When we first started out on our family adventures, we decided to explore across the bay bridge on Kent Island and the Eastern Shore. Our kiddos, Stormy, Rainbow, and Pebble, love water so any trail that brought us close to the water was perfection! I had only been to this Center once before for a program they had on animal tracks. It was awesome, and I was interested in exploring their trails more. The place isn’t hard to find, but it is isolated! The road in turns to dirt pretty quickly, and the parking lot is also dirt. This means, if it is has rained recently, expect a lot of puddles and mud! I don’t know about your kids, but mine have no problem wading through mud puddles and I’ve learned to always have a change of clothes on hand.
At this time, the Center is closed due to Coronavirus. That means no bathrooms, although there are porta-potties on the other side of Lake Knapp if you feel brave. We pack a portable toilet with us everywhere we go. It folds down fairly flat so we can slip it in the backpack and take it on the trails. Highly recommend getting one if you haven’t already! Teaching a kid to poop in the woods is not in my wheelhouse! Sorry mom and dad!
So now to the fun part, the trails!! We have done all the trails here except for the South Meadow trail. It was closed due to flooding. Our favorite thing to do is take the trail that circles Lake Knapp. Once you’ve parked, head toward the Center and turn down the road, which is both the yellow and blue trails. You will pass a greenhouse on your left, and the outdoor exhibit area is right there. My girls love seeing the hawks and owls! Pebble is especially fascinated with the hawks.
After you finish seeing the birds, keep heading down the blue / yellow road trail. Last time we went, we got lucky and saw baby snapping turtles!
As you gamely follow the trail, keep an eye out for a boardwalk on the right. It leads to a bird blind on Lake Knapp. You can sometimes spot osprey or ducks as well as a ton of geese! Just past the blind, the trail splits. Yellow goes left down a boardwalk through a marsh. Definitely take it if you can! If you have toddlers watch them carefully! Pebble wasn’t paying attention and took a header off the boardwalk. She got a bit wet and a bit scared, but the moss broke her fall. Her tears stopped as soon as she saw all the minnows swimming in a nearby tide pool, which was neat!
At the end of the boardwalk, a sandy path leads to a small beach. The views are amazing and it is a fun place to wade! I just hope you brought baby powder to get the sand off when you are done!
When you’ve had your fill of sand and surf, take the boardwalk back to the lake and make a left to keep circling it. FYI, I mentioned the geese before and I’ll mention them again! Watch your step! Stormy was horrified by the number of droppings and kept saying, “ewww!” On the other side of the lake, you’ll find a peaceful pine forest where branches have been stacked into teepees. They are perfect for kiddos to climb in and on!
The blue lake trail ends here at the marshy lake trail. If you turn left, you can walk out on the dock and see the nesting platform of the osprey. There is also a great platform you can climb up onto for a view of the marsh. This trail is the one that brings you back to your car. If you have time, go down the hummock trail just before the parking lot. It is a super cool little island in the marsh and there is a giant tree to climb on!
This is not a super long circuit in mileage, but there is a lot to see and do! Pebble has walked the whole thing, but occasionally needs an airlift over the muddier areas. I do wear a carrier in case she gets too tired and wants a break. Here is a link to this wonderful gem, and they have a trail map plus trail descriptions on their website, too: Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center. We cannot recommend this place enough, and did I mention it is free? Of course, they do accept donations! I hope you love this place as much as we do! Happy trails!