Attraction magazine has partnered with the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office and Chesapeake Conservancy to help readers find their next adventure. Each month, we’ll feature a new place from their helpful website, FindYourChesapeake.com. There, you can also sign up for an e-newsletter, Trips and Tips, that delivers fresh ideas to your inbox each week.
Ready to try something new? At FindYourChesapeake.com, also find expert advice on experiences like birdwatching, fishing, camping, and hiking. Their team also developed content to help people explore the Chesapeake virtually.
This month the spotlight is Martinak State Park, sitting along the Choptank River just two miles from Denton in Caroline County. The park supports a wide variety of plant and animal life, with hardwood and pine forests and marshland. Park amenities include hiking trails, playground, picnic tables, pavilion and a nature center. Sixty-three campsites are available for trailer or tent camping. View more at https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/eastern/martinak.aspx.
There’s lots to do at Martinak, including fishing, swimming, hiking, and birding. Anglers will find excellent fishing with abundant catches of bass, perch, sunfish and catfish. Unfortunately, the boat ramp area is closed for repairs and improvements until late fall. Until then, launch at nearby Daniel Crouse Memorial Park for a boating adventure on the Choptank River. Learn more at carolinemd.org/facilities/facility/details/daniel-crouse-memorial-park-42.
Both Daniel Crouse and Martinak are known for great birding. The Birder’s Guide to Maryland recommends the area for over 105 species, including Killdeer, Dunlin, Wilson’s Snipe, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Heron, Belted Kingfish and Chimney Swifts. And, of course, you can pretty much always count on seeing Ospreys (in season) and Bald Eagles. For details, visit https://birdersguidemddc.org/site/daniel-crouse-memorial-park-caroline-county-visitor-center.
One of the great things about Martinak State Park is its community outreach programs. Morning Stretch is offered every Tuesday and Thursday at 8 a.m. while Cardio Fusion is offered every Tuesday and Thursday at 9 a.m. and Wednesday at 5 p.m. Other regularly scheduled Healthy Parks, Healthy People activities include a Senior Walk, Sunset Stretch and Pedal Power. Borrow bikes from the Martinak State Park Nature Center for the Easy Breezy bike ride, a guided ride through the park and nearby low traffic roads. For a schedule of programs, visit https://go.activecalendar.com/doit-md/location/6EF0EC9C-10FF-4B45-A41B-1F7BB1F30BFB.
In addition to its fitness programs, the park also wants to make it easy to access healthy foods with its ShoGo Mobile Unit. The ShoGo will bring fresh fruits and vegetables for purchase on Thursday mornings at 10 a.m. The ShoGo will be located just past the park office on the left. Snacks will be available.