By Sarah Miller Maryland State Parks to Enjoy By Robin O’Neil Smith

Did you know the state of Maryland has 5 state parks? Each one is different, and in total, they cover 97,000 acres. Many of the state parks in the Old Line State are great for all family members. Check out this list of my favorite state parks to visit in Maryland, and you might just find your family’s new favorite place to explore.

If you love flower gardens, this park is for you. Tuckahoe State Park is home to the five-hundred-acre Adkins Arboretum, a garden and a preserve showcasing more than six hundred native plant species. Tuckahoe State Park has a 63-acre lake, cabins, and campgrounds. Fishing, boating, biking, hiking, and horseback riding are popular in this public recreation area along Tuckahoe Creek, located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

If you want to get away from it all, the St. Clement’s Island State Park is a perfect choice. A tiny island in the Potomac River, the state park is only accessible by boat from Coltons Point. Boat tours to St. Clement’s Island State Park are provided daily, weather permitting, from April through October. St. Clement’s is the birthplace of the state of Maryland. Check out the huge cross commemorating the settlers who first arrived in Maryland. The 62-acre park has hiking trails and a picnic pavilion. Fishing and hunting are permitted. Be aware that portajohns are the only restroom facilities on the island, and there are no accessible amenities. 3. Assateague State Park

Park is the one to visit. Located on Assateague Island, It is Maryland’s only oceanfront state park. The island is shared with Virginia, which owns the lower third. Another draw for Assateague State Park is the beautiful wild horses that roam the beach. Legend has it the horses descended from survivors of a shipwrecked Spanish galleon off the mid-Atlantic coast. No fences separate the horses from the public, and they sometimes wander onto beach towels and parking areas. Please don’t attempt to feed or pet the beautiful horses; they are wild and kick and bite. You can also be fined for being too close to them or bothering them. Don’t leave food out. The horses often forage through things to find food. So just enjoy their stately beauty. You can enjoy two miles of gorgeous beach great for swimming, fishing, and surfing on one side of the island and the bay on the other. The bayside is excellent for kayaking and canoeing.

By Robin O’Neal Smith Freelance Travel Writer https://instagram.com/atouchofluxurytravel Maryland State Parks The Whole Family Will Enjoy

History lovers will enjoy a visit to this state park honoring the life of Harriet Tubman. Known as “Moses of Her People,” she spent her life seeking freedom for herself and other enslaved people. Experience her world of leading enslaved people to freedom on the Underground Railroad at The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park via exhibits and a self-guided tour in the visitor’s center. It covers her early years as a slave to becoming a leader and liberator. She helped more than 70 enslaved people escape through her selfless and dangerous efforts. Sitting on the trailhead for the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway spanning 125 miles, the 17-acre State Park welcomes you. This year marks the 200th anniversary of her birth, and 2022 is dubbed the “Year of Harriet Tubman.”

Do we have any disc golf fans? Seneca Creek State Park is home to a twenty-seven-hole disc golf course. Located in Gaithersburg, Seneca Creek State Park is a day-use park with boat rentals for use on the beautiful 90-acre Clopper Lake. They do not permit swimming or wading in this lake. Horseback riding, hiking, and bicycling are available on 50+ miles of trails.

No, we are not in Washington DC. Maryland has their own Washington Monument in Middletown on South Mountain. This peculiar-looking monument was built in 1827 to honor President George Washington. This Washington Monument is built of rough stone, and when you climb to the top, it provides a spectacular panoramic view of the rural farmlands, rolling hills, and gorgeous mountains. This historic park is home to the South Mountain State Battlefield. It is where the first major Civil War battle in Maryland was fought. Washington Monument State Park is a day-use park and has a museum, picnic pavilion, and comfort station.

Let’s go back in time. Calvert Cliffs State Park has impressive twenty million-year-old cliffs and fossils from prehistoric species. Twenty-four miles of cliffs extending from the Chesapeake Beach to Drum Point on the eastern side of the Calvert Peninsula near Lusby, Maryland, are showcased in the park.

