National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways

02/01/2024

Does your organization own or manage a site, trail, connecting route, water trail, or heritage area that helps visitors connect to the Chesapeake Bay watershed? Joining the Chesapeake Gateways visitor experience network can provide helpful resources to your visitors and organization.

Chesapeake Gateways is a system of places providing opportunities to enjoy, learn about and help conserve the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Included in the visitor experience network are diverse natural, cultural, historical, and recreational sites, trails, museums, parks, refuges, interpretive and orientation facilities, and associated programs. These places, and Chesapeake Gateways as a whole, serve as entry points and the key guide for experiencing the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

To increase public awareness, improve technical assistance, and leverage National Park Service resources to benefit member places and partners, the National Park Service is implementing a refreshed process for joining the visitor experience network. This contemporary vision, captured in our 2021 Updated Framework, was developed with strong partner input that builds upon 25 years of lessons learned and countless success stories and promotes opportunities to expand and elevate our collective conservation, storytelling, and stewardship.

https://www.nps.gov/locations/chesapeakebaywatershed/join-ven.htm

08/10/2023

06/29/2023

: Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary is located along an 18-square mile length of the tidal Lower Potomac River off the Nanjemoy Peninsula. Its most notable feature is the "Ghost Fleet", a diverse collection of nearly 200 historic shipwrecks dating back to the American Revolution. More than 100 of these wrecks were wooden steamships originally built for World War I, but never saw action and were subsequently salvaged for scrap metal and sunk into Bay.

Mallows Bay is home to thriving populations of wildlife, including bald eagles, heron, beaver, river otter, deer, and more. The park is well regarded as one of the best fishing locations in the country due to its abundant fish populations. Visitors can also paddle by the shipwrecks which jut out of the water.

NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Charles County Parks & Recreation Explore Charles County

Mallows Bay is situated south of Washington, D.C., along the tidal Lower Potomac River off the Nanjemoy Peninsula of Charles County, Maryland. This…

06/28/2023

As part of the refresh of Chesapeake Gateways, the Trips and Tips newsletter will end its current distribution at the end of June 2023. NPS Chesapeake Gateways updates will be transitioning to GovDelivery, the NPS's official newsletter platform.

For those interested in remaining connected, please sign up for updates at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOINPS/subscriber/new?preferences=true and contact [email protected] for more information.

Let's play some old-fashioned ‘base ball’ at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, attend the Lotus & Water Lily Festival at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, celebrate Independence Day at Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine and more.

www.findyourchesapeake.com/trip-ideas/article/featured-tips-this-week

National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Friends of the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Calvert Marine Museum Historic London Town and Gardens Pickering Creek Audubon Center

06/28/2023

: Westmoreland State Park is a 1,321-acre park on the Northern Neck of Virginia along the Potomac River. Westmoreland was one of the six original state parks that opened in June 1936. The park was constructed by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps who dug many of the park's roads and trails by hand.

Today, the park offers a variety of recreational activities for visitors. The park's proximity to the Potomac and shoreline access offers great opportunities for birders and fossil hunters alike. You'll also find a visitor center, campgrounds, cabins, playgrounds, fishing pier, boat rentals, and 6 miles of trails.

Virginia State Parks Virginia Association for Parks Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Northern Neck National Heritage Area

On the Potomac River's Northern Neck, this park offers many opportunities for family fun. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has…

06/27/2023

After paddling the entire Potomac River, we wonder what river Cathy Brennan will paddle next!

Cathy Brennan is kayaking the length of the Potomac alone. The 62-year-old artist and photographer has kayaked several complete rivers in the eastern United States.

06/27/2023

: Calvert Cliffs State Park, located in Calvert County, Maryland, is a day-use park known for its cliffs which tower over the Chesapeake Bay. The cliffs were formed over 10 to 20 million years ago when a shallow sea covered Southern Maryland. When the sea receded, the cliffs were exposed and began eroding.

Nowadays, the cliffs reveal the remains of prehistoric species, including sharks, whales, rays, and seabirds, that were the size of small airplanes. The site is one of the best areas for fossil hunting. Additionally, the park features a sandy beach for swimming, and 13 miles of hiking trails through woodlands and freshwater and tidal marshlands.

Maryland State Parks Maryland Department of Natural Resources Visit Calvert County

Calvert Cliffs State Park is a day-use park featuring a sandy beach, unique fossils, recycled tire playground, a freshwater and tidal marshland and 13…

06/26/2023

Squish 'em, stomp 'em, crush 'em. If you see these bugs in your yard, get rid of them!

This could be the first season Baltimore residents battle the spotted lanternfly, which feeds on more than 70 plant species.

06/26/2023

: The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC), located in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, is a preserve 15 minutes from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The center promotes stewardship and sustainability through environmental education and habitat restoration.

CBEC has a variety of habitats, making it an ideal resting and migratory spot for over 200 species of birds. Visitors to the center can enjoy bird-watching, hiking, educational programs, guided canoeing and special events.

Visit Queen Anne's

The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (formerly Horsehead Wetland Center) is a preserve located 15 minutes from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on Maryland's…

06/25/2023

: Mason Neck State Park, located in Fairfax County, Virginia, is a 1,856-acre park just a short drive from Washington, D.C. Foundations for the park were first set in 1965 by the Mason Neck Conservation Committee after two bald eagle nests were spotted on the peninsula. The committee, concerned about an impending development, recommended the area be used as a state park. After several hurdles and concerns, the park officially opened in April 1985.

Today, visitors can enjoy miles of trails that meander through the park's forests and marshes and paddle on nearby Belmont Bay. The park's unique features and habitats make it ideal for environmental study and wildlife observation, especially for Bald Eagles.

Virginia State Parks Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Visit Fairfax

Just a short drive from Washington, D.C., this Northern Virginia park offers many outdoor activities and programs. It has hiking trails, 3 miles of paved…

06/24/2023

: First Landing State Park, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is among one of the state's most visited state parks. The site is named for the first English colonizers who landed in 1607. It's thought that Blackbeard hid in the Narrows area of the park, and interior waterways were used by Union and Confederate patrols during the Civil War.

The park was constructed by an all-Black Civilian Conservation Corps from 1933 to 1940. Today, the park stands at 2,888 acres and features 20 miles of trails and 1.5 miles of sandy Chesapeake Bay beach frontage. Visitors to the park can explore the many habitats including bald cypress swamps, lagoons and maritime forest, as well as rare plants and wildlife. The park also hosts cabins, water and electric hook-up campsites, picnic areas, boat ramps and historical and educational exhibits.

Virginia State Parks Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Visit Virginia Beach

As Virginia's most-visited state park, it's an oasis within urban Virginia Beach. The park has 20 miles of trails and 1.5 miles of sandy Chesapeake Bay…

06/23/2023

Dead zones, also known as hypoxic zones, are areas of little to no oxygen that form from nutrient pollution in the water. This year, the Bay’s dead zone is predicted to be 33% smaller than the long-term average taken between 1985 and 2022.

Chesapeake Bay Program

The summer dead zone is predicted to be 33% smaller than the long-term average