Maryland Travel Guide

GALLERY

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Maryland's mythic hero—its cowboy, if you will—is the waterman, who prowls the Chesapeake in his skipjack, dredging oysters. Today the waterman is a symbol of contemporary Maryland: not in the manner in which he works, but in the variety of his catch. Maryland has always been a land of diversity, and from its rich Civil War history to the contemporary appeal of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Maryland casts a wide net.

Fodor's Best Road Trips in the USA: 50 Epic Trips Across All 50 States
Whether you want to drive Route 66, head out on the Pacific Coast Highway, or explore the...

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FODOR'S FINEST

The Best Hotels in the USA

Revival Baltimore, Maryland

Find a Hotel

FODOR'S FINEST

The Best Hotels in the USA

Revival Baltimore, Maryland

Find a Hotel

FODOR'S FINEST

The Best Hotels in the USA

Revival Baltimore, Maryland

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Baltimore

Baltimore is a city of distinct neighborhoods. While stellar downtown attractions such as the National Aquarium and the Inner Harbor draw torrents of tourists each...

The Eastern Shore

Sailing the Chesapeake Bay nearly four centuries ago in search of new territory for his English king, Captain John Smith wrote that "heaven and earth...

Frederick and Western Maryland

Although just a short drive from Washington, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh, western Maryland and Frederick County feel a world apart, with their postcard-perfect vistas and vintage...

Annapolis and Southern Maryland

The past is never far away from the present among the coves, rivers, and creeks of the Chesapeake Bay's lesser-known western shore. In the lively...

Annapolis

In 1649 a group of Puritan settlers moved from Virginia to a spot at the mouth of the Severn River, where they established a community...

Montgomery County

In 1776 Montgomery County, named after Revolutionary War hero General Richard Montgomery, became the first Maryland county to drop the custom of naming jurisdictions after...

Prince George's County

Named in 1696 for Denmark and Norway's prince (the husband of the heir to the throne of England, Princess Anne), the county was once famous...

Frederick

With roots dating back to the 1700s, Frederick was once known mostly for its American history, museums, and federal-style architecture. But in recent years, the...

Bethesda

Bethesda was named in 1871 after the Bethesda Meeting House, which was built by the Presbyterians. The name alludes to a biblical pool that had...

Ocean City

Stretching some 10 mi along a narrow barrier island off Maryland's Atlantic coast, Worcester County's Ocean City draws millions from neighboring states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania...

Cumberland

Surrounded by the deep blue Allegheny Mountains, Cumberland appears plucked from a Currier-and-Ives print. Tall steeples grace the skyline and elegant 19th-century mansions line the...

Easton

Well-preserved buildings dating from Colonial through Victorian times still grace this affluent, genteel town. Fine art galleries, high-quality antiques shops, and gift boutiques sit side...

National Harbor

The National Harbor sprawls across 300 acres of previously abandoned banks of the Potomac River, across from Old Town Alexandria. Although it is still in...

Chestertown

Second only to Annapolis in its concentration of 18th-century houses, Chestertown was a major international port in Colonial days: a tall, brick customhouse continues to...

Deep Creek Lake

Garrett County's greatest asset, the 3,900-acre Deep Creek Lake, was created in the 1920s as a water source for a hydroelectric plant on the Youghiogheny...

St. Michaels

St. Michaels, once a shipbuilding center, is today one of the region's premier leisure-time destinations. Its ever-growing popularity has resulted in more and more shops...

Hagerstown

Hagerstown has always had a bit of an identity crisis. In Colonial times it was considered the last bastion of civilization before the frontier. During...

Silver Spring

With a population of more than 220,000, the greater Silver Spring area is one of Washington, D.C.'s largest suburbs and is currently undergoing something of...

Stevensville

Stevensville, just north of the Bay Bridge's eastern landfall, is a growing village of artists and craftspeople. Its galleries and studios sell original pottery, stained...

Cambridge

Once upon a time renowned resident Annie Oakley would shoot waterfowl from the ledge of her waterfront home here. Today graceful Georgian, Queen Anne, and...

Smith Island

Chesapeake Bay's Smith Island has an intriguing heritage dating back more than three centuries. The residents are descendents of late-17th-century English settlers who made a...

Oakland

Tiny Oakland, perched on a mountain plateau at the far western end of the state, is a true escape from the big-city bustle. Its heyday...

Grasonville

Follow the scenic byway, old two-lane Route 18, across Kent Island and over an aging drawbridge across Kent Narrows to reach quiet Grasonville. The modest...

