Things to do in Maryland
Seven landmarks spanning the full sweep of the Old Line State — from the harbor city to the western highlands, the Civil War fields to the wild Atlantic shore.
Inner Harbor
Baltimore · Central
Inner Harbor is a sightseeing hub, home to Maryland Science Center with a planetarium and observatory, and the National Aquarium, featuring giant turtles, dolphins and electric eels. The Top of the World Observation Level offers sweeping views of the city, while a collection of historic warships is docked below. Power Plant Live! is a complex of bars, eateries and music venues in a former power station.
Once a working industrial port, the Inner Harbor was reborn in the late twentieth century as the beating heart of Baltimore's waterfront and remains the natural first stop for anyone visiting the state's largest city. The promenade loops past street performers, paddle boats shaped like dragons, and water taxis that ferry visitors to neighborhoods like Fells Point and Federal Hill.
Plan for a full day if you intend to pair the Aquarium with the science center and the historic ships — and consider timing your visit for golden hour, when the Top of the World deck catches the sunset over the Patapsco.
Antietam National Battlefield
Sharpsburg · Western Maryland
Historic site of the famous 1862 Civil War battle features tours, interpretive programs & park land.
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single day in American history, and the rolling farmland here has been preserved with extraordinary care — stone bridges, sunken roads, and weathered monuments stand much as they did over a century and a half ago. A self-guided driving tour links the key positions, and lookout towers give a sweeping sense of the terrain that shaped the fighting.
Begin at the visitor center for the orientation film, then set aside two to three hours to follow the route. The quiet, somber beauty of the place rewards an unhurried visit, especially in early morning light or autumn.
Assateague Island National Seashore
Berlin · Eastern Shore
Large natural sand barrier famous for its wild horses also offers camping & outdoor recreation.
Assateague's free-roaming bands of wild horses are the island's signature draw, grazing the dunes and marsh grasses and often wandering right up to the roadways and campsites. Beyond the ponies, the island is a haven of undeveloped Atlantic beach, ideal for swimming, kayaking the back bays, surf fishing, and some of the best birding on the East Coast.
Off-season visits in spring and fall reward you with solitude and easy horse-spotting from the moment you cross the bridge. Whatever the season, keep a respectful distance from the horses — they are genuinely wild animals.
Deep Creek Lake
Garrett County · Far Western Mountains
3,900-acre lake with 69 mi. of shoreline offering all-year sporting such as rafting & dog-sledding.
Tucked into the Allegheny highlands near the West Virginia line, Deep Creek Lake is Maryland's largest inland body of water and its premier four-season mountain getaway. Summer brings boating, kayaking, wakeboarding, and lazy afternoons at lakeside restaurants; winter transforms the area into a snow-sports hub anchored by the nearby Wisp ski resort.
The surrounding state parks add hiking trails, whitewater on the Youghiogheny, and quiet coves to explore. It's a longer drive from the population centers to the east, but the change of scenery — genuine mountains and cool air — makes it worth the trip.
Cunningham Falls
Thurmont · North-Central / Catoctin
Set within Cunningham Falls State Park in the Catoctin Mountains, this 78-foot cascade is the highest in Maryland — a tumbling rock-strewn falls reached by an easy boardwalk trail that makes it accessible for families. The park wraps around Hunting Creek Lake, offering swimming, fishing, and picnicking, with more strenuous trails climbing into the wooded ridges above.
The surrounding hills are famous as the home of Camp David, and the area is at its most spectacular in autumn, when the hardwood forest blazes with color. Pair a falls hike with a visit to nearby historic Frederick for a full day in this overlooked corner of the state.
Calvert Cliffs State Park
Lusby · Southern Maryland
This cliffside recreation area is on a sandy beach & offers hiking trails, fossil hunting & fishing.
The cliffs along this stretch of the Chesapeake Bay expose layers of Miocene-era sediment some ten to twenty million years old, and the beach below is one of the most celebrated fossil-hunting spots on the East Coast — visitors regularly turn up ancient shark teeth among the sand and shells. A gentle two-mile trail winds through wetlands and forest to reach the shore.
Bring water and sturdy shoes for the walk in, and a small sieve if you're serious about the fossil hunt. The marshy approach trail doubles as excellent wildlife-watching, with turtles, frogs, and birds along the way.
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
Baltimore · Central
Fort whose War of 1812 victory inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner," the U.S. national anthem.
It was during the bombardment of this star-shaped fort in 1814 that Francis Scott Key, watching the American flag still flying at dawn, was moved to write the verses that became the national anthem. Today the restored fort sits on a point jutting into the Patapsco River, its ramparts and historic flag drawing history lovers from around the country.
The visitor center's orientation film is well worth the time, and the free Sea Wall Trail — a flat, paved loop around the point — offers some of the best water views in Baltimore, taking in the river and the Francis Scott Key Bridge. You can walk the grounds and trail without paying the fee charged to enter the fort itself.
