Chesapeake Beach

Chesapeake Beach

Various Locations, Chesapeake Beach, MD 20732
(410) 257-2230

Chesapeake Beach is a century-old beach resort in northern Calvert County. The resort was once served by trains that brought visitors from Washington, DC. North Beach adjoins it to the north and the North Beach description should be read in conjunction with this one.

Chesapeake Beach offers frontage on the Chesapeake Bay, as well as the fine marsh of Fishing Creek. For birders, the prime attractions are the excellent public access to the Chesapeake Bay shoreline, with its offer of waterfowl, gulls, terns, and shorebirds, and the boardwalk into the Fishing Creek marsh, where you can have close-up views of herons, egrets, rails, and marsh-dwelling sparrows and wrens. All the described birding spots are reached from MD Route 261/Bayside Road, which runs north-south as the main thoroughfare through town.

An excellent dawn stop is the Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail (click here for Google Map), a boardwalk that follows the old railway bed along Fishing Creek and through its marsh, giving a chance to find rails and other marsh species. The boardwalk comes to a T in 0.4 miles from its start; both the right and left branches offer some woods and shrubby habitat and are worth exploring. The two branches each go another half-mile or so and then dead-end. See directions below to reach the parking area for the Railway Trail.

A good spot for viewing the Chesapeake Bay is the Chesapeake Beach Veterans Memorial Park, 8217 Bayside Avenue, at the intersection with MD Route 260/Chesapeake Beach Road (click here for Google Map). There is no parking at the Memorial, but you can park at the Town Hall, at the southwest corner of 26th Street and Bayside Avenue, and walk north a block-and-a-half to the Memorial, being cautious when crossing Bayside Avenue.

A second stop for viewing the Bay is at the Chesapeake Beach Marina (aka Rod n’ Reel Marina) and Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum, just off Bayside Avenue at 4155 Mears Avenue (click here for Google Map). The museum shares a huge parking lot with the marina and a complex of other businesses including the Rod ‘N Reel Restaurant, the Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa, and a couple of charter fishing outfits. Park near the Museum and walk around to the beach side of the Rod ‘N Reel Restaurant, where there is a pavilion and seating area. You’ll have views not only of the open water of the Bay, but also of the rocky jetties to the immediate north and south. The jetties may hold shorebirds, gulls, terns (in season), and loafing waterfowl.  The sandy beach and cove visible to the south from the patio of the resort may have additional birds. The beach itself is private property, so don’t walk down to it.

Theoretically, a third spot to view the Bay is the town’s Bay Front Park (aka Brownie’s Beach), on the Bay at the south end of town (7255 Bayside Road) (click here for Google Map). However, the Town Council has ruled that Brownies Beach is open only to town residents and their guests. Previously the beach was open to non-residents during the off-season but that is no longer the case. In case the policy changes in the future, or if you know a resident who will take you as a guest, note that the 18-acre park features a woodlot adjacent to a sandy beach and offers views of the outlet of a small freshwater stream, so the habitat is good here for passerines as well as water-oriented birds. The park provides access to a town-owned boardwalk that extends north to 17th Street, offering additional views of the Bay.

Birdlife:

Special Designations:

The Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum is a part of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network of the National Park Service.

Special Features:

• This small town has restaurants, a seasonal water park, and other features that make it good for family outings. There is an annual winter holiday lighting tradition that makes a night-time visit worth the trip.
• If you look over the side rails as you walk the boardwalk at the Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail, you will see wooden cages suspended in the water – these are oyster cultivation cages, placed here by the Chesapeake Beach Oyster Cultivation Society. The organization aims to restore oyster populations in the area and improving water quality, while also providing educational programs and outreach and improving trail facilities in town. Their digital flip-book Treasures of a Tidal Creek is one of their educational outreach projects.
• The Beach Towns Water Trail runs along the Bay shoreline and connects the towns of North Beach and Chesapeake Beach. There is also a water trail along Fishing Creek. These water trails are described in the Calvert County Water Trails brochure.

Local MOS Chapter:

There is no chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society in Calvert County, but many birders participate in MOS through the Anne Arundel Bird Club or the Patuxent Bird Club; both of these MOS chapters offer field trips and meetings with informative programs, all free and open to the public. In addition, the Southern MD Audubon Society serves birders in Charles, Calvert, St. Mary’s, and Prince George’s Counties.

Lots at Railway Trail, Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum, Northeast Community Center, Town Hall. Also on-street parking meters, but watch for “Residents Only” restrictions and time limits.

Directions:

From the Annapolis area: From US Route 50, take Exit 23 at Parole and go south on MD Route 2/Solomons Island Road. At MD Route 260/Chesapeake Beach Road, turn left (east). MD Route 260 will end at a T-intersection at MD Route 261/Bayside Road.

