state park finally opened for public use in 1985.
The Walks
There are a half-dozen canine hiking options in Mason Neck State Park, the stars being three loop trails of about one mile in length. All run easily through an attractive oak/holly forest on paw-friendly soft dirt and are pretty enough you will want to complete them all. You can actually use the Wilson Spring Trail, marked in yellow, to access them all with a bit of backtracking. The red-blazed Bay View Trail skips across two inlets from Belmont Bay and offers splendid open-water vistas and close-up looks at the marsh with its turtles and frogs. Mason Neck is a delight for your dog in any season but you may want to remember the wintertime for yourself when the leaves drop from the trees to allow easier sights of eagles diving for
fish in the bay.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Mostly dirt
Workout For Your Dog - Mostly flat canine hiking here
Swimming - It doesn’t get any better for dogs than on the beach at the Belmont Bay off the Bay View Trail
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
If you take the 1.25-mile Eagle Spur Trail to the end you will reach an observation blind on Kane’s Creek where you can sit with your dog and observe many of the more than 200 species of birds that visit Mason’s Neck, including bald eagles throughout the year. Census counts of America’s national symbol have ranged between 30 and 40 nesting pairs in recent years.
Matapeake Park
Phone - None
Website - None
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Stevensville, Queen Anne’s County; from US 50/301 exit to South MD 8 and turn right on Marine Academy Drive to park on the right.
The Park
This is a small Queen Anne’s County Park on the Chesapeake Bay used mostly by fishermen to get out onto the water.
The Walks
The canine hiking highlight here is a pleasant one-mile wood-chip trail through a pine forest but the reason to come here is a stretch of sandy beach where your dog is welcome off-leash. The beach is a bit too industrial for sunbathers which makes it the perfect place for dogs to romp. Matapeake Park is just south of the Bay Bridge with splendid views of the bay and bridge.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Wood chips and soft dirt
Workout For Your Dog - Only tired from swimming
Swimming - One of the best places you can take your dog in Maryland
Restrictions On Dogs - No dogs in the fishing pier area of the park
Something Extra
The views of the Bay Bridge are among the best going.
North Point State Park
Phone - (410) 329-0757
Website - http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/northpoint.html
Admission Fee - Yes
Directions - Edgemere, Baltimore County; from I-695 east of Baltimore, take Exit 40 to Route 151 south; from the west, use Exit 43. Follow signs to Fort Howard on North Point Road (MD 20). The park entrance is on the left, 1/2 mile from Miller Island Road.
The Park
Notoriety came to the North Point area during the War of 1812 when local Free Staters engaged British invaders. Happier times arrived a century later with the establishment of a small amusment park known as Bay Shore Park. Bethlehem Steel purchased the land in the 1940s and tore down the park to establish a private hunting preserve for its executives. The public was invited back in 1989 after the State of Maryland acquired the property for conversion into a 1310-acre park with more than 6 miles of shoreline along the Chesapeake Bay, Back River and Shallow Creek.
The Walks
More than half the park consists of the Black Marsh Wildlands, considered to be one of the finest examples of a tidal marsh on the Upper Chesapeake. Unfortunately your dog will not see this unique landscape - dogs are not permitted in the Wildlands. You can hike around the short Wetlands Trail Loop which is a hard-packed dirt path. Also available is a hike/bike trail that skirts some of the fields at the park. The stone surface is not paw-friendly but does have wide grass shoulders. The old trolley line has been paved over in spots to form a nature trail. All the walking at North Point is flat and easy.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Mostly macadam
Workout For Your Dog - All canine hiking is flat and easy
Swimming - A small wading beach at the Visitor Center was opened in 1999 and dogs are welcome to dive in
Restrictions On Dogs - Dogs are not allowed in the wilderness area
Something Extra
Although only 20 acres, Bay Shore Park was considered one of the finest amusement parks ever built along the Chesapeake Bay. Opened in 1906, the park featured an Edwardian-style dance hall, bowling alley and restaurant set in among gardens and curving pathways. Most of the park was torn down after its closure in 1947 but you and the dog can explore the remains of a turn-of-the century amusement park including the wood-framed trolley station and the restored ornamental fountain. Complete your tour with a hike down the old Bayshore Pier that juts almost a quarter-mile into the wind-swept Bay - a diving board once operated where benches rest today.
Point Lookout State Park
Phone - (301) 872-5688
Website - http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/pointlookout.html
Admission Fee - Yes
Directions - Scotland, St. Mary’s County; take MD 5 all the way down the peninsula to the park.
The Park
Captain John Smith explored Point Lookout, a peninsula formed by the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River, in 1612. The government built a lighthouse here in 1830 and William Cost Johnson bought most of the land on the peninsula in 1857 to develop as a resort. The Civil War upset those plans and a hospital for Union soldiers was built here and in 1863, after the Battle of Gettysburg, Confederate prisoners were sent to the remote spit of land.
