Everything you need to know: Public launches, Cambridge Yacht Basin, private marinas, kayak and SUP tours ready to welcome all to experience the many beautiful waterways of Dorchester County, Maryland.

Updated May 30, 2025

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being on the water—the gentle breeze on your face, the rhythmic motion of the waves, and the endless horizon stretching before you. In Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, water is everywhere, offering a sense of peace and a touch of adventure. With 1,700 miles of shoreline and winding waterways, this is a place where you can chart your own course—by kayak, sailboat, or even from a cozy spot on shore. Whether you're paddling, cruising, or simply soaking up the view, Dorchester is the perfect place to reconnect with the water—and yourself. Here are some of the best ways to dive into the experience.

Cruising on the Choptank River aboard the Skipjack Nathan of Dorchester.

Boat Cruises

Don't have your own boat? No problem.

• The Skipjack Nathan of Dorchester offers public sails on an authentic oystering boat to share the story of oystering and watermen. Join a sail most Saturdays through October, or go for a special Sip ‘n’ Sail evening cruise June 21 or July 5 (includes wine and charcuterie). Or a Sunset Cruise June 27; July 11, 18, 25 (BYOB). Custom charters also available.  Reserve a spot on their website or find out more 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, murder mystery cruises, or sightseeing cruises. The 2025 season runs May through October. See the schedule.
• Captain Phil Gootee of Gootee's Marine is offering various on-the-water experiences, including lighthouse tours, scenic sunrise cruises, Hoopers Island eco tours, and fishing charters. Find out more on the website or by calling or texting 443-521-0817.
• The classic Chesapeake 1938 buyboat Dudley offers charters for special events from weddings and reunions to birding and birthdays; even watching powerboat races.

Dock & Dine, Tiki Bars, and Waterfront Dining

Bring your boat and enjoy a dock-and-dine experience, or stay on land and enjoy the views at these waterfront restaurants:

Blue Point Provision Co. - Located on the Choptank River at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort in Cambridge with great views of the river. Open seasonally, with Thursday evening deck parties from 5 to 7pm through the summer. Get there by land or by boat if you use the River Marsh Marina.

Boats & Hose - Unassuming spot located in an old firehouse at Chapel Cove (off Slaughter Creek), Taylors Island. Get there by land or by boat.

Choptank Riverboats - Eat on the water aboard these paddlewheelers. They leave from Suicide Bridge Restaurant on Cabin Creek.

Mille’s Roadhouse - A short walk from Emperor's Landing Park on the Nanticoke River, Vienna. Get there by land or by boat.

Old Salty's Restaurant - Includes a tiki bar on the Chesapeake Bay. Located in Fishing Creek, Hoopers Island, about a 40-minute scenic drive from Cambridge.

Palm Beach Willies – Tiki bar on the water by Slaughter Marina on Taylors Island. By land or by boat.

Portside Seafood Restaurant - Offers great views of the drawbridge over Cambridge Creek, plus outdoor "Boat Bar." Get there by land or by boat.

Suicide Bridge Restaurant - Large, destination restaurant with a tiki bar on Cabin Creek. Tucked away in Hurlock, about a 20-minute drive from Cambridge. This is also where the Choptank Riverboats are docked. Get there by land or by boat.

Water's Edge Grill - Restaurant at Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort with views of the Choptank River.

Cambridge Creek. Photo by Jill Jasuta

Launch Your Adventure: Public Boat Ramps

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.

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 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 Municipal Yacht Basin

Dorchester County Marinas

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.

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.

Some of the Chesapeake’s most popular boating destinations can be found around 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 located. The Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort in Cambridge has the 150-slip River Marsh Marina, which offers overnight boaters access to amenities of the resort, including restaurants, golf course, and spa.

At Hoopers Island, Rippons Harbor and P.L. Jones Boatyard & Marina accept boaters for overnight visits with quick access to the Honga River and the Chesapeake Bay.

Cambridge is also home to the Cambridge Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club on the Eastern Shore, located on the beautiful Choptank River.

Paddling at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Photo courtesy Maryland Tourism.

Paddling Through Nature's Beauty

If you're seeking a more intimate experience with nature,  Dorchester County offers exceptional kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding opportunities. 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. (They can also deliver kayaks/SUPs to your vacation rental!)

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.

For kayak, fishing kayak, and accessories, stop by River Dogs at 452 Race St., Cambridge.

Dorchester County Tourism publishes an excellent paddling guide for exploring the county’s waterways.

Cast a Line: Snakehead Fishing and More

Blackwater Refuge and other spots around the county are great spot for northern snakehead fishing. 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.

Plenty of other fishing is available. With water ranging from salty to fresh throughout the county, anglers snag rockfish (aka striped bass), speckled trout, spot, croaker, white perch, drum, blue catfish, yellow perch, Spanish mackerel, and more. Consider arranging a fishing charter to help you find the best spots.

For the latest conditions, take a look at the latest Fishing Report from Maryland Department of Natural Resources – and review the Maryland Guide to Fishing & Crabbing.

Boat-Related Events

Boat races, boat-docking contests, cruises on a tall ship, and more – you'll find them here!

Eastern Shore Sailing Association (ESSA) Sailing Races:  Wednesday nights from May through the summer. On the Choptank River.

Admiral Byrd Regatta: Sailing races for one design boats. July 12-13, 2025

Thunder on the Choptank Powerboat Races: July 19-20, 2025

Gov. Hicks Log Canoe Regatta: Considered the grand dames of the Chesapeake Bay – built for speed and notoriously unstable. August 16-17, 2025

Boat Docking Contests: Watch Chesapeake Bay boat captains show off their skills! Taylors Island Boat Docking Contest, August. 24, 2025; Waterman's Rodeo (Hoopers Island Boat Docking Contest), Sept. 7, 2025; Suicide Bridge Extreme Boat Docking, Sept. 14, 2025

Choptank Heritage Skipjack Race: Watch these timeless Chesapeake Bay icons on the Choptank River.  Sept. 27, 2025

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.

Dorchester County's waterways offer endless opportunities for adventure, relaxation, and connection with nature. Whether you're launching your own boat, renting a kayak, or enjoying a meal by the water, there's something for everyone. Start planning your visit today and discover all that Dorchester County has to offer.