“Swainson’s thrush! Cape May warbler!” I looked up at the lofty treetops and saw … lots of leaves. “Northern parula to the left!” I swung my binoculars wildly in that direction, scanning empty branches as mosquitoes pierced my yoga pants. “Bay-breasted warbler!” came another particularly excited shout (it was a rare find for Maryland, I discovered later), and that time I thought maybe, just maybe, I caught a flash of movement in my peripheral vision.
I’m no dodo when it comes to nature exploration, but this seasoned group of about 20 birders operated at another level entirely. I didn’t mind; I was simply delighted to be on Hart-Miller Island, home to a little-visited state park in the Chesapeake Bay. It had taken some tenacity to get here: The 1,100-acre refuge, known as a hot spot for migrating birds, is only accessible by personal boat or kayak — the first option extraordinarily expensive, the second requiring a nearly two-mile paddle across choppy waters. Last summer, after months of searching for another way, I got lucky: The Patterson Park Audubon Center announced a Hart-Miller trip for late September as part of its Baltimore Birding Weekend.
It was, in the words of birding weekend co-organizer Jim Rapp, an “insanely beautiful” morning — cool and clear — when our group met at a dock in Essex. As we donned our neon-yellow safety vests and boarded the boat, I learned my fellow birders were equally excited, because the Hart-Miller trip had been canceled for two years in a row, first because of weather, then the pandemic.
Hart-Miller is a combination of three islands: Pleasure, Hart, and Miller, the latter two joined with a dike in 1981 and filled with sediment from the dredging of the nearby Inner Harbor in Baltimore. Most people come in summer to enjoy its secluded half-mile beach, campsites, and miles of little-trod forest and coastal trails. To me, the highlight was a pristine marsh brimming with relatively uncommon birds, including black terns, colorful redhead ducks, and a pair of trumpeter swan parents swimming alongside their fuzzy gray cygnet. (An observation platform, open in summer, allows visitors a bird’s-eye view of this avian extravaganza.) All in all, we added 80 bird species to our feathered cap, including a bald eagle that soared directly overhead.
“It’s a sight I never get tired of,” Rapp said as we watched our national bird fly into the distance.
I feel the same about traveling, which has been a mainstay of happiness throughout my adult life. So when the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020, I knew I needed to find that fix somehow, ultimately deciding to go to all 47 state parks in Maryland, my home state. The Maryland Park Service manages 75 total units, which are classified into various types, such as state parks, battlefields, natural resources management areas, rail trails and more. To keep my goal manageable, I targeted only units labeled as state parks that are developed and open to the public. Although I’ve been to all 50 states, this objective was different. It was less about having fun and more about coping with the pandemic.
Every weekend, my family of three would pick out a new destination, most of them about an hour or so’s drive from D.C. As a Howard County native, I’d grown up hiking nearby Patapsco Valley State Park, but I was surprised by the range of history and environments we encountered, including the home of a famous abolitionist (Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park), a restored 18th-century Quaker village and gristmill (Gunpowder Falls State Park) and the oldest eastern hemlock and white pine forest in the state, a more than 360-year-old, rainforest-like grove (Swallow Falls State Park).
Of course, many other people in the D.C. area had the same idea: Visitation to Maryland state parks rose a “record-shattering” nearly 45 percent in 2020, with 21.5 million visitors vs. 14.9 million in 2019, said Tim Hamilton, business and marketing manager for the Maryland Park Service. Visitors in 2021 were nearly as plentiful, at about 20.5 million. “We were flabbergasted” by the surge, said Hamilton, adding that the state parks never fully shut down, even for a day. For the public, the pandemic “was a catalyst to look beyond their own backyard to see what’s out there,” he said. He expects the enthusiasm to stick. In one Maryland Park Service survey, more than 90 percent of respondents said they would return to state parks.
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Perhaps Maryland public lands’ most vocal supporter is Lt. Gov. Boyd K. Rutherford (R), who launched a “State Park Bucket List” in 2019 “as an opportunity to highlight the natural beauty of our state,” said Robyne McCullough, Rutherford’s communication adviser, by email. As of February, Rutherford had checked off 59 of the 75 units.
Of course, all of this demand comes with downsides. Most people flocked to the popular parks, such as Sandy Point and its much-loved Chesapeake Bay beach, and Patapsco Valley State Park, with its popular swinging bridge. The park service had to close state parks because of full capacity a record 292 times in 2020. In those situations, park gates are closed until there’s room for new people to enter, which could take a few minutes or several hours.
That’s why Hamilton encourages people to seek out different parks; one advantage of being a small state is there’s always another close by, he says. Next time you’re on Assateague Island, for instance, Hamilton suggests making a detour to the nearby Pocomoke River State Park, which protects the northernmost bald cypress swamp in the United States. The Bald Cypress loop, with boardwalks winding through Spanish-moss-draped forests, instantly transports you to the Deep South. (Need some trivia for your next Zoom happy hour? The Pocomoke River is probably the deepest — up to 45 feet — for its width, less than 100 feet, in the world.)
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As for my goal, I achieved it in January on a snowy trek through Wolf Den Run State Park in remote western Maryland, a mixed-use refuge of trout streams and off-road vehicle trails. Here’s a sampling of my Free State faves.
