Most people don't drive over the Bay Bridge for the purpose of stopping on Kent Island, and I…read moreusually don't either. Having found the occasion, I discovered the park was free, had some nicely kept facilities, and more paths than I had time to go through in bad weather. A variety of environments from swamp to beach await. There is too little public land on the bay, and this was one of the larger stretches in the area. And hey, you need to get out of the car every now and then.

Visited on a Sunday, nice parking area with modern restrooms that were open. Plenty of maintained…read moretrails with different views of the water, woods, marsh areas. Only really issue was trail signage, did not have a map (should have took a picture at entrance) so trail signage was not the greatist. The Map Legend at entrance did not have a legend that we saw so distance was a guess. Overall, nice park, be back in the Summer.

We arrived on Thursday morning and this particular center is only open on the weekend so we…read morecouldn't get a stamp for our book. It's strange because normally these are not open on the weekend so it was refreshing that this one is even if we did miss it. No worries we will send an email in for our stamp. This island is very large, and full of life. Jeff says You can smell the crabs lololol I thought more like a worm farm. Seen wild turkeys, birds, water and ducks. Unfortunately not the greatest weather but we will still take it. #88 in the books

The Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge is beautiful and definitely worth a visit if you are…read morestaying close by like us. Just a short drive from Rock Hall, MD, it offers cool views of the Chester River and we even spotted Baltimore through the viewfinder. We did not see much wildlife on this particular day but it was still nice to walk around the butterfly garden.

My friend and I really enjoyed coming here for a good afternoon hike. The signs were clear and the…read morehike with the waterfall was really nice. There were restrooms by the parking lot and the park wasn't too crowded. We had a great time exploring this part of Patapsco!

This is a well-maintained state park that is suitable for folks of all ages. Great for relaxing…read morewalks with your pets and family, swimming, biking and solo trips. Although quite crowded during weekends, the trails are quiet for the most part. My husband & I took the Soapstone trail to the beautiful Cascade falls and it didn't disappoint. The path was clean & easily accessible. Although rocky at a few places and had a creek crossing, our 3-mile hike went by quickly. After the hike, we couldn't miss visiting the popular attraction - the Swinging Bridge. It did scare me a bit while walking on it lol but for the view and the cool breeze blowing, I'd definitely visit it again. Parking: $3 per vehicle Amenities: Picnic tables, kids playground, barbecue grill, swimming, camping etc

Awesome trails that are well marked and we'll maintained. Don't get confused with Annapolis Rock…read morebeing down near Annapolis, MD and don't get confused over the Washington Monument that's out here too - we're in Myersville haha. Seriously my current favorite stretch of trails in the state of Maryland, you have the option of going to either vista(we did both when we were out there and added a few miles on another trail) and both views are awesome. Be prepared for some good elevation climb, I clocked our highest gain of being 1800 feet - felt hard core. Just doing either one of the trails will be a good trek and not overwhelming for any novice hiker. Doing both might be a bit much for those not well versed in walking for really long periods of time. Dog friendly, but please leash your creatures. All it takes is one friendly unleashed dog to run up to a not friendly leashed dog and then everyone's trail experience is ruined. We finished just shy of 15 miles for our day, and felt great! Annapolis Rock is the steeper climb albeit shorter at around 2.2 miles out then 2.2 miles back(4.4 mile hike). Washington Monument is an easier trail though it's a bit longer and around 3.5 miles out then 3.5 back. Highly recommend, super easy to find with the parking strip right off the road!

I'm so glad to finally be able to write a review on this place. It was so hard to find for me. But…read moreit was totally worth the trouble. It was an amazing hike. The right amount of hard work and great view The actual address for the trail head to Annapolis Rock from Maryland is 11142-11150 Baltimore National Pike Myersville MD 21773

The good: Parking was spacious, free and had shaded spots…read more It was a short walk from the parking lot to the beach. The path was lined with tanbark. It's a small beach with a short shore and there is shallow water. I saw herons and folks using metal detectors. The sandy area had cool shells and some interesting bugs. I liked that there was a clean bathroom between the parking lot and the beach. There were picnic tables on the sand where we enjoyed snacks. They were shaded so it was nice. The bad: There are lots of jelly fish that can definitely sting so you basically cannot get into the water. No tents are allowed. The interesting: I saw lots of dogs here running around in the water. It looks very dog-friendly despite other reviews saying there are signs that don't allow dogs.

