MARYLAND AT A GLANCE

PARKS & RECREATION

STATE PARKS

[photo, Sandy Point State Park near Chesapeake Bay Bridge (Anne Arundel County), Maryland] Because of Maryland's diverse geography, State parks offer a variety of recreation from snow skiing to ocean fishing. Most are open to the public, sunrise to sunset, April through October.

Along with the State Parks, the State Park System includes 24 Natural Resources Management Areas (NRMA) covering 26,921 acres, 7 Natural Environmental Areas totaling 12,698 acres, 3 Rail Trails over 897 acres, and 2 State Battlefields covering 2,440 acres. In total, the State Park System covers some 138,270 acres.

Sandy Point State Park near Chesapeake Bay Bridge (Anne Arundel County), Maryland, May 2012. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

The Maryland Park Service of the Department of Natural Resources is responsible for and maintains some fifty-one State parks covering 95,314 acres. These include:

STATE PARKS (by county)

[photo, Washington Monument, Washington Monument State Park, Boonsboro (Washington County), Maryland]
Allegany County Charles County Prince George's County
Anne Arundel County Dorchester County Queen Anne's County
Baltimore County Frederick County St. Mary's County
Calvert County Garrett County Somerset County
Caroline County Harford County Talbot County
Carroll County Howard County Washington County
Cecil County Montgomery County Worcester County

Washington Monument, Washington Monument State Park, Boonsboro (Washington County), Maryland, February 2001. Photo by Ann J. Baker.

[photo, Rocky Gap State Park, Flintstone (Allegany County), Maryland] ALLEGANY COUNTY
Offering fishing, hiking, and picnic areas, three State parks are located in Allegany County. Dan's Mountain State Park is known for its Olympic-size swimming pool. Rock Gap has boating on Lake Habeeb, as well as rental cabins and campgrounds.

Rocky Gap State Park, Flintstone (Allegany County), Maryland, October 2014. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
State parks in Anne Arundel County provide diverse options for recreation. Sandy Point State Park offers boat launches, boat rentals, fishing, swimming, and hiking. Patapsco Valley State Park (with portions located in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, & Howard counties) maintains bike, hiking, and horse paths; campsites and cabins; picnic areas; and fishing and canoe access.
BALTIMORE COUNTY
Baltimore County's State parks cover a wide variety of interests. Gunpowder Falls, North Point, and Patapsco Valley State parks all have mountain biking paths, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and picnic areas. Gunpowder Falls and Patapsco Valley also offer regular bike paths, horse paths, and campgrounds. Boat launches and rentals, cabins, and swimming areas may be found also at Gunpowder Falls State Park, while Hart-Miller Island State Park provides campsites, picnic areas, fishing, and swimming areas.

CALVERT COUNTY
Calvert Cliffs State Park affords fishing, hiking, horse paths, and picnic grounds.

CAROLINE COUNTY
Boat launches and rentals, cabins, campsites, canoeing, fishing, and picnic areas all can be found at Martinak State Park.

CARROLL COUNTY
Patapsco Valley State Park, whose boundaries encompass three other counties, maintains bike, hiking and horse paths; campsites and cabins; picnic areas; and fishing and canoe access.

CECIL COUNTY
Nestled into Elk Neck State Park are mountain bike and hiking paths, boat launches and rentals, fishing, canoeing, campsites, picnic areas, and swimming. The historic Turkey Point Lighthouse also is located at the Park.

CHARLES COUNTY
Used primarily for hunting and fishing, Purse and Chapel Point State Parks use unmarked trails. A compass and map are a necessity for using these trails. Chapel Point also maintains minimal beach area that may be used for canoes and other small watercraft. In contrast, Smallwood State Park has fishing, hiking, picnic and camping areas, as well as a children’s playground.

DORCHESTER COUNTY
Opened in January 2015, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park consists of 17.3 acres adjacent to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and near the town of Church Creek. Ground was broken for the Park's Visitor Center on March 9, 2013.