The Walks
Dogs are restricted at Point Lookout - they are not allowed beyond the causeway where the Civil War fort was located. But dogs can stay in the campground and there are loops you can share with your dog. You wouldn’t want to drive all the way down to Point Lookout for it but if you are nearby there is a superb sandy dog beach north of the causeway. The Chesapeake Bay waves are frisky enough to delight any water-loving dog.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Natural surface footpaths
Workout For Your Dog - Easy going through the woods
Swimming - One of the best places for your dog to swim
Restrictions On Dogs - Pets are allowed in all areas of Malone Circle, Tulip Loop, Green’s Point Loop, Hoffman’s Loop, and on the paved portion of the causeway and on the beach (north of the causeway) to the entrance of Tanner’s Creek. They are NOT permitted in any other day use area or trail, including the beach or picnic area.
Something Extra
Thanks to its history as a Civil War Camp, Point Lookout is rumored to have an active ghost community - pay attention to your dog to alert you to the presence of wandering poltergeists.
Quiet Waters Park
Phone - (410) 222-1777
Website - http://www.aacounty.org/RecParks/parks/quiet_waters_ park/
Admission Fee - Yes, closed Tuesdays
Directions - Annapolis, Anne Arundel County; on Quiet Waters Park Drive off Forest Drive in the southern part of the city.
The Park
Traces of human habitation dating back 5000 years have been found along Harness Creek. The water’s name descends from Englishman William Harness who claimed a tract of land here in 1652. For the next three centuries the original land was divided and sold into various estates until 1976 when the entire property was deeded to Mary Parker by the Simplicity Land Company. In 1987 Anne Arundel County purchased 336 acres of woodland on the banks of the South River and Harness Creek to create Quiet Waters Park, which opened in 1990.
The Walks
The dominant trail at Quiet Waters is an eliptical multi-use path that circles the many cultural and recreational amenities of the park from end to end. The east side of the path traverses grassy fields and wetlands while the west side is a curving exploration of the woodlands. There are so many contours that even on a crowded day you can find a bit of solitude on the trail. Several loops lead off the main 4-mile trail to views of the water. The walking is fairly easy and level throughout. You may be tempted to step away from the wheeled traffic on this bike path and head down narrow dirt paths that radiate off the asphalt but do so only with an explorer’s heart. The unmarked trails in the woods may or may not lead back to the main trail and may take you right off park property. Some of these natural trails roll up and down hills overlooking Harness Creek.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Paved paths and natural ones
Workout For Your Dog - Easy rolling for your dog here
Swimming - Through the trees behind the dog park is a secluded stretch of South River beach just for swimming dogs; the waves are gentle enough to entice even the wariest dog into the water
Restrictions On Dogs - None; Anne Arundel County’s first dog park is here
Something Extra
The natural beauty of elegant Quiet Waters Park is augmented by the outdoor sculptures that grace the grounds. Sculptures are chosen by jury from national and international artists working with a variety of material and installed on a rotating basis.
Susquehanna State Park
Phone - (410) 557-7994
Website - http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/
susquehanna.html
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Havre de Grace, Harford; take I-95 to MD 155, Exit 89. Go west on MD 155 to MD 161. Turn right and right again on Rock Run Road to the park.
The Park
The first European to set eyes on the Susquehanna River was English explorer John Smith. He was suitably impressed. “Heaven and earth seemed never to have agreed better to frame a place for man’s commodious and delightful habitation,” he wrote. While sailing in this area, Smith met the native Susquehannocks, who gave the river, the longest of any waterway on the East Coast, its name. Industry came early to the area - the Lapidium community in the park traces its beginnings to 1683 and the park’s restored Rock Run Grist Mill dates to 1794. The water-powered mill grinds corn into meal on summer weekends. Today Susquehanna State Park, opened in 1965, encompasses 2,500 inviting acres.
The Walks
Susquehanna State Park is a winning combination of history, scenery and wildlife. Among its 15 miles of trails the park features several loop trails in the hills above the Susquehanna River Valley. Most are around two miles in distance. If using the green-blazed Deer Creek Trail be on the look-out for a magnificent spreading white oak in the middle of the walk. Be aware that there are few streams on the slopes to refresh your dog on a hot day. The Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenways Trail, which connects the park at Deer Creek with the Conowingo Dam is as pleasant a hike as you can take with your dog. Tracing the route of the 160-year old Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal towpath, the wide dirt path stretches 2.2 shaded miles along the water.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Wooded dirt paths
Workout For Your Dog - Short and challenging trails
Swimming - The rock-strewn Susquehanna is full of clear pools for your dog to paddle around in with many points of access from the trail
Restrictions On Dogs - No dogs in Deer Creek Picnic
Something Extra
The chance to see bald eagles, especially in the winter. The great piscavorious birds favor massive nests in the 100-foot treetops along the banks of the Susquehanna River from which they dive and pluck stunned and splattered fish from the spillways beneath the Conowingo Dam, America’s longest concrete-slab dam.
Terrapin Nature Park
Phone - (410) 758-0835
Website - None
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Stevensville, Queen Annes County; from I-83 take Exit 20B west on Shawan Road. After one mile make a left on Beaver Dam Road and immediately take right fork into the park.
