Everything you need to know: Public launches, Cambridge Yacht Basin, private marinas, kayak and SUP tours ready to welcome 2022 visitors to Dorchester County, Maryland.
Recreational boating and paddling in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is a great place to experience nature and beauty and fun. With 25 public boat ramps and soft launches for kayaks and canoes, Dorchester is the only county on the Mid-Shore that does not require permits and fees at public landings.
The Cambridge Yacht Basin – within walking distance of downtown – and a choice of private marinas in the county offer affordable slips for sailboats and cruisers that make it easy and enjoyable to explore the Heart of the Chesapeake.
Here’s a look at how to get out on the water in Dorchester County.
Dorchester Boat Ramps
Access to four major rivers leading to the Chesapeake – Choptank, Little Choptank, Honga and Nanticoke – is easy when launching a motorized vessel or personal watercraft from a Dorchester County public boat ramp.
Two Cambridge locations – Franklin Street next to University of Maryland Shore Medical Center and Gerry Boyle Park at Great Marsh – offer dual ramps and plenty of parking on the Choptank River and are in close proximity to Rt. 50. The Nanticoke River boat ramp in Vienna also provides easy access to the highway. Carryout dishes, beverage, ice, gasoline and supplies can be purchased at nearby restaurants and convenience stores in each city.
Other Dorchester ramps like those at Ragged Point, Taylors Island and Hoopers Island deliver quick passage to the Chesapeake and popular rockfish trolling grounds. Additional inland locations are good choices for those with jon boats and skiffs looking to land snakeheads on the Chicamacomico (New Bridge ramp) and Transquaking (Bestpitch Ferry ramp) rivers. Ramp users are reminded to use designated parking areas for vehicles and trailers and avoid nearby roads.
Cambridge Yacht Basin
Located along the waterfront near downtown Cambridge, the Yacht Basin is one of the most convenient and affordable marinas for day use and overnight stays on the Chesapeake. A short stroll up historic High Street leads boaters to Cambridge’s shops and restaurants offering indoor and outdoor dining. See a listing of downtown Cambridge restaurants.
With a maximum depth of 13 feet, the Yacht Basin can accommodate boats of all sizes. All marina services – laundry, bathhouses, gas, diesel and ice – are available and facilities are cleaned regularly. Slips should be reserved in advance.
Marinas Throughout Dorchester
Some of the Chesapeake’s most popular boating destinations can be found elsewhere in the county, including the marina at Suicide Bridge Restaurant on Cabin Creek, just off the Choptank north of the Rt. 50 Bridge; and Slaughter Creek Marina feeding into the Little Choptank where Palm Beach Willies Restaurant is open.
At Hoopers Island, Rippons Harbor and P.L. Jones Boatyard & Marina are accepting boaters for overnight visits with quick access to the Honga River and the Bay.
Soft Launches for Canoe, Kayak and SUP
One of America’s top paddling destinations for wildlife and scenery, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge can be explored from water access points or soft launches at MD. Rt. 335, Shorter’s Wharf and Key Wallace Drive, where Blackwater Adventures offers kayaks and stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) for rent and also guided tours by advance reservation, as well as kayak fishing tours.
Traveling along designated kayak trails in the tidal marsh, paddlers may see bald eagles, herons, osprey, egrets and other migratory waterfowl. Blackwater Adventures also offers a guided Harriet Tubman tour to explore the waters and landscapes where the heroic Marylander was born and enslaved and returned to lead family members and friends to freedom.
Dorchester County Tourism publishes an excellent paddling guide for exploring the county’s waterways.
Snakehead Fishing
Blackwater is also snakehead central in Dorchester County and a great spot to experience one of Maryland’s most popular fishing crazes. Those with fishing kayaks can get in on the action casting topwater lures and minnows dropped under a bobber. The Woolford Store is the local headquarters for supplies, bait, fishing equipment, guide services and expert advice on catching the monster fish.
Parking can be limited at access points, landings and fishing holes. Individuals should heed posted signs restricting roadside parking.
Stand Up Paddle Board and Yoga
One of the most exciting and athletic ways to enjoy time on the water is on a stand-up paddleboard (SUP).
Once the weather is warm enough, Over Board Paddle and Fitness offers SUP classes including introductory, fitness boot camp, and floating yoga instruction. The highly rated sessions are taught at Sailwinds Park near the Dorchester County Visitor Center just off Rt. 50. Also popular are Over Board’s sunset SUP paddles on Cabin Creek that leave from Suicide Bridge Restaurant. Classes and tours sell out and reservations should be made in advance. The sessions are subject to weather conditions.
Boat Cruises
Join a riverboat cruise with Choptank Riverboats, authentic padddlewheelers that cruise the Choptank River. Choose from lunch or dinner cruises, crab feast cruises, or sightseeing cruises. The 2022 season runs from May 1 through early December. See the schedule.- Captain Phil Gootee of Gootee’s Marine is offering cruises that bring you to different Chesapeake Bay lighthouses. They also offer fishing charters and eco tours. Find out more by calling or texting 443-521-0817.
- The Skipjack Nathan of Dorchester offers public sails on an authentic oystering boat starting in mid-May and continuing through early November. Plus occasional sunset sails. Check the latest on their website or on their Facebook page.
Join a riverboat cruise with Choptank Riverboats, authentic padddlewheelers that cruise the Choptank River. Choose from lunch or dinner cruises, crab feast cruises, or sightseeing cruises. The 2022 season runs from May 1 through early December. For more a more in-depth look at getting out on the water in Dorchester County, be sure to read noted Chesapeake Bay author John Page William’s story about exploring local waters here.