Solomons

On the tip of the peninsula, Solomons is where the Patuxent empties into the Chesapeake. The town has become a popular getaway for sailors, boaters...

North East

Uncommon neighborliness along a main street of antiques and collectibles shops and homey eateries gives Cecil's riverside county seat its welcoming charm...

Oxford

Tracing its roots to 1683, tiny Oxford remains secluded and untrammeled. Robert Morris, a merchant from Liverpool, lived here with his son, Robert Morris Jr...

Kensington

Established in 1890 as Knowles Station, Kensington was one of Montgomery County's first villages. Borrowing both its name and architecture from the tony London neighborhood...

College Park

As its name implies, College Park is primarily a university town on gently rolling terrain...

Catoctin Mountain Park

...

Sharpsburg

East of the Potomac River, Sharpsburg is a small town (the last census counted nearly 700 people) that was settled in the 1740s. Known at...

Rock Hall

No longer just a side trip, Rock Hall, its hardy maritime character intact, has emerged as a viable destination in its own right, to be...

Potomac

The popular translation of the Native American name "Patawomeck" is "they are coming by water." Although today's visitors are likely to drive, it is still...

Snow Hill

The streets of Snow Hill, the Worcester County seat, are lined with huge sycamores and stately homes that reflect its days as a shipping center...

Chesapeake Beach

This charming little town beside the Bay was founded at the close of the 19th century as a resort to rival those along the French...

Laurel

Three other Maryland counties claim a section of this town (Anne Arundel, Howard, and Montgomery) but most of the suburb is in Prince George's...

Crisfield

In William W. Warner's study of the Chesapeake Bay, Beautiful Swimmers, Crisfield was described as a "town built upon oyster shells, millions of tons of...

Salisbury

Barges still ply the slow-moving Wicomico River between the Bay and Salisbury, the Eastern Shore's second-largest port after Baltimore. This urban center is a hub...

Grantsville

Two miles south of the Mason-Dixon Line, Grantsville is a tiny village (population about 600) that was incorporated in 1864. It's nestled amid some of...

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

...

Point Lookout State Park

...

Largo

Largo is an entertainment hub of suburban Maryland, boasting both Six Flags America and FedEx Field, where D.C.'s popular Redskins play...

Chesapeake City

As it's a town split dramatically in two by the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal, Chesapeake City homes and businesses face each other across the...

Bowie

Bowie started as a few buildings around a railroad junction in 1870, but has grown into the largest municipality in Prince George's County and the...

Port Republic

Two sites in Port Republic, Christ Church and Port Republic School No. 7, are easy to miss simply because the sign for Port Republic from...

St. Mary's City

An intrepid group of 140 English settlers sailed the Ark and the Dove up the Potomac and into one of its tributaries, the St. Mary's...

Glen Echo

Glen Echo, now a charming village of Victorian houses, was founded in 1891 by Edwin and Edward Baltzley, inventors of a type of mechanical eggbeater...

Tilghman Island

A visit to Tilghman Island provides intriguing insight into the Eastern Shore's remarkable character. Leave your car and explore by bike or kayak. A handful...

Lexington Park

This military town is dominated by the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, which covers 25 mi of the shoreline at the mouth of the eponymous...

Clinton

The origin of the name Clinton is unclear—the town used to be called Surrattsville for Mary Surratt's husband, the postmaster John Surratt...

Accokeek

By fighting off developers in the 1950s, the Accokeek Foundation helped keep the view from Mount Vernon as George Washington would have seen it. Today...

North Beach

In some ways a quieter, more-residential extension of Chesapeake Beach, North Beach has a fishing pier and a quiet boardwalk. When it was founded in...

Berlin

Berlin—named not for the German city, but evolving from Burleigh Inn, a Colonial-era way station—is a short drive from Ocean City, yet it could not...

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

...

Lusby

Lusby is larger than either Port Republic or Broomes Island and has a town center as well as some of the big, convenience stores on...

Emmitsburg

Founded in the 1700s and tucked among the blooming foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Emmitsburg is a quaint small town known for its Catholic...

Queenstown

The cove of Queenstown's harbor is protected by a bend of the mouth of the Chester River. Established in 1707 as "Queen Anne's Town," it...

Broomes Island

An area without specific boundaries, Broomes is not even an island per se, except during a very high tide or in a strong storm. It's...

Waldorf

The lovely rural fields of other parts of eastern Maryland give way to developments and higher-density traffic when you reach Waldorf...

