Basics
- Location:
- This route travels along the Chesapeake Bay in Queen Anne County, Maryland
- Length:
- 85.5 miles (137 km)
- Time:
- 2.5 hours to drive, 2-3 days to visit the entire Byway.
- Fees:
- No fees to drive the Byway.
Description
Along the small towns of Maryland's Chesapeake Bay, where history and maritime charm abound, the Chesapeake County Scenic Byway carves out a path of beauty and fun. Traveling through pastoral farmlands, wildlife preserves, and Bayside waters, this route offers an oasis of tranquility away from the clutter and clanking of city life.
An aura of peace pervades the area, and the traveler leaves feeling enriched for having been a part of this tranquil scene - even if only for just a day.
Expect to see plenty of wild birds en route as this road runs along the Atlantic Fly-By. Species such as the Tundra Swan and the Great Blue Heron come to the protected areas nearby. Even the South Bald Eagle have been seen flying overhead. Naturalists and nature photographers find plenty here to be happy about.
The Chesapeake Bay is still a beacon of seafaring charm where boats of every size and shape dock at ports along the way. Professional fishermen are often seen working the waters. And, weekend anglers cast their lines in the Bay or in nearby rivers and creeks for the striped bass, better known to native Marylanders as the "rockfish".
The Chesapeake County Scenic Byway begins on the east side of the Chesapeake Bridge and continues on to the Chesapeake & Delaware (C&D) Canal. Its path follows Routes 18, 301, 213, 291, 20, 445, 298, and 292.
Helpful Links
Points of Interest
Points of Interest Along The Way
Betterton Beach (MD)
A once thriving 19th Century Victorian resort with its own steamboat landing, Betterton Beach today is a new county recreational area. It provides facilities for swimming, boating,fishing and picnicking. Betterton is also the only nettle-free public beach on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Nearby you can enjoy tennis courts, hiking trails, sporting clays, three wildlife refuges and miles of excellent biking roads.
Directions
Just past Kennedyville (heading south) take 292 to Betterton Beach.
C&D Canal Museum (MD)
The C&D Canal Museum, which is adjacent to Chesapeake City,is housed in the old canal pump house and is open to the public,free of charge. The museum contains exhibits and canal artifacts.One of its main features is the oldest canal engine of its kind in the United States, still on its original mount.
Cecil County Historic Driving Tour (MD)
Volume One of Cecil's Historic Driving Tour is an audio tape and map set which tells tales of history between Elkton and the Sassafras River. Fourteen of the twenty sites are in the byway region.
Centreville (MD)
Centreville sets a classic example of small town America. Lovers of period architecture can stroll tree lined streets and study good examples, from simple austere colonial homes to gracious Victorian era dwellings with wrap around porches. The town is the center of government operations and has been since incorporation in 1794, but settlement dates back to the establishment of St. Paul's Parish in 1692.
Centreville - A Walking Tour (MD)
The new county seat due to its location in the approximate center of the county, Centreville was laid out in 1792. It has retained much of its small town charm and the walking tour includes twenty-four historic sites located throughout the town.
Chesapeake & Delaware Canal (MD)
A Dutch envoy and mapmaker named Augustine Herman proposed that a waterway be built to connect the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River in the mid-1600s. However, construction of the canal did not begin until 1804 and it wasn’t until 1829 that Herman's vision was realized and the canal opened for business.
Tugboats, ships, barges and pleasure craft from ports around the globe travel the C&D Canal and slip beneath the Chesapeake City Bridge en route to their destinations. Traveling the busiest canal in the United States can save them 300 sailing miles.
Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (MD)
Horsehead Wetlands Center is a 500-acre natural area and educational center providing year-round opportunities to observe and enjoy a variety of wildlife. The trails include concealed blinds, towers, and a boardwalk bringing visitors face to face with the wetlands and their wildlife.
Chesapeake Exploration Center (MD)
Located on the scenic Kent Narrows channel, the Exploration Center includes hands-on interactive exhibits which feature artifacts and displays that tell the story of the Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern Shore Region. Visitors will learn about the area from the earliest geology to man's impact on the estuary over time. Visitors can find out how the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was constructed, learn how many tons of tomatoes were processed by local canneries, discover what kinds of wildlife live in the watershed, and how we can help save the Bay.
Chesapeake Farms (MD)
The 3,300 acres of Chesapeake Farms are devoted to the development, evaluation and demonstration of advanced agricultural practices and wildlife management techniques, which are designed to be environmentally sound, productive, economically viable and socially acceptable. This self-guided driving tour will direct you through Chesapeake Farms with 16 stops of interest.
Directions
Go through Chestertown on Route 213 past Washington College and turn left on Route 291 (if coming in on Route 291, proceed through this light). Continue until Route 20. Turn right and continue 8.5 miles until Ricauds Branch/Langford Road. Turn left. You will see the Chesapeake Farms sign on the right.
Christ Church c.1880 (MD)
This beautiful Gothic structure, has a steep slate roof, a stone foundation, and is distinctly different from most other church buildings in the region. This site housed one of the oldest congregations in the state. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