[photo, Cunningham Falls, Cunningham Falls State Park, Thurmont (Frederick County), Maryland] FREDERICK COUNTY
At wooded Cunningham Falls State Park are boat launches and rentals, canoeing, and swimming. Gambrill State Park offers mountain bike and horse paths. Both have hiking, fishing, campsites, and picnic areas.
  • Cunningham Falls State Park (Thurmont) (301) 271-7574
  • Gambrill State Park (Thurmont) (301) 271-7574
  • Gathland State Park (Boonsboro) (301) 791-4767
  • Monocacy River Natural Resources Management Area (Gaithersburg) (301) 924-2127


    • Cunningham Falls, Cunningham Falls State Park, Thurmont (Frederick County), Maryland, April 2004. Photo by Ann J. Baker.

    GARRETT COUNTY
    Six State parks are found in Garrett County. All offer picnic, and fishing areas, while all but Casselman River State Park have hiking paths. Mountain bike paths, swimming areas, and boat launches and rentals are available at Deep Creek, Herrington Manor and New Germany State Parks, and the last two have rental cabins available. Big Run, Deep Creek, Herrington Manor and New Germany State Parks offer canoeing, while campsites may be found at Big Run, Deep Creek, New Germany, and Swallow Falls State Parks.
    [photo, Gunpowder Falls State Park, Kingsville, Harford and Baltimore Counties, Maryland] HARFORD COUNTY
    At Rocks State Park, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and picnic areas are available. Gunpowder Falls State Park and Susquehanna State Park offer bike, horse and hiking paths; boat launches; campsites; canoeing; fishing; and picnic areas.

    Gunpowder Falls State Park, Kingsville, Harford & Baltimore Counties, Maryland, August 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    HOWARD COUNTY
    With sections located in three other counties, Patapsco Valley State Park has bike, hiking and horse paths; campsites and cabins; picnic areas; fishing; and canoe access. The Park headquarters is based in Ellicott City.

    KENT ISLAND
    The Sassafras Natural Resources Management Area is known for its views of the Sassafras River and the Chespeake Bay. Activities include hiking, biking, and horse trail riding, and birding.

    MONTGOMERY COUNTY
    While Patuxent River and Seneca Creek State Parks both offer hiking, fishing, and horse paths, Seneca Creek also provides bike paths, boat launches and rentals, canoeing, and picnic areas.

    PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY
    Rosaryville State Park maintains mountain bike, hiking and horse paths, as well as picnic areas.

    QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY
    Tuckahoe State Park offers boat launches and rentals, canoeing, fishing, mountain bike and hiking paths, campsites, and picnic areas.

    ST. MARY'S COUNTY
    All four State parks in St. Mary's County offer canoeing, fishing, hiking, and picnic areas. Greenwell State Park also has mountain bike and horse paths. Point Lookout State Park includes a boat launch and rentals, cabins, and camping areas, as well as swimming. St. Mary’s River State Park holds mountain bike and horse paths, and a boat launch.

    SOMERSET COUNTY
    Amenities at Janes Island State Park include a boat launch and rentals, cabins, campsites, canoeing, fishing, hiking, swimming, and picnic areas.

    TALBOT COUNTY
    The Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park was dedicated on July 23, 2010. The Park includes the Choptank River Fishing Piers, which were renamed in July 2009 to honor Bill Burton, a reporter and outdoorsman who died August 10, 2009. Open year-round, the fishing piers are lighted for night fishing, April through December. Wye Oak State Park, a small area, offers a picnic site.

    WASHINGTON COUNTY
    [photo, Hikers at Washington Monument State Park, Boonsboro (Washington County), Maryland] The State parks in Washington County offer a variety of amenities. The Washington Monument State Park and South Mountain State Park both contain camping areas and hiking paths. Gathland State Park provides hiking paths and picnic areas. Greenbrier State Park offers mountain bike and hiking paths, boat launch and rentals, canoeing and swimming, and picnic and camping areas. Bike and hiking trails, boat launch and rentals, canoeing, fishing, camping, and picnic areas are available at Fort Frederick State Park.

    Hikers at Washington Monument State Park, Boonsboro (Washington County), Maryland, February 2001. Photo by Elizabeth W. Newell.

    WORCESTER COUNTY
    Both State parks in Worcester County provide campsites, boat launches and rentals, canoeing, fishing, and picnic and swimming areas. Assateague State Park also offers bike paths, while Pocomoke River State Park maintains rental cabins and hiking paths. Pocomoke River State Park encompasses the Pocomoke State Forest.

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