Port Tobacco

One of the oldest communities in the East, Port Tobacco first existed as the Native American settlement of "Potopaco." (The similarity between this Native American...

Furnace Town

...

Upper Marlboro

...

Tangier Island, Virginia

Crab traps stacked 10 feet high, watermen's shanties on the water, and a landscape virtually devoid of modern commercialization characterize this Virginia island fishing community...

New Market

...

Sandy Spring

...

Queen Anne's County

...

Baltimore

Baltimore is a city of distinct neighborhoods. While stellar downtown attractions such as the National Aquarium and the Inner Harbor draw torrents of tourists each...

The Eastern Shore

Sailing the Chesapeake Bay nearly four centuries ago in search of new territory for his English king, Captain John Smith wrote that "heaven and earth...

Frederick and Western Maryland

Although just a short drive from Washington, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh, western Maryland and Frederick County feel a world apart, with their postcard-perfect vistas and vintage...

Annapolis and Southern Maryland

The past is never far away from the present among the coves, rivers, and creeks of the Chesapeake Bay's lesser-known western shore. In the lively...

Annapolis

In 1649 a group of Puritan settlers moved from Virginia to a spot at the mouth of the Severn River, where they established a community...

Montgomery County

In 1776 Montgomery County, named after Revolutionary War hero General Richard Montgomery, became the first Maryland county to drop the custom of naming jurisdictions after...

Prince George's County

Named in 1696 for Denmark and Norway's prince (the husband of the heir to the throne of England, Princess Anne), the county was once famous...

Frederick

With roots dating back to the 1700s, Frederick was once known mostly for its American history, museums, and federal-style architecture. But in recent years, the...

Bethesda

Bethesda was named in 1871 after the Bethesda Meeting House, which was built by the Presbyterians. The name alludes to a biblical pool that had...

Ocean City

Stretching some 10 mi along a narrow barrier island off Maryland's Atlantic coast, Worcester County's Ocean City draws millions from neighboring states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania...

Cumberland

Surrounded by the deep blue Allegheny Mountains, Cumberland appears plucked from a Currier-and-Ives print. Tall steeples grace the skyline and elegant 19th-century mansions line the...

Easton

Well-preserved buildings dating from Colonial through Victorian times still grace this affluent, genteel town. Fine art galleries, high-quality antiques shops, and gift boutiques sit side...

National Harbor

The National Harbor sprawls across 300 acres of previously abandoned banks of the Potomac River, across from Old Town Alexandria. Although it is still in...

Chestertown

Second only to Annapolis in its concentration of 18th-century houses, Chestertown was a major international port in Colonial days: a tall, brick customhouse continues to...

Deep Creek Lake

Garrett County's greatest asset, the 3,900-acre Deep Creek Lake, was created in the 1920s as a water source for a hydroelectric plant on the Youghiogheny...

St. Michaels

St. Michaels, once a shipbuilding center, is today one of the region's premier leisure-time destinations. Its ever-growing popularity has resulted in more and more shops...

Hagerstown

Hagerstown has always had a bit of an identity crisis. In Colonial times it was considered the last bastion of civilization before the frontier. During...

Silver Spring

With a population of more than 220,000, the greater Silver Spring area is one of Washington, D.C.'s largest suburbs and is currently undergoing something of...

Stevensville

Stevensville, just north of the Bay Bridge's eastern landfall, is a growing village of artists and craftspeople. Its galleries and studios sell original pottery, stained...

Cambridge

Once upon a time renowned resident Annie Oakley would shoot waterfowl from the ledge of her waterfront home here. Today graceful Georgian, Queen Anne, and...

Smith Island

Chesapeake Bay's Smith Island has an intriguing heritage dating back more than three centuries. The residents are descendents of late-17th-century English settlers who made a...

Oakland

Tiny Oakland, perched on a mountain plateau at the far western end of the state, is a true escape from the big-city bustle. Its heyday...

Grasonville

Follow the scenic byway, old two-lane Route 18, across Kent Island and over an aging drawbridge across Kent Narrows to reach quiet Grasonville. The modest...

Solomons

On the tip of the peninsula, Solomons is where the Patuxent empties into the Chesapeake. The town has become a popular getaway for sailors, boaters...

North East

Uncommon neighborliness along a main street of antiques and collectibles shops and homey eateries gives Cecil's riverside county seat its welcoming charm...

