Maryland road trips offer anything any traveler may want: history, local culture, forests, beaches, and great food.
Regardless of your family and friends’ road trip preferences, you can find something for everyone in Maryland. Here are 7 road trips destinations in Maryland you may want to check out.
Inner Harbor
Location: In Baltimore
If you want a little of everything, Baltimore’s inner harbor has it.
We are often traveling with our large family and some cities are easier than others with children.
From the National Aquarium and the Port Discovery Children’s Museum to its many great water-front restaurants featuring their famous Chesapeake crab cake sandwiches to various art and history museums, Baltimore’s inner harbor has something for everyone in the family.
What is especially nice about the inner harbor is that you’ll only need to park once.
Many of the inner harbor’s attractions are within walking distance of each other, saving you from having to get in and out of the car and finding parking each time you switch attractions.
This is a great family destination and it is a great stop to add to an East Coast road trip.
Swallow Falls State Park
Location: Garrett County, Maryland (3.5 hours northwest of Washington, D.C.)
Swallow Falls State Park is the nature lover’s escape from the big city.
About as far west as you can go in Maryland, Swallow Falls State Park features hiking trails, campgrounds, and the highest free-falling waterfall in Maryland at 53 feet.
Camping here is tent camping with shared bath houses. This makes it affordable and convenient. There are three cabins available, but they book fast.
You can find more information about Swallow Falls State Park and the other state parks mentioned in this list at the website for Maryland’s Department for Natural Resources.
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
Location: Hagerstown, Maryland ( 1 hour north of Washington, D.C.)
I love a fine arts museum on a road trip, the beauty and elegance is so refreshing.
The Washington County Museum is located in Hagerstown’s City Park which is a great public area for walking and enjoying the beautiful architecture of the museum.
The museum houses over 7,000 works to keep you in awe all afternoon.
Admission is free and there are several other museums located in the area, so this is a really great stop.
Smallwood State Park
Location: Marbury, Maryland (1 hour south of Washington, D.C.)
Smallwood State Park offers the nature-escape people want but without a massive drive for people located in central Maryland.
Only an hour south of D.C. on the eastern side of the Potomac River, this state park offers a beautiful landscape for camping, hiking, and playgrounds with the added bonus of some historical sites for the history buff.
The buildings and exhibits at Smallwood are related to the Revolutionary War, with the restored plantation house of General Smallwood.
The campground area at Smallwood is pretty small with a total of around 20 sites, tent, RV and cabin sites included. The cabins are a big enough for most families and sit on the beautiful Mattawoman Creek.
Smallwood State park is so close to DC that you can easily use this as a base to explore the city and the public museums. I like this option for visiting busy city areas.
Assateague State Park
Location: Berlin, Maryland (3 hours southeast of Baltimore)
Assateague State Park is a bucket list destination, known for the wild horses that can be seen on the island.
Assateague State Park is the only oceanfront park in Maryland and it has a very traditional beach feel.
If you are hoping to see the horses or have a more natural scenic time, head over to the other side of the island.
The barrier island it sits on offers the Atlantic Ocean on one side for the lover of the traditional beach experience and the Sinepuxent Bay on the west for exploring and sightseeing wildlife in and around calmer waters.
You can rent kayaks or canoes if you don’t bring your own.
U.S. Oyster Festival
Location: St. Mary’s County, Maryland (1.5 hours southeast of Washington, D.C.)
When: 3rd weekend in October
The U.S. Oyster Festival is your chance to experience Chesapeake’s rich seafood traditions.
This festival is perfect for the road trips intended to immerse yourself in the cuisine and culture of the community.
The festival features, among other events and attractions, a cornhole contest, live music, a cookoff contest, and an oyster shucking contest.
The festival has a ticket cost, but kids under 10 are free! You can find more information about the festival here.
When you are planning your trip, I love to include a festival or fair because it feels so festive and special to celebrate when the town is all celebrating together!
Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum
Location: Chesapeake Beach, Maryland (1 hour east of Washington DC)
Every family has at least one train enthusiast. The Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum is the perfect place to satiate the train aficionado’s appetite.
The museum has its own parking garage making it very accessible.
They share stories of the railway industry in Maryland and share some recordings of the people who were there while it was being built.
The museum is open from April to October so plan your trip accordingly. You can find more about their schedule and live events here at their main page.
Once you’re done, you are around plenty of shopping and dining, all right by the water!
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Location: St. Michaels, Maryland (1.75 hours east of Washington DC)
Located on the eastern side of the Potomac River, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum offers a comprehensive experience of Chesapeake’s culture, history, and environment.
There are wonderful artifacts from indigenous watercraft to modern boats and everything in between.
This is an active marina where boats are coming and going daily.
The museum is open year round and consists of several buildings aside from the museum.
This is a very immersive museum that will be remembered by everyone who visits.
The Maritime Museum is very accessible for a family and makes a great day trip.
Road Trip Destinations in Maryland
Maryland is a small state with a lot to offer to it’s visitors.
I would recommend that you make Maryland stops part of your East Coast adventure or an overnight stop.
The parks and camping here can be a great addition to your itinerary.
