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Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Cambridge, MD

Photo: Jcantroot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureLocal Gem

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

2145 Key Wallace Dr · Cambridge, MD

Why you should go…

Blackwater covers more than 28,000 acres of tidal marsh, forest and water south of Cambridge, and it hosts one of the highest concentrations of nesting bald eagles on the Atlantic coast. The paved Wildlife Drive follows the Blackwater River, and you can add hiking trails and 17 miles of paddling trails. In winter the marshes fill with thousands of geese and ducks. About half the refuge lies within the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument, and the visitor center shows a live eagle cam.

  • #wildlife refuge
  • #bald eagles
  • #birding
  • #scenic drive
  • #paddling

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park

    Free

    Learn Harriet Tubman's story at a visitor center with exhibits and a film, set in the Dorchester County landscape where she was born.

    1.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Dorchester County

    Free

    Maryland's Eastern Shore county centered on Cambridge and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.

    8.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Shopping
    Local Gem

    The Country House

    Free

    Large home decor and gift retailer near Ocean City known for farmhouse, coastal and seasonal merchandise.

    29 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    Delaware Botanic Gardens

    Under $25

    A coastal Delaware botanic garden with a large native-meadow planting and woodland trails near Dagsboro.

    48 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Assateague Island National Seashore

    $25–$50

    Watch wild horses graze the marshes and beach on a 37-mile barrier island with camping, beach walks and nature trails.

    54 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

    Under $25

    Watch Chincoteague ponies graze in the salt marsh, look for shorebirds and walk an undeveloped Atlantic beach.

    55 mi awayMore like this