Last updated: December 11, 2025
Place
Beach to Bay Heritage Area
Beach to Bay Heritage Area, Inc.
Quick Facts
Location:
Somerset County MD, Wicomico County MD, Worcester County MD
Significance:
The Beach to Bay Heritage Area preserves the Lower Eastern Shore's natural, historical, and cultural landscapes, interpreting Indigenous homelands, African American heritage, and centuries of life connected to the Chesapeake Bay.
Designation:
Maryland State Heritage Area; Chesapeake Gateways Network Heritage Area
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
5 listed
Beach/Water Access, Canoe/Kayak/Small Boat Launch, Dock/Pier, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto
The Beach to Bay Heritage Area highlights Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore, a region shaped by the waters and wetlands of the Chesapeake Bay. Stretching across Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties, the heritage area encompasses river towns, farming landscapes, and marshes that sustain wildlife and communities alike. Here, the Manokin, Nanticoke, Pocomoke, and Wicomico Rivers flow into the Bay, connecting past and present through the people who continue to live and work along their shores.
Visitors can experience the Bay’s natural landscapes at Pocomoke River State Park, Janes Island State Park, and numerous wildlife management areas that protect critical habitats. The heritage area also preserves deep cultural legacies. Indigenous homelands are explored through a National Recreation Trail, ongoing archaeological work on Assateague ancestral sites, and the Beach to Bay Indian Trail, recently renewed and renamed the History, Heritage, and Homelands with the help of the Pocomoke Indian Nation. African American history is interpreted through Rosenwald schools, community centers, and the Storyways self-guided trail, which connects more than two dozen Lower Shore sites of faith and freedom.
Fishing villages, agricultural fields, and small towns reveal a way of life long tied to the Bay’s resources. As part of the Chesapeake Gateways Network, the Beach to Bay Heritage Area invites visitors to discover the intertwined natural and cultural stories of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. To learn more, visit the Beach to Bay Heritage Area’s website.
Visitors can experience the Bay’s natural landscapes at Pocomoke River State Park, Janes Island State Park, and numerous wildlife management areas that protect critical habitats. The heritage area also preserves deep cultural legacies. Indigenous homelands are explored through a National Recreation Trail, ongoing archaeological work on Assateague ancestral sites, and the Beach to Bay Indian Trail, recently renewed and renamed the History, Heritage, and Homelands with the help of the Pocomoke Indian Nation. African American history is interpreted through Rosenwald schools, community centers, and the Storyways self-guided trail, which connects more than two dozen Lower Shore sites of faith and freedom.
Fishing villages, agricultural fields, and small towns reveal a way of life long tied to the Bay’s resources. As part of the Chesapeake Gateways Network, the Beach to Bay Heritage Area invites visitors to discover the intertwined natural and cultural stories of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. To learn more, visit the Beach to Bay Heritage Area’s website.