Things to do · Calvert County, Maryland
Full days.
Slow evenings.
Plum Point sits in the middle of Calvert County's bay shore in Maryland, so the good stuff is close: boardwalk towns ten minutes north, fossil cliffs and a maritime museum to the south, and the Chesapeake itself at the end of the lawn.
Rule one: the kayaks are free, and the bay is calmest before lunch.
Paddle off the beach
Every cottage stay includes free kayaks and paddleboards. Put in at the sand, paddle the shoreline, and watch for rays and herons in the shallows.
Hunt fossil shark teeth
The beach out front, Brownie's Beach, Flag Ponds, and Calvert Cliffs State Park all give up Miocene shark teeth. Our full guide covers when and how.
North Beach boardwalk
A half-mile boardwalk, a fishing pier, antique shops, ice cream, and a seasonal farmers market. Golden hour here is the good stuff.
Chesapeake Beach
The railway museum tells the story of the bay's original resort town; crab decks and charter boats fill the marinas. The rebuilt water park is due back in 2027.
Solomons Island
The Calvert Marine Museum anchors this maritime village: megalodon jaws, river otters, the Drum Point Lighthouse, and cruises on a century-old buyboat.
Eat crabs properly
Brown paper, wooden mallets, Old Bay to the elbows. Our eating guide runs the county's tables nearest-first, crab decks included.
Breezy Point Beach
The county beach and campground next door, open May through October: a wide swimming beach, picnic tables, and easy parking for a no-plans afternoon.
Battle Creek Cypress Swamp
A boardwalk through the northernmost naturally occurring bald cypress stand in the eastern United States. Quiet, shady, and unexpectedly otherworldly.
Marinas & charters
Herrington Harbour to the north and the Chesapeake Beach marinas to the south cover charter fishing, sailing, and dockside dinners with a view.
More, with kids
Kings Landing Park
Huntingtown's own Patuxent River park: a summer swimming pool, a kayak and canoe launch, a fishing pier, and shady trails.
K&K Adventure Park
Mini golf, batting cages, bumper cars, and a climbing wall in Prince Frederick.
Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum
A free 560-acre archaeology park on the Patuxent with hands-on history days and open trails.
Pick-your-own farms
Berries in early summer, pumpkins, hayrides, and corn mazes in October, at family farms from Huntingtown to St. Leonard.
Rainy day
Calvert Marine Museum
Megalodon, river otters, and touch tanks: the best two indoor hours in the county. Our Solomons guide plans the whole day.
Lord Calvert Bowl
A classic 28-lane bowling house up the road in Huntingtown, grill included.
Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum
Small, free, and full of the resort-era story; open Saturday afternoons in season.
The screened porch
Every cottage has one, and rain on the bay is its own show. We stand by this recommendation.
Do it all.
Or do nothing.
Six pet-friendly waterfront cottages in the middle of everything, from $198 a night.
Find your cottage