Oxford

Tracing its roots to 1683, tiny Oxford remains secluded and untrammeled. Robert Morris, a merchant from Liverpool, lived here with his son, Robert Morris Jr...

Kensington

Established in 1890 as Knowles Station, Kensington was one of Montgomery County's first villages. Borrowing both its name and architecture from the tony London neighborhood...

College Park

As its name implies, College Park is primarily a university town on gently rolling terrain...

Catoctin Mountain Park

...

Sharpsburg

East of the Potomac River, Sharpsburg is a small town (the last census counted nearly 700 people) that was settled in the 1740s. Known at...

Rock Hall

No longer just a side trip, Rock Hall, its hardy maritime character intact, has emerged as a viable destination in its own right, to be...

Potomac

The popular translation of the Native American name "Patawomeck" is "they are coming by water." Although today's visitors are likely to drive, it is still...

Snow Hill

The streets of Snow Hill, the Worcester County seat, are lined with huge sycamores and stately homes that reflect its days as a shipping center...

Chesapeake Beach

This charming little town beside the Bay was founded at the close of the 19th century as a resort to rival those along the French...

Laurel

Three other Maryland counties claim a section of this town (Anne Arundel, Howard, and Montgomery) but most of the suburb is in Prince George's...

Crisfield

In William W. Warner's study of the Chesapeake Bay, Beautiful Swimmers, Crisfield was described as a "town built upon oyster shells, millions of tons of...

Salisbury

Barges still ply the slow-moving Wicomico River between the Bay and Salisbury, the Eastern Shore's second-largest port after Baltimore. This urban center is a hub...

Grantsville

Two miles south of the Mason-Dixon Line, Grantsville is a tiny village (population about 600) that was incorporated in 1864. It's nestled amid some of...

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

...

Point Lookout State Park

...

Largo

Largo is an entertainment hub of suburban Maryland, boasting both Six Flags America and FedEx Field, where D.C.'s popular Redskins play...

Chesapeake City

As it's a town split dramatically in two by the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal, Chesapeake City homes and businesses face each other across the...

Bowie

Bowie started as a few buildings around a railroad junction in 1870, but has grown into the largest municipality in Prince George's County and the...

Port Republic

Two sites in Port Republic, Christ Church and Port Republic School No. 7, are easy to miss simply because the sign for Port Republic from...

St. Mary's City

An intrepid group of 140 English settlers sailed the Ark and the Dove up the Potomac and into one of its tributaries, the St. Mary's...

Glen Echo

Glen Echo, now a charming village of Victorian houses, was founded in 1891 by Edwin and Edward Baltzley, inventors of a type of mechanical eggbeater...

Tilghman Island

A visit to Tilghman Island provides intriguing insight into the Eastern Shore's remarkable character. Leave your car and explore by bike or kayak. A handful...

Lexington Park

This military town is dominated by the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, which covers 25 mi of the shoreline at the mouth of the eponymous...

Clinton

The origin of the name Clinton is unclear—the town used to be called Surrattsville for Mary Surratt's husband, the postmaster John Surratt...

Accokeek

By fighting off developers in the 1950s, the Accokeek Foundation helped keep the view from Mount Vernon as George Washington would have seen it. Today...

North Beach

In some ways a quieter, more-residential extension of Chesapeake Beach, North Beach has a fishing pier and a quiet boardwalk. When it was founded in...

Berlin

Berlin—named not for the German city, but evolving from Burleigh Inn, a Colonial-era way station—is a short drive from Ocean City, yet it could not...

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

...

Lusby

Lusby is larger than either Port Republic or Broomes Island and has a town center as well as some of the big, convenience stores on...

Emmitsburg

Founded in the 1700s and tucked among the blooming foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Emmitsburg is a quaint small town known for its Catholic...

Queenstown

The cove of Queenstown's harbor is protected by a bend of the mouth of the Chester River. Established in 1707 as "Queen Anne's Town," it...

Broomes Island

An area without specific boundaries, Broomes is not even an island per se, except during a very high tide or in a strong storm. It's...

Waldorf

The lovely rural fields of other parts of eastern Maryland give way to developments and higher-density traffic when you reach Waldorf...

Port Tobacco

One of the oldest communities in the East, Port Tobacco first existed as the Native American settlement of "Potopaco." (The similarity between this Native American...

Furnace Town

...

Upper Marlboro

...

Tangier Island, Virginia

Crab traps stacked 10 feet high, watermen's shanties on the water, and a landscape virtually devoid of modern commercialization characterize this Virginia island fishing community...