Quick note for potential beach goers: Only single-pole beach umbrellas are allowed on the beach. We…read morekind of learned the hard way that beach tents are not allowed. Originally, we were interested in Matapeake Beach because of the dog beach. However for our first visit (of hopefully many visits), we decided to leave the dog at home because it was super hot. But, I think in the future, we will take the dog if we can arrive to the beach around 8 am. The second reason we were interested in this beach: It is fairly close to Silver Spring, MD. With a departure of 9am, we arrived at the beach around 10 am on a summer weekday. For the most part, we did not experience too much traffic (on a weekday) in both directions Silver Spring-Matapeake-Silver Spring. Also, I think there were 1-2 tolls in each directions. Overall, I thought the beach/park was very clean and well-maintained. I'll note that there are not very many amenities (if any) on or near the beach the beach (e.g., food vendors), which necessarily was not a bad thing for me. Although parking is limited, it is free (a very pleasant surprise) as of June 2025. I'm not 100% sure, but I think there were like 50 (or less) parking spaces. Since we visited on a weekday, we did not have any trouble finding a spot in the parking lot. However, I can imagine that parking my be a bit of a nightmare on weekends and holidays. Also, the access to the beach was free (another pleasant surprise). The folks at the beach were pretty friendly and respectful of their surroundings -- for instance, I did not hear super loud music (just the soundtrack of waves, a few dogs barking, and a few kids playing); see people acting a plum fool; notice substantial litter (or other not so fun things) on the beach. Even though we were disappointed that we had to take down our beach tent, the park ranger was super nice about it. The water was a pretty smooth with little to no waves so it is nice for little humans and dogs. I think I had to walk about 0.25 miles to get to a point where the water was waist level to me, but that was a VERY minor inconvenience. Overall, I think this is a great beach for a quick day (or half a day) trip.

Glad that we visited this wonderful spot near Annapolis, as it was comforting and beautiful, a…read morepopular place to enjoy outdoor beauty and the Chesapeake Bay! Numerous trails and options throughout, and the park is open from 7 AM until dusk. Among the options are a dog park, art galleries, playgrounds, kayak rentals, ice skating, and picnic areas. I did not get to the Visitors Center, as it closed at 4 PM. We visited the South River Overlook Trail, which was four-tenths of a mile in length, and had benches at the water to fully enjoy and appreciate the spectacular views. There are six other trails, ranging to as much as a mile and one-half in length. An $8 entry fee for automobiles, additional for larger vehicles, and they also offer lifetime senior passes.

Immaculate vibes for a picnic date or a nice walk along the water ample parking and well kept…read moregrounds. It was easy to find, basically just drive to the end (however Google maps took us there w no issues!) On our way home I stopped into the ladies room and to my surprise it was clean and also well kept. Gorgeous park!

One of the nicest parks that I have been to since living in Maryland. Great for a bike ride a walk…read moreor even a run. This park runs along the Chesapeake Bay which is pretty cool and the views are pretty nice. I also like that there are various points of exiting and entering the park in case you want to do a long run and or bike ride. This place also looks wonderful for a nice picnic with the family or a loved one would definitely recommend.

The dog beach is closed and is being redone. The bathrooms were closed the day I went. I've been…read moreonce before and got ticks on one of the walking paths. The flies and mosquitos can get pretty nasty while walking as well, so I wish they would spray with non-toxic sprays to help reduce them.

Divided into 6 parts, it's not possible to do it in one day or even one week. Each part is…read moredifferent, although there is overlap. It could take a lifetime to get to know this park well. It's pretty huge. In fact, it's Maryland's largest state park. I spent 4 days here camping recently and barely scratched the surface. There are lots of hiking trails for all levels. There are numerous bike trails that are flat and easy, including the famous Torrey C. Brown rail trail that goes for about 20 miles and crosses into Pennsylvania. And there's also a fair amount of mountain bike trails that range from moderate to difficult. There are places to swim and picnic too. All of it is family friendly. Essentially, the park is the land all along both sides of the Little Gunpowder Falls River. You'll just have to see it for yourself. I can recommend Jesse's Trail and Pleasantville area loop for mountain biking; Torrey C. Brown rail trail (an all-weather trail made of crushed stone that's flat and smooth) for both hiking and biking; and Hobo Beach for a dip in the water. Parking can be challenging, so the earlier in the day, the better.

Not enough parking. You literally wait for people to leave the few spaces available. Open a parking…read morearea for people to enjoy the park

It's closed for months to repair a sewage siphon in spring, which is ridiculous. There's a sewage…read morepipe that empties into the waterfall area, but people don't seem to care and they swim, even though you can smell the sewage. The whole place and even the forest is littered with hard lemonade and beer bottles, babies diapers, dog poop and all kinds of food wrappers.

Amazing hiking trails! Trails are pretty accessible for all levels…read more The trail maps need updating as there are some new trails.