This Queit Chesapeake Bay City Is Hiding In Plain Sight

Chesapeake Bay is the largest inlet on the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the eastern United States and the largest estuary in the country, bordered by Maryland to the north and Virginia to the south. Chesapeake Bay is famous for high-quality seafood, marshlands that provide habitat for a wide array of wildlife, popular tourist destinations, and historic American sites. One town in particular, however, epitomizes the very best of Chesapeake Bay.

Cambridge, Maryland, is located on the banks of the Choptank River on Chesapeake Bay’s eastern shore. It was founded in 1864 and is one of the oldest colonial cities in the entire nation. It is home to friendly locals and boasts a walkable, compact downtown, ample boating opportunities, and a classic maritime atmosphere that makes it a premier holiday destination. Let us take a closer look at this Chesapeake Bay gem that is hiding in plain sight.

Cambridge Harbor

Cambridge Harbor comprises 30 acres of waterfront property on the Choptank River. It is just a short walk from downtown Cambridge and is set to experience significant expansion and development in the near future, with a goal to create an accessible and environmentally sustainable destination that boosts tourism and revitalizes the local economy, not unlike Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Today, the harbor features parks, a working waterfront, a wharf, and a public boat ramp, as well as the Richardson Maritime Museum. Here, the region's 300-year maritime history of wooden boatbuilders and their watercraft is on display. Visitors can tour the outdoor campus daily from dawn to dusk with the help of self-guided signage, and tours of the boatworks building are available by appointment. The museum also offers free boatbuilding workshops on Wednesday evenings.

Yacht Maintenance Company is another maritime business at home in Cambridge Harbor. For 25 years, they have aided commercial operators, government agencies, and private yacht owners in Maryland with every aspect of boat building, repair, and maintenance. Meanwhile, three public boat ramps provide motorized and non-motorized boats with access to the Choptank River and Cambridge Creek, both of which connect to Chesapeake Bay.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is just 12 miles south of Cambridge and contains one-third of Maryland’s tidal wetlands, which makes it an area of great ecological importance within the state. It was established in 1933 as a refuge for migratory birds and waterfowl due to its varied habitats of tidal marshes, mixed hardwood and loblolly pine forests, and freshwater wetlands. The refuge is open year-round for day use only, and the on-site visitor center is open Tuesday to Sunday, offering more than 20,000 acres of recreational opportunities accessible to the public. Some key features of the refuge include 5 miles of hiking trails, 17 miles of paddling trails, and the 3.6-mile Wildlife Drive, which is popular amongst photographers and bird watchers.

The refuge sees different species migrate each month of the year; however, one of the key species is the American bald eagle. The refuge is home to the largest breeding population of bald eagles on the East Coast, north of Florida. Resident bald eagles begin the annual cycle with egg laying and incubation in January, and young eaglets start hatching in April. Some will migrate north in August, and between October and December, migrating bald eagles will return and begin to build nests once again high in loblolly pine trees.

Recreational Opportunities

With such strong ties to its maritime heritage and boatbuilding traditions, it should come as no surprise that Maryland attracts water-loving visitors from near and far. From kayaks and paddleboards to power boats and yachts, there is a dock and a route for every captain.

Blackwater Adventures has two locations in and near Cambridge. Their flagship location is located within Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, and their second is at the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay Resort. The Blackwater location offers several guided and self-guided paddling tours, and each session begins with an introductory kayak lesson that covers paddling etiquette, proper paddle strokes, and maneuvering. Since it is within the wildlife refuge, you are likely to see animals in the water, including river otters, muskrats, and turtles. The Hyatt location, on the other hand, permits the use of motorized watercrafts like jet skis and speed boats, which are available to rent from the beach bungalow just a short walk from guests’ rooms. There is also a sandy beach adjacent to the equipment rental and dock that allows for relaxing by the water.

Regardless of whether you rent a boat, book a tour, or go the self-contained route with your own watercraft, Cambridge is a gateway to endless flatwater paddling routes in every direction. Explore the Choptank and its tributaries, see the National Wildlife Refuge from a different perspective, or hug the shoreline of Chesapeake Bay to your heart's content. At the end of the day, the town of Cambridge will welcome you back for a meal and a beer at any number of local pubs and restaurants that dot the downtown core.

Chesapeake Bay's Hidden Gem

Cambridge is a tourist-friendly hidden gem on the Chesapeake Bay, rich in East Coast maritime history. With a bustling harbor and waterfront that is easily accessible from downtown, a serene wildlife refuge, and multiple options to get out on the water, Cambridge has something for everyone. This quiet Chesapeake Bay town may be off the beaten path, but it is well worth a detour.