New Market

...

Sandy Spring

...

Queen Anne's County

...

Baltimore

Baltimore is a city of distinct neighborhoods. While stellar downtown attractions such as the National Aquarium and the Inner Harbor draw torrents of tourists each...

Annapolis

In 1649 a group of Puritan settlers moved from Virginia to a spot at the mouth of the Severn River, where they established a community...

Frederick

With roots dating back to the 1700s, Frederick was once known mostly for its American history, museums, and federal-style architecture. But in recent years, the...

Bethesda

Bethesda was named in 1871 after the Bethesda Meeting House, which was built by the Presbyterians. The name alludes to a biblical pool that had...

Ocean City

Stretching some 10 mi along a narrow barrier island off Maryland's Atlantic coast, Worcester County's Ocean City draws millions from neighboring states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania...

Cumberland

Surrounded by the deep blue Allegheny Mountains, Cumberland appears plucked from a Currier-and-Ives print. Tall steeples grace the skyline and elegant 19th-century mansions line the...

National Harbor

The National Harbor sprawls across 300 acres of previously abandoned banks of the Potomac River, across from Old Town Alexandria. Although it is still in...

Easton

Well-preserved buildings dating from Colonial through Victorian times still grace this affluent, genteel town. Fine art galleries, high-quality antiques shops, and gift boutiques sit side...

Deep Creek Lake

Garrett County's greatest asset, the 3,900-acre Deep Creek Lake, was created in the 1920s as a water source for a hydroelectric plant on the Youghiogheny...

Chestertown

Second only to Annapolis in its concentration of 18th-century houses, Chestertown was a major international port in Colonial days: a tall, brick customhouse continues to...

St. Michaels

St. Michaels, once a shipbuilding center, is today one of the region's premier leisure-time destinations. Its ever-growing popularity has resulted in more and more shops...

Hagerstown

Hagerstown has always had a bit of an identity crisis. In Colonial times it was considered the last bastion of civilization before the frontier. During...

Silver Spring

With a population of more than 220,000, the greater Silver Spring area is one of Washington, D.C.'s largest suburbs and is currently undergoing something of...

Cambridge

Once upon a time renowned resident Annie Oakley would shoot waterfowl from the ledge of her waterfront home here. Today graceful Georgian, Queen Anne, and...

Stevensville

Stevensville, just north of the Bay Bridge's eastern landfall, is a growing village of artists and craftspeople. Its galleries and studios sell original pottery, stained...

Oakland

Tiny Oakland, perched on a mountain plateau at the far western end of the state, is a true escape from the big-city bustle. Its heyday...

Grasonville

Follow the scenic byway, old two-lane Route 18, across Kent Island and over an aging drawbridge across Kent Narrows to reach quiet Grasonville. The modest...

Solomons

On the tip of the peninsula, Solomons is where the Patuxent empties into the Chesapeake. The town has become a popular getaway for sailors, boaters...

North East

Uncommon neighborliness along a main street of antiques and collectibles shops and homey eateries gives Cecil's riverside county seat its welcoming charm...

Sharpsburg

East of the Potomac River, Sharpsburg is a small town (the last census counted nearly 700 people) that was settled in the 1740s. Known at...

Rock Hall

No longer just a side trip, Rock Hall, its hardy maritime character intact, has emerged as a viable destination in its own right, to be...

Oxford

Tracing its roots to 1683, tiny Oxford remains secluded and untrammeled. Robert Morris, a merchant from Liverpool, lived here with his son, Robert Morris Jr...

Catoctin Mountain Park

...

Kensington

Established in 1890 as Knowles Station, Kensington was one of Montgomery County's first villages. Borrowing both its name and architecture from the tony London neighborhood...

College Park

As its name implies, College Park is primarily a university town on gently rolling terrain...

Laurel

Three other Maryland counties claim a section of this town (Anne Arundel, Howard, and Montgomery) but most of the suburb is in Prince George's...

Snow Hill

The streets of Snow Hill, the Worcester County seat, are lined with huge sycamores and stately homes that reflect its days as a shipping center...

Crisfield

In William W. Warner's study of the Chesapeake Bay, Beautiful Swimmers, Crisfield was described as a "town built upon oyster shells, millions of tons of...

Chesapeake Beach

This charming little town beside the Bay was founded at the close of the 19th century as a resort to rival those along the French...

Potomac

The popular translation of the Native American name "Patawomeck" is "they are coming by water." Although today's visitors are likely to drive, it is still...

