List of Maryland state parks facts for kids

Maryland is home to many amazing state parks! These special places are managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. They offer tons of fun activities for everyone. You can explore nature, learn about history, and enjoy the outdoors. From sandy beaches to tall mountains, Maryland's state parks have something for every adventure.

Explore Maryland's State Parks

Maryland has many state parks, each with unique features. Here's a look at some of the cool places you can visit:

Coastal & Bay Parks

• Assateague State Park in Worcester County is a barrier island. It's perfect for swimming, looking for shells, sunbathing, surfing, and fishing in the Atlantic Ocean. You might even spot wild horses!
• Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park in Dorchester and Talbot counties is a great spot for fishing, hiking, and biking along the Choptank River.
• Calvert Cliffs State Park in Calvert County is famous for its fossil hunting! You can also hike, fish, hunt, and picnic here. The cliffs overlook the Chesapeake Bay.
• Elk Neck State Park in Cecil County is on the Chesapeake Bay. It has a beach, camping, cabins, and trails for hiking and biking. Don't miss the historic Turkey Point Light lighthouse!
• Janes Island State Park in Somerset County is on the Chesapeake Bay. It has a visitors center, cabins, camping, and lots of water sports.
• Matapeake State Park in Queen Anne's County offers a beach on the Chesapeake Bay. It's a great place to relax by the water.
• North Point State Park in Baltimore County used to be an amusement park! Now it has a visitors center, swimming, hiking and biking trails, and fishing piers on the Back River and Chesapeake Bay.
• Pocomoke River State Park in Worcester County has a swimming pool, biking and hiking trails, and boat rentals on the Pocomoke River. It's great for camping and picnicking too.
• Point Lookout State Park in St. Mary's County is where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Potomac River. It has a museum about the American Civil War and offers swimming, camping, fishing, and hiking.
• Sandy Point State Park in Anne Arundel County is right on the Chesapeake Bay. You can go swimming, fishing, crabbing, boating, and picnicking.

Mountain & Forest Parks

• Big Run State Park in Garrett County is perfect for camping, fishing, canoeing, hiking, and picnicking near the Savage River Reservoir.
• Cunningham Falls State Park in Frederick County is home to beautiful waterfalls! You can go boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, and picnicking.
• Dans Mountain State Park in Allegany County has an Olympic-sized swimming pool with a waterslide! It also offers fishing, hiking, and picnic areas.
• Deep Creek Lake State Park in Garrett County is on Maryland's largest man-made lake, Deep Creek Lake. It's great for boating, fishing, camping, hunting, and hiking.
• Gambrill State Park in Frederick County is a wonderful place for picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and camping.
• Greenbrier State Park in Frederick and Washington counties has a lake for swimming, fishing, and boating. You can also rent boats, camp, and hike on trails including the Appalachian Trail.
• New Germany State Park in Garrett County offers swimming, fishing, picnicking, boating, camping, cabins, and cross-country skiing in winter.
• Rocky Gap State Park in Allegany County is on Lake Habeeb. It's a popular spot for boating, camping, fishing, and hiking.
• Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County is known for its beautiful waterfalls along the Youghiogheny River. It's great for camping, hiking, and picnicking.
• Wills Mountain State Park in Allegany County is an undeveloped park with beautiful views.

Historic & Cultural Parks

• Casselman River Bridge State Park in Garrett County features a historic bridge built in 1813. It's also a popular fishing spot.
• Fort Frederick State Park in Washington County has a stone fort built during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). You can visit the fort, picnic, boat, fish, hike, and camp.
• Gathland State Park in Frederick and Washington counties was once the home of writer George Alfred Townsend. It has a museum and hiking trails, including part of the Appalachian Trail.
• Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park in Dorchester County honors the life of Harriet Tubman, a brave abolitionist and Underground Railroad activist. It opened in 2017 and teaches visitors about her amazing work.
• Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum in Calvert County offers hiking, exhibits, and educational programs about Maryland's history.
• Rosaryville State Park in Prince George's County features the historic Mount Airy Mansion. It has trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
• Smallwood State Park in Charles County is home to "Smallwood's Retreat," a historic site. It has a marina, camping, and nature trails.
• St. Clement's Island State Park in St. Mary's County is only reachable by boat. It has a reconstructed lighthouse and a memorial to the first Maryland settlers who landed there in 1634.
• Washington Monument State Park in Frederick and Washington counties has a stone monument built in 1827 to honor President George Washington. You can picnic and hike on the Appalachian Trail here.
• Wye Oak State Park in Talbot County was once home to a famous, massive oak tree. Even though the tree fell in 2002, it's still a place for picnicking and remembering nature's giants.

Other Great Parks for Activities

• Gunpowder Falls State Park in Baltimore and Harford counties is a huge park with many areas. You can picnic, hike, bike, horseback ride, cross-country ski, hunt, and enjoy various water sports on the Gunpowder River.
• Hart-Miller Island State Park in Baltimore County is an island park only accessible by boat. It has a long sandy beach for visitors.
• Matthew Henson State Park in Montgomery County has a greenway perfect for hiking and biking.
• Patapsco Valley State Park spans several counties and is one of Maryland's oldest state parks, established in 1907. It offers hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, picnicking, canoeing, fishing, camping, and historical tours along the Patapsco River.
• Patuxent River State Park in Howard and Montgomery counties is great for hunting, fishing, hiking, and horseback riding along the Patuxent River.
• Rocks State Park in Harford County is known for its unique rock formations. You can go fishing, hiking, picnicking, wading, canoeing, tubing, and even rock climbing!
• Seneca Creek State Park in Montgomery County offers boating, fishing, picnicking, and even disc golf. You can also visit historic sites like Black Rock Mill.
• St. Mary's River State Park in St. Mary's County has trails for hiking, horseback riding, and biking around St. Mary's Lake. You can also picnic, boat, fish, and hunt.
• Susquehanna State Park in Cecil and Harford counties is on the Susquehanna River. It's great for fishing, camping, picnicking, boating, and hiking.
• Tuckahoe State Park in Caroline and Queen Anne's counties has trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. You can also canoe, picnic, camp, and hunt.

Maryland State Battlefields

Maryland also protects important historical sites where battles took place. These are called state battlefields.

• North Point State Battlefield in Baltimore County preserves land where the Battle of North Point happened on September 12, 1814, during the War of 1812. This battle was part of the larger Battle of Baltimore.
• South Mountain State Battlefield in Frederick and Washington counties is a Civil War historic site. It marks the location of the Battle of South Mountain in September 1862.

Images for kids

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  Deep Creek Lake

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  Monocacy River

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  Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum

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  Western Maryland Rail Trail