Experts feel the cliffs were formed when most of the state was covered by shallow water. When the sea receded, the cliffs were visible. Other amenities include a sandy beach, hiking trails, fishing, and marshlands. They also have a recycled tire playground for the kids. Be aware, the park charges a cash-only entry fee.

Is lady luck on your side? You can try your luck at the slots or other games when visiting Rocky Gap State Park. The 3,000-acre public recreation area near Cumberland in Allegany County is also home to the privately-owned Rocky Gap Casino located in the park. There is lots of noise and action inside the casino. Take a few steps, and you are outside on the beautiful deck and patio overlooking the serene Lake Habeeb. You can look across the 243-acre lake and see the visitor center and one of the three beach areas. Rocky Gap State Park offers a plethora of recreational activities, including camping, boating, fishing, swimming, mountain biking, picnicking, hiking, and more. Gaming, several restaurants, hotel accommodations, boat rentals, an indoor/outdoor pool, and a spa are part of the casino. They also have live entertainment on select evenings. ing, hunting, and picnicking can are available at Gunpowder Falls State Park. Cross-country skiing, horseback riding, hiking, and biking can be enjoyed on over 120 miles of trails.

Big and Little Gunpowder Falls are “can’t miss” things to see when you visit. Strangely enough, Gunpowder Falls State Park is closed on weekends and holidays. So visit this park during the week. Maryland has a State Park for everyone from the Chesapeake Bay to the ocean to the Underground Railroad. Which park will you choose for your next family adventure?

Maryland’s largest state park, Gunpowder Falls State Park, has 18,000 acres and, you guessed it, some magnificent waterfalls. Canoeing, kayaking, crabbing, tubing, fish-

CAPE MAY – Harriet Tubman’s story takes form in a new trip-planning tool through the National Park Service (NPS) app. “Travel with Tubman: Let Harriet Tubman Guide You on the Journey of a Lifetime” highlights 13 sites that most affected Tubman throughout her life, representative of her 13 rescue missions to Maryland. One of these 13 “sites” is Cape May MAC’s Underground Railroad Trolley Tour, the first stop of which is at South Cape May Meadows Beach. At the stop, tour-goers hear the story of six freedom seekers in 1860 who braved the Delaware Bay to cross to freedom by boat into New Jersey, guided by the light of the Cape May Lighthouse. The Cape May MAC/Center for Community Arts (CCA) Underground Railroad Trolley Tour is a Network to Freedom member, a minimum qualification for inclusion in the new app. Over 1,000 individuals have taken the tour since it launched in 2017. Travel with Tubman launched April 18. It was developed as part of the year-long celebration of the bicentennial of Tubman’s birth. Together with community stewards and partners, the NPS National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program developed this tool to provide visitors with a guide for exploring Tubman’s life and legacy in national parks, National Heritage Areas, and historic sites across the eastern United States. “It is a humbling experience to trace the footsteps of a hero like Harriet Tubman and reflect on everything she endured and accomplished during her lifetime. Thanks to the collaborative work of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom and its partners, Travel with Tubman can help visitors forge deeper connections through the power of place,” said NPS Director Chuck Sams. “This trip-planning tool highlights the story of Tubman and her iconic legacy in a new way, bringing to light some of the most significant sites associated with her life.” Born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Harriet Tubman developed deep connections to faith, community, and family during her childhood. After she escaped slavery, Tubman felt an obligation to return to her birthplace and assist her family to freedom. She referred to herself as a conductor on the Underground Railroad and utilized her connections with other Underground Railroad activists across the Northeast to lead groups of enslaved people to freedom in Canada. Tubman also traversed the Southeast United States while she served as a scout, spy, and nurse during the American Civil War. “After emancipating herself, Harriet Tubman continued to give back to her community in every way she knew how,” said NPS National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program Manager Diane Miller. “The National Park Service and our partners have a responsibility to come together and share her story with the world – and this tour is a great example of what we can accomplish by working together.” Travel with Tubman is available online at https:// www.nps.gov/articles/000/travel-with-tubman. htm and best viewed through the free NPS app, downloadable in the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. Users can also download and print “The Conductor,” or create their own guide to lead them on a once in a lifetime road trip. Share your photos from Tubman-related sites and show us how you #TravelWithTubman.