On March 25, 1634, the first English settlers to Maryland set foot on this Potomac River island. Start your visit at the excellent St. Clement’s Island Museum, which explores the region’s history and people, then hop onto a water taxi (running from late March to October) over to the island. We timed our visit for a summer weekend, so we could tour a reproduction of the island’s circa-1851 Blackistone Lighthouse, which was destroyed by fire in 1956. It’s a short hike from the island’s dock. The furnished lighthouse tells the story of keeper Josephine McWilliams Freeman, whose four children were born and raised in the lighthouse during her almost 40-year tenure.
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If you’re visiting nearby Deep Creek Lake, stop by this small state park on an early-1800s homestead known as Friends Delight (named after settler John Friend). Its centerpiece is the Friends Store, a gathering place that once sold food, gas and even ginseng, which was used as an herbal medicine. During the summer, you can buy old-time treats and souvenirs and chat with the storekeeper about Appalachian folklore and life back in the day.
Not far from Bel Air, scenic Deer Creek meanders through native forests and quarry sites. Spring is the perfect time to put on your botanist hat and look for the pale-pink petals of the showy orchid, one of Maryland’s dozens of orchid species. We didn’t get lucky on our April hike, but we did spot plenty of jack-in-the-pulpit, a hooded plant also called the bog onion. Take the Hornbeam Trail, interspersed with the American hornbeam, a distinctive tree also called the musclewood — so named because the bark resembles rippling muscles.
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My husband and I, both journalists, were taken with the National War Correspondents Memorial at the heart of this park on South Mountain, near the Pennsylvania border. George Alfred Townsend, a Civil War correspondent and author, built the 50-foot-high arched stone monument — inscribed with quotes and names of fallen journalists — in the late 1890s on the grounds of his summer estate. Two buildings house small museums that detail Townsend’s career, such as his firsthand accounts from D.C. during the aftermath of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Men in 18th-century outfits — buckled shoes, fancy hats, rifles — greeted us as we entered the low stone walls of Fort Frederick, built in 1756 to protect Maryland’s frontier during the French and Indian War. The fort and its two long, wooden barracks offer exhibits about military life in the 1700s. The skilled staff and volunteers stay in character, giving you the impression you’ve stepped back in time a few centuries.
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So, what’s next for me? There’s the remaining state park units, of course, as well as new parks on the horizon. Sometime this year, for instance, I hope to kayak the wetlands of the new Bohemia River State Park, so named because the coastal region of northeastern Maryland reminded 17th-century explorer Augustine Herman of his native Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). Who knows — maybe I’ll even beat the lieutenant governor to the punch!
Dell’Amore is a writer based in the District and an editor for National Geographic’s website.
If You Go
Where to stay
Inn BoonsBoro
1 N. Main St., Boonsboro
301-432-1188
This boutique bed-and-breakfast, built in the 1790s, is a central location to stay for a visit to Palmer, Gathland and Fort Frederick state parks. Author Nora Roberts and her husband, who live nearby, restored the stone building with its distinctive double porches. Roberts often stops by to chat with guests. Rooms from $239 per night.
What to eat
The Front Porch
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22770 Washington St., Leonardtown
301-997-1009
End your day with some coastal cuisine at this 1850s-era house, which was once home to the Sterling family, who had 17 children. Open Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Entrees from about $16.
What to do
Fort Frederick State Park
11100 Fort Frederick Rd., Big Pool
301-842-2155
On spring and fall weekends, costumed volunteers interpret daily life in the 18th century. Visitors can also tour exhibits throughout the barracks, stone fort, Civilian Conservation Corps Museum and visitor center. Special events include cannon firings, hearth cooking and military drills. Open daily 8 a.m. to sunset from April to October and 10 a.m. to sunset from November to March. Day-use $3 per vehicle for Maryland residents; $5 per vehicle out-of-state residents.
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Palmer State Park
3209 Forge Hill Rd., Street
410-557-7994
The 555-acre park offers extensive hiking, including the 2.7-mile Iron Works Trail, which takes you past the ruins of a once-thriving town and store, as well as old quarry sites. Open daily sunrise to sunset. Free.
Sang Run State Park
3735 Sang Run Rd., McHenry
301-387-5563
Stop in the Friends Store, then hike the trail through the old farm. In summertime, the park offers hayrides, guided bird hikes and Dutch oven demonstrations. Park open daily 8 a.m. to sunset. Free.
St. Clement’s Island State Park; St. Clement’s Island Museum
11175 Point Lookout Rd., Scotland; 38370 Point Breeze Rd., Coltons Point
301-872-5688; 301-769-2222
Start your visit at the museum, owned by St. Mary’s County, which features exhibits on Maryland’s Native people, the colonial era and watermen. A water taxi departs from outside the museum to the island several times daily, from late March to October. Park is open daily sunrise to sunset; museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from March 25 to Oct. 31 and noon to 4 p.m. from Nov. 1 to March 24. A reproduction of the Blackistone Lighthouse is open most summer weekends or by appointment. Water taxi $7 per person and includes museum admission. Museum admission $3 per adult and $1.50 for those ages 6 to 18; children 5 and under free.
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Gathland State Park
900 Arnoldstown Rd., Jefferson
301-791-4767
Immerse yourself in the history of Civil War journalism at the monument here and the two small museums, then stretch your legs on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, which cuts through the park. Open daily 8 a.m. to sunset. Free.
Information
PLEASE NOTE
Potential travelers should take local and national public health directives regarding the pandemic into consideration before planning any trips. Travel health notice information can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s interactive map showing travel recommendations by destination and the CDC’s travel health notice webpage.
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