Bowie

Bowie started as a few buildings around a railroad junction in 1870, but has grown into the largest municipality in Prince George's County and the...

Grantsville

Two miles south of the Mason-Dixon Line, Grantsville is a tiny village (population about 600) that was incorporated in 1864. It's nestled amid some of...

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

...

Port Republic

Two sites in Port Republic, Christ Church and Port Republic School No. 7, are easy to miss simply because the sign for Port Republic from...

Largo

Largo is an entertainment hub of suburban Maryland, boasting both Six Flags America and FedEx Field, where D.C.'s popular Redskins play...

Chesapeake City

As it's a town split dramatically in two by the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal, Chesapeake City homes and businesses face each other across the...

Salisbury

Barges still ply the slow-moving Wicomico River between the Bay and Salisbury, the Eastern Shore's second-largest port after Baltimore. This urban center is a hub...

Lexington Park

This military town is dominated by the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, which covers 25 mi of the shoreline at the mouth of the eponymous...

St. Mary's City

An intrepid group of 140 English settlers sailed the Ark and the Dove up the Potomac and into one of its tributaries, the St. Mary's...

Glen Echo

Glen Echo, now a charming village of Victorian houses, was founded in 1891 by Edwin and Edward Baltzley, inventors of a type of mechanical eggbeater...

Emmitsburg

Founded in the 1700s and tucked among the blooming foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Emmitsburg is a quaint small town known for its Catholic...

Queenstown

The cove of Queenstown's harbor is protected by a bend of the mouth of the Chester River. Established in 1707 as "Queen Anne's Town," it...

Berlin

Berlin—named not for the German city, but evolving from Burleigh Inn, a Colonial-era way station—is a short drive from Ocean City, yet it could not...

Accokeek

By fighting off developers in the 1950s, the Accokeek Foundation helped keep the view from Mount Vernon as George Washington would have seen it. Today...

Lusby

Lusby is larger than either Port Republic or Broomes Island and has a town center as well as some of the big, convenience stores on...

Clinton

The origin of the name Clinton is unclear—the town used to be called Surrattsville for Mary Surratt's husband, the postmaster John Surratt...

North Beach

In some ways a quieter, more-residential extension of Chesapeake Beach, North Beach has a fishing pier and a quiet boardwalk. When it was founded in...

Port Tobacco

One of the oldest communities in the East, Port Tobacco first existed as the Native American settlement of "Potopaco." (The similarity between this Native American...

Furnace Town

...

Waldorf

The lovely rural fields of other parts of eastern Maryland give way to developments and higher-density traffic when you reach Waldorf...

New Market

...

Sandy Spring

...

Upper Marlboro

...

Baltimore

Baltimore is a city of distinct neighborhoods. While stellar downtown attractions such as the National Aquarium and the Inner Harbor draw torrents of tourists each...

Annapolis

In 1649 a group of Puritan settlers moved from Virginia to a spot at the mouth of the Severn River, where they established a community...

Frederick

With roots dating back to the 1700s, Frederick was once known mostly for its American history, museums, and federal-style architecture. But in recent years, the...

Bethesda

Bethesda was named in 1871 after the Bethesda Meeting House, which was built by the Presbyterians. The name alludes to a biblical pool that had...

Ocean City

Stretching some 10 mi along a narrow barrier island off Maryland's Atlantic coast, Worcester County's Ocean City draws millions from neighboring states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania...

Cumberland

Surrounded by the deep blue Allegheny Mountains, Cumberland appears plucked from a Currier-and-Ives print. Tall steeples grace the skyline and elegant 19th-century mansions line the...

National Harbor

The National Harbor sprawls across 300 acres of previously abandoned banks of the Potomac River, across from Old Town Alexandria. Although it is still in...

Easton

Well-preserved buildings dating from Colonial through Victorian times still grace this affluent, genteel town. Fine art galleries, high-quality antiques shops, and gift boutiques sit side...

Deep Creek Lake

Garrett County's greatest asset, the 3,900-acre Deep Creek Lake, was created in the 1920s as a water source for a hydroelectric plant on the Youghiogheny...

Chestertown

Second only to Annapolis in its concentration of 18th-century houses, Chestertown was a major international port in Colonial days: a tall, brick customhouse continues to...

St. Michaels

St. Michaels, once a shipbuilding center, is today one of the region's premier leisure-time destinations. Its ever-growing popularity has resulted in more and more shops...

