Introduction
Chesapeake Gateways is a system of places providing opportunities to enjoy, learn about and help conserve the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Included in this partnership network are diverse natural, cultural, historical, and recreational sites, trails, museums, parks, refuges, interpretive and orientation facilities, and associated programs. These places, and Chesapeake Gateways as a whole, serve as entry points and the key guide for experiencing the Chesapeake watershed.
Joining the Network
Membership is granted to places or partners that meet the defining characteristics listed below. Membership entitles Chesapeake Gateways Places certain benefits enumerated through a general agreement. Membership in Chesapeake Gateways is not required to seek other NPS Chesapeake Gateways financial assistance (grants and cooperative agreements) or technical assistance.
Defining Characteristics
There are five place type designations currently available to self-nominate, please select the most appropriate type for your place as this is the basis for the information needed in your self-nomination. All nominations must have a focus on places to which people are directed to access, experience, enjoy, learn about and contribute to a particular Chesapeake-related natural, cultural, historical or recreational resource and its role in the overall Chesapeake story.
Some visitor amenities including lodging, restaurants, and retail locations may or may not qualify as Chesapeake Gateways Places. While these place types are not explicitly excluded, nominations need to fully explain how they meet the defining characteristics of being primarily focused on recreation, conservation, education, or interpretation.
Some visitor amenities including lodging, restaurants, and retail locations may or may not qualify as Chesapeake Gateways Places. While these place types are not explicitly excluded, nominations need to fully explain how they meet the defining characteristics of being primarily focused on recreation, conservation, education, or interpretation.
- Located throughout regions surrounding the Bay and its tributaries
- Owned or managed by a public agency (unit of local, state or federal government), state or federally recognized tribe or nation, non-profit organization, or private sector entity.
- Open to public visitation for regularly scheduled daily or weekly hours throughout a visitor season.
- Have sufficient visitor information to support an NPS.gov places listing - including an overview, activities, facilities, location and more.
- For Chesapeake Gateways purposes, trails are longer walking, hiking and biking routes not within the confines of a particular Chesapeake Gateways Place, such as a state park.
- Land trails must be recognized by state and national designations—such as state or nationally designated scenic, historic or recreational trails.
- Have sufficient visitor information to support an NPS.gov places listing - including an overview, activities, facilities, location and more.
- Publicly accessible paddling and/or boating routes, generally along rivers and smaller bays.
- Provide access to appropriate facilities and resources on land.
- Provide adequate information to orient users to the route and the environment.
- Emphasize low-impact use and foster stewardship along the route and support for conservation of the Chesapeake and local watershed resources.
- Have a designated organization responsible for coordinating management and information.
- Within states having state-wide water trail programs or associations, water trails must be designated or recognized by those programs (Maryland; Pennsylvania; Virginia); a number of water trails are also part of the federally designated Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.
- Have sufficient visitor information to support an NPS.gov places listing—including an overview, activities, facilities, location and more.
- Link Chesapeake Gateways Communities and Places through road-based routes.
- Serve to give people a primary land route for connecting with and accessing multiple Chesapeake Gateways Places.
- Byways must be recognized by state and national designations—such as state and national scenic byways.
- Have sufficient visitor information to support an NPS.gov places listing - including an overview, activities, facilities, location and more.
- Heritage areas or landscapes must have a state and/or national landscape-scale designation (such as state heritage area, national historic landmark district, etc.).
- Connect the public to stories and topics of the Chesapeake Bay watershed
- Utilize route maps, guides, and signage to connect the area to the principle themes of Chesapeake Gateways.
- Help orient and engage visitors to be active stewards of the area, and support conservation of the Chesapeake and local watershed.
Nominate a Place
Any organization may complete the Chesapeake Gateways Places Self-Nomination Questionnaire to be considered for inclusion in the Chesapeake Gateways visitor experience network. However, the organization submitting the Questionnaire must be the managing organization for the place. One Questionnaire should be completed for each place proposed to join the visitor experience network.
A word version of the questionnaire can be downloaded by clicking here, however, please keep in mind all nominations must be submitted via the Microsoft Form link above.
Submit Places Self-Nomination
Does your organization own or manage a place that helps visitors connect to the Chesapeake Bay watershed?
Watch the Launch Video
Recording of the January 23, 2024 launch of the refreshed Chesapeake Gateways Visitor Experience Network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, all places wishing to join or rejoin Chesapeake Gateways must submit a self-nomination and sign a general agreement with NPS Chesapeake Gateways to be included moving forward.
Yes, this is a refresh of Chesapeake Gateways which was established in 2000 through the Chesapeake Initiative Act passed by Congress in 1998. All places wishing to be included in Chesapeake Gateways must submit a self-nomination and sign a general agreement.
Places that do not submit the self-nomination questionnaire and sign the general agreement will not be included in Chesapeake Gateways.
If your organization (or consortium of organizations) is the recognized managing or coordinating organization for a multi-jurisdictional byway, trail, or water trail, please submit documentation attesting to this designation.
This depends on the role of your organization and the place you are nominating. If your organization is the recognized managing or coordinating organization for the byway, trail, or water trail, your place may use one of these designations. However, if your organization manages a individual site within a trail or heritage area, then you would just nominate your place as a site.
Based on the Chesapeake Initiative Act, places need to open to regular public access on a set schedule.
There is a question on the questionnaire “Describe the authentic experiences (natural, cultural, historical or recreational) visitors can have at the site.” In the narrative response to this question, organizations can provide an overview of the full breadth of experiences available no matter the place designation.
(i.e. a sailing vessel that travels) Submit the Site nomination questionnaire and use your primary (home) dock as your location. We’ll work with your organization to ensure your place designation appropriately describes your opportunity.
To nominate a trail access point, it must be owned or managed by the organization nominating it. Access points need to meet the defining characteristics of a site to be included.
A visitor center or information center associated with a water trail/trail/byway/heritage area where folks are directed to go if they have questions or need information should be nominated as site.
Yes, all places included within an eligible heritage area but managed by a different organization should submit a separate nomination for their place.
Yes, no matter the nominating organization, if the place indicates their connection to the heritage area in their nomination we can use metadata tags to connect those within digital assets.
Questions
For additional information or clarification, please reach out to Brent Everitt, Director of Communications and Visitor Experience, by email. Thank you for your interest in and partnership with Chesapeake Gateways.
Last updated: May 12, 2025