• Directly ahead on the other side of the intersection is the Chesapeake Beach Veterans Memorial Park, offering a view of the Bay. There is no parking here; but turn right and go south one block and park at the Town Hall at the corner of 26th Street and walk back to the Memorial. Be extremely cautious crossing the street to the Memorial.
• To reach parking for the Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail, continue south on MD Route 261/Bayside Avenue, and turn right (west) at the Chesapeake Beach Water Park onto Gordon Stinnett Avenue. Proceed to where the road makes a sharp left turn near apartment buildings, but instead of continuing into the apartment area, turn left (south) into a marina area. You should be on the WEST side of a short marina boat slip area. Park in any marked space except those reserved for slipholders. Walk to the south end of the parking lot for the start of the Railway Trail/boardwalk.
• To reach the Chesapeake Bay Marina (aka Rod n’ Reel Marina) and Chesapeake Bay Railway Museum, return to MD Route 261/Bayside Avenue and turn right. The huge parking lot for the Marina and Railway Museum will be ahead on the left in just half-a-block, immediately after the bridge.

From points north in Prince George’s County: Take US Route 301 to Upper Marlboro. At Upper Marlboro, take MD Route 4 south and remain on Route 4 for 6 miles, then take the exit for MD Route 260/Chesapeake Beach Road eastbound. MD Route 260 will end at a T-intersection at MD Route 261/Bayside Road. See directly above for directions to parking for various locations.

From the south in Charles County: Take US Route 301 north to Upper Marlboro. At Upper Marlboro, take MD Route 4 south and remain on Route 4 for 6 miles, then take the exit for MD Route 260/Chesapeake Beach Road eastbound. MD Route 260 will end at a T-intersection at MD Route 261/Bayside Road. See above for directions to parking for various locations.

From the south in Calvert County: Take MD Route 2 to MD Route 261/Plum Point Road and go east. Route 261 will turn north near the Chesapeake Bay and will take you through the town of Chesapeake Beach.

• To reach the Chesapeake Bay Marina (aka Rod n’ Reel Marina) and Chesapeake Bay Railway Museum, enter Chesapeake Beach and continue north on MD Route 261/Bayside Avenue. The large parking lot for the Marina and Railway Museum will be on the right, immediately before a bridge.
• To reach parking for the Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail, return to MD Route 261/Bayside Avenue, and turn right to go north over the bridge. Turn left (west) at the next intersection, at the Chesapeake Beach Water Park, onto Gordon Stinnett Avenue. Proceed to where the road makes a sharp left turn near apartment buildings, but instead of continuing into the apartment area, turn left (south) into a marina area. You should be on the WEST side of a short marina boat slip area. Park in any marked space except those reserved for slipholders. Walk to the south end of the parking lot for the start of the Railway Trail/boardwalk.
• Your next stop will be the Chesapeake Beach Veterans Memorial Park, offering a view of the Bay. Return to MD Route 261/Bayside Avenue and turn north. In less than a block, just past Trader’s Seafood, Steak & Ale, turn left into the parking lot for the Town Hall. There is no parking at the Memorial itself, so you will park here. Walk to the Memorial, located just 1 and 1/2 blocks north at the intersection with MD Route 260. Be extremely cautious crossing the street to the Memorial.

Nearby Sites:

Calvert County: American Chestnut Land Trust – Parkers Creek Preserve ◾ Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary / Gatewood Preserve / Biscoe Gray Heritage Farm ◾ Calvert Cliffs State Park ◾Flag Ponds Nature Park ◾ Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum ◾ Kings Landing Park & Huntingtown Natural Resources Management Area ◾ North Beach ◾ Solomons Island ◾ Ward Farm Recreation & Nature Park

Charles County: ◾ Indian Creek Natural Resources Management Area ◾ Maxwell Hall Park

Anne Arundel County: Greenbury Point◾ Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary ◾ Sandy Point State Park ◾ Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Habitats:

Bottomland Deciduous ForestsConifersHedgerows Garden or ArboretumLawn, Ballfields, Golf CourseUrban or Small Town Landscape Agricultural Crop Fields or Fallow FieldsHay Meadows, Pasture, Grass FieldOld Fields, Shrubby MeadowsSandy Beach or Dunes Forested SwampFreshwater Marsh or FloodplainJetties & SeawallsMud Flats (Tidal or Non-Tidal)Open Ocean, Bay, or EstuaryRivers & StreamsSalt or Brackish Marsh

Features:

BeginnersBicycle Trails (Bikes may be prohibited on some trails)BoardwalkBoat or Canoe/Kayak LaunchBoat RentalsFishingFree - No Entry Fee at Any TimeHabitat Restoration ProjectHiking/Walking TrailsHistorical FeaturesObservation Platform or TowerOvernight Lodging or CabinsParkingPets AllowedPicnic AreaPlaygroundRestroomsSnack Bar, Camp Store, Food ConcessionsSwimmingVisitor Center, Interpretive Displays, ExhibitsWater ViewWheelchair Accessible FeaturesYoung People / Families

Type:

Chesapeake Bay Gateways NetworkChesapeake Bay Western ShoreDriving Tour (Roadside Birding)Hiker-Biker Trails (Paved)Water Trails