Hagerstown

Hagerstown has always had a bit of an identity crisis. In Colonial times it was considered the last bastion of civilization before the frontier. During...

Silver Spring

With a population of more than 220,000, the greater Silver Spring area is one of Washington, D.C.'s largest suburbs and is currently undergoing something of...

Cambridge

Once upon a time renowned resident Annie Oakley would shoot waterfowl from the ledge of her waterfront home here. Today graceful Georgian, Queen Anne, and...

Stevensville

Stevensville, just north of the Bay Bridge's eastern landfall, is a growing village of artists and craftspeople. Its galleries and studios sell original pottery, stained...

Oakland

Tiny Oakland, perched on a mountain plateau at the far western end of the state, is a true escape from the big-city bustle. Its heyday...

Grasonville

Follow the scenic byway, old two-lane Route 18, across Kent Island and over an aging drawbridge across Kent Narrows to reach quiet Grasonville. The modest...

Solomons

On the tip of the peninsula, Solomons is where the Patuxent empties into the Chesapeake. The town has become a popular getaway for sailors, boaters...

North East

Uncommon neighborliness along a main street of antiques and collectibles shops and homey eateries gives Cecil's riverside county seat its welcoming charm...

Sharpsburg

East of the Potomac River, Sharpsburg is a small town (the last census counted nearly 700 people) that was settled in the 1740s. Known at...

Rock Hall

No longer just a side trip, Rock Hall, its hardy maritime character intact, has emerged as a viable destination in its own right, to be...

Oxford

Tracing its roots to 1683, tiny Oxford remains secluded and untrammeled. Robert Morris, a merchant from Liverpool, lived here with his son, Robert Morris Jr...

Catoctin Mountain Park

...

Kensington

Established in 1890 as Knowles Station, Kensington was one of Montgomery County's first villages. Borrowing both its name and architecture from the tony London neighborhood...

College Park

As its name implies, College Park is primarily a university town on gently rolling terrain...

Laurel

Three other Maryland counties claim a section of this town (Anne Arundel, Howard, and Montgomery) but most of the suburb is in Prince George's...

Snow Hill

The streets of Snow Hill, the Worcester County seat, are lined with huge sycamores and stately homes that reflect its days as a shipping center...

Crisfield

In William W. Warner's study of the Chesapeake Bay, Beautiful Swimmers, Crisfield was described as a "town built upon oyster shells, millions of tons of...

Chesapeake Beach

This charming little town beside the Bay was founded at the close of the 19th century as a resort to rival those along the French...

Potomac

The popular translation of the Native American name "Patawomeck" is "they are coming by water." Although today's visitors are likely to drive, it is still...

Bowie

Bowie started as a few buildings around a railroad junction in 1870, but has grown into the largest municipality in Prince George's County and the...

Grantsville

Two miles south of the Mason-Dixon Line, Grantsville is a tiny village (population about 600) that was incorporated in 1864. It's nestled amid some of...

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

...

Port Republic

Two sites in Port Republic, Christ Church and Port Republic School No. 7, are easy to miss simply because the sign for Port Republic from...

Largo

Largo is an entertainment hub of suburban Maryland, boasting both Six Flags America and FedEx Field, where D.C.'s popular Redskins play...

Chesapeake City

As it's a town split dramatically in two by the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal, Chesapeake City homes and businesses face each other across the...

Salisbury

Barges still ply the slow-moving Wicomico River between the Bay and Salisbury, the Eastern Shore's second-largest port after Baltimore. This urban center is a hub...

Lexington Park

This military town is dominated by the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, which covers 25 mi of the shoreline at the mouth of the eponymous...

St. Mary's City

An intrepid group of 140 English settlers sailed the Ark and the Dove up the Potomac and into one of its tributaries, the St. Mary's...

Glen Echo

Glen Echo, now a charming village of Victorian houses, was founded in 1891 by Edwin and Edward Baltzley, inventors of a type of mechanical eggbeater...

Emmitsburg

Founded in the 1700s and tucked among the blooming foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Emmitsburg is a quaint small town known for its Catholic...

Queenstown

The cove of Queenstown's harbor is protected by a bend of the mouth of the Chester River. Established in 1707 as "Queen Anne's Town," it...

Berlin

Berlin—named not for the German city, but evolving from Burleigh Inn, a Colonial-era way station—is a short drive from Ocean City, yet it could not...