The Park
The Terrapin Nature Park occupies almost one mile of Chesapeake Bay shoreline from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge northward. With its open dunesland, tidal ponds and oyster-shell paths this 276-acre park manages to exude a certain beach feel despite being hemmed in by its industrial neighbors. The park is also the western terminus for the six-mile Cross Island Trail Park that spans Kent Island to the Kent Narrows.
The Walks
The stacked-loop trail system pushes through a combination of light woods and meadows towards the 4,000 feet of shoreline. The trail is sometimes gravel, sometimes oyster chaff and sometimes soft sand. There is a grassy shoulder if your dog finds the oyster shells uncomfortable under paw. The paths twist for slightly over three miles and the going is easy over the flat terrain. Along the way are blinds to observe visiting waterfowl in the wetlands an an interpretive gazebo on the beach to gaze out on the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay. If you are not looking for a complete crossing of Kent Island a good choice on the Cross Island Trail is old Love Point Park, a little more than one mile away. If you have a car shuttle there are several parking lots, including one at the Chesapeake Exploration Center that makes for a comfortable five-mile canine hike.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Oyster shells, grass, dirt, asphalt
Workout For Your Dog - Level terrain throughout
Swimming - If your dog shies away from the waves in the Chesapeake there is a cement barrier that creates a calm-water pool
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Some of the best views of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge anywhere can be found at Terrapin Nature Park. The world’s largest continuous over-water steel structure was completed in 1952. Each year more than twenty million vehicles make the 4.35-mile crossing.
Truxtun Park
Phone - None
Website - None
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Annapolis, Anne Arundel County; between Spa Road and Bay Ridge Avenue. The main entrance is on Primrose Road off Hilltop Lane.
The Park
Truxtun Park remembers Thomas Truxtun, a privateer in the American Revolution who impressed George Washington enough to be brought into the new United States Navy. Truxtun, the 8th recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal, outfitted the U.S.S. Constellation and was the earliest known user of signal flags aboard ship in the American navy. Looking down on Spa Creek, Truxtun Park is the Maryland state capital’s largest park, covering 70 acres.
The Walks
At Truxtun Park you’ll be trading the sculptures, manicured grounds and forced walkways of nearby Quiet Waters Park for rusting hulks of abandoned autos and free-flowing, hard-packed dirt trails – which suits most dog owners just fine. The trails roll over two large wooded hills separated by a ravine. In the recreational part of the park the Annapolis Striders have constructed a crushed stone path with built-in steps to navigate the slopes and help arrest erosion. Natural trails, including one route on the ridge above Spa Creek, cross the more isolated back section of the park. An extended canine hiking opportunity here is the Spa Creek Trail. This 1.5-mile route leaves Truxtun on a wooden bridge through high reeds and heads towards Spa Creek Conservancy and on to the former Bates High School.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Bare dirt paths
Workout For Your Dog - Lots of small hills
Swimming - In a few spots the trails dip down to the waterline of Spa Creek for deep water canine aquatics
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
What dog doesn’t enjoy the action of a good up-and-down-the-court basketball game? Some of the best outdoor basketball courts in Maryland can be found at Truxtun Park, including permanent bleachers to stop and watch the games.
Wye Island NRMA
Phone - (410) 827-7577
Website - http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/eastern/wyeisland.html
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Queenstown, Queen Anne’s County; from Route 50 turn south onto Carmichael Road. Travel 5.1 miles on Carmichael Road until you cross the Wye Island Bridge. From the Wye Island Bridge, travel south on Wye Island Road for approximately 4.2 miles. Numerous public parking areas are available along Wye Island Road.
The Park
For more than 300 years Wye Island was privately owned and covered with tobacco and wheat fields. Farms passed in and out of the hands of a succession of interesting owners, including William Paca, third governor of Maryland and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. In the 1770s Charles Beale Bordley left a prosperous law career to devote himself to farming and converting Wye Island into a private fiefdom. Under his stewardship the island became self-sufficient with its own vineyards, orchards, textile mills, brick foundry and brewery. Over the decades the island fragmented under disparite ownership and in the mid-1970s the State of Maryland purchased the island to ensure its future in a natural state.
The Walks
Wye Island featues about six miles of mostly multi-use trails that explore the tidal recesses betwen the Wye River and the Wye River East. Several of the trails are built around unique destinations. The Holly Trail leads to an American holly tree that was growing here before the Revolution. The Ferry Landing Trail was once the only access road to the island. Now it is a mile-long path that ends at a small, sandy beach. Another similar length canine hike is along the Schoolhouse Woods Nature Trail that rambles through one of the largest old-growth forests on the Eastern Shore. The water trails at
Wye Island are as attractive as the land ones. There are three soft landing sites that enable canoeists with dogs to stop and explore the land trails.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Paw-friendly grass and dirt paths
Workout For Your Dog - Easy, level passages
Swimming - Sure, it is an island after all
Restrictions On Dogs - No dogs at Duck House
Something Extra
Each November Wye Island hosts several field trial championships for sporting dogs. Different breeds are featured each year and some trials crown a national championship. The general public is encouraged to watch or participate in these events.