Ways to Explore Southern Maryland’s Scenic and Historic Routes

Southern Maryland’s scenic and historic routes include the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, America’s first waterway national historic trail, with more than 3,000 miles explored by Captain John Smith and marked at several water sites by special buoys in the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System that transmit historical information; the Religious Freedom National Scenic Byway, best experienced by automobile, leads to churches, homes, parks, and museums connected to the first attempt in America to introduce religious toleration and the separation of church from state; the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail follows sites tied to British raids during the War of 1812, including major naval engagements in Maryland waters, the route of British warships attacking Washington and Baltimore, and Sotterley Plantation, raided in 1814 when at least 48 enslaved people sought freedom on British ships; and the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail is an evolving network for hiking, bicycling, paddling, horseback riding, and related recreation that connects people with the region’s history, culture, ecology, rivers, tributaries, and distinctive landscapes.

Pomfret, Maryland · United States