Accokeek

By fighting off developers in the 1950s, the Accokeek Foundation helped keep the view from Mount Vernon as George Washington would have seen it. Today...

Lusby

Lusby is larger than either Port Republic or Broomes Island and has a town center as well as some of the big, convenience stores on...

Clinton

The origin of the name Clinton is unclear—the town used to be called Surrattsville for Mary Surratt's husband, the postmaster John Surratt...

North Beach

In some ways a quieter, more-residential extension of Chesapeake Beach, North Beach has a fishing pier and a quiet boardwalk. When it was founded in...

Port Tobacco

One of the oldest communities in the East, Port Tobacco first existed as the Native American settlement of "Potopaco." (The similarity between this Native American...

Furnace Town

...

Waldorf

The lovely rural fields of other parts of eastern Maryland give way to developments and higher-density traffic when you reach Waldorf...

New Market

...

Sandy Spring

...

Upper Marlboro

...

The Eastern Shore

Sailing the Chesapeake Bay nearly four centuries ago in search of new territory for his English king, Captain John Smith wrote that "heaven and earth...

Frederick and Western Maryland

Although just a short drive from Washington, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh, western Maryland and Frederick County feel a world apart, with their postcard-perfect vistas and vintage...

Annapolis and Southern Maryland

The past is never far away from the present among the coves, rivers, and creeks of the Chesapeake Bay's lesser-known western shore. In the lively...

Montgomery County

In 1776 Montgomery County, named after Revolutionary War hero General Richard Montgomery, became the first Maryland county to drop the custom of naming jurisdictions after...

Prince George's County

Named in 1696 for Denmark and Norway's prince (the husband of the heir to the throne of England, Princess Anne), the county was once famous...

Queen Anne's County

...

C&O Canal National Historic Park

...

The Eastern Shore

Sailing the Chesapeake Bay nearly four centuries ago in search of new territory for his English king, Captain John Smith wrote that "heaven and earth...

Frederick and Western Maryland

Although just a short drive from Washington, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh, western Maryland and Frederick County feel a world apart, with their postcard-perfect vistas and vintage...

Annapolis and Southern Maryland

The past is never far away from the present among the coves, rivers, and creeks of the Chesapeake Bay's lesser-known western shore. In the lively...

Montgomery County

In 1776 Montgomery County, named after Revolutionary War hero General Richard Montgomery, became the first Maryland county to drop the custom of naming jurisdictions after...

Prince George's County

Named in 1696 for Denmark and Norway's prince (the husband of the heir to the throne of England, Princess Anne), the county was once famous...

Queen Anne's County

...

C&O Canal National Historic Park

...

Point Lookout State Park

...

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

...

Point Lookout State Park

...

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

...

Smith Island

Chesapeake Bay's Smith Island has an intriguing heritage dating back more than three centuries. The residents are descendents of late-17th-century English settlers who made a...

Tilghman Island

A visit to Tilghman Island provides intriguing insight into the Eastern Shore's remarkable character. Leave your car and explore by bike or kayak. A handful...

Broomes Island

An area without specific boundaries, Broomes is not even an island per se, except during a very high tide or in a strong storm. It's...

Tangier Island, Virginia

Crab traps stacked 10 feet high, watermen's shanties on the water, and a landscape virtually devoid of modern commercialization characterize this Virginia island fishing community...

Smith Island

Chesapeake Bay's Smith Island has an intriguing heritage dating back more than three centuries. The residents are descendents of late-17th-century English settlers who made a...

Tilghman Island

A visit to Tilghman Island provides intriguing insight into the Eastern Shore's remarkable character. Leave your car and explore by bike or kayak. A handful...

Broomes Island

An area without specific boundaries, Broomes is not even an island per se, except during a very high tide or in a strong storm. It's...

Tangier Island, Virginia

Crab traps stacked 10 feet high, watermen's shanties on the water, and a landscape virtually devoid of modern commercialization characterize this Virginia island fishing community...

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Baltimore

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Frederick and Western Maryland

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Montgomery County

Prince George's County

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Cumberland

Easton

National Harbor

Chestertown

Deep Creek Lake

St. Michaels

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Oakland

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Oxford

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Sharpsburg

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Potomac

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Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Point Lookout State Park

Largo

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Bowie

Port Republic

St. Mary's City

Glen Echo

Tilghman Island

Lexington Park

Clinton

Accokeek

North Beach

Berlin

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Lusby

Emmitsburg

Queenstown

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Waldorf

Port Tobacco

Furnace Town

Upper Marlboro

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