Mark’s Score 8.4
I cannot make up my mind about Kent Island; is it the Gateway to Delmarva or is it part of the Northeastern megapolis? Kent Island has become a suburb of Annapolis, but it is on this side of the bridge and therefore it is part of our peninsula. For one reason or another, I seem to cross the Bay Bridge many times in the course of a year. When I am up that way, I like to take the opportunity to explore Kent Island. Though it has become part of Maryland’s suburban sprawl, there are many parks preserving the natural beauty of the island. The first among these, right at the base of the bridge, is Terrapin Nature Park.
Terrapin Park is a 276-acre (112 hectares) park created by the state and Queen Anne’s County in 2021. The park’s purpose was to preserve a part of the Chesapeake Bay shoreline, thereby providing public access to the waterfront, and to anchor the western end of the Cross Island Trail. The park contains a mix of forest, marsh, and beach. There are biking and walking paths, marshlands, open fields, wooded areas, and beaches.
When I left Salisbury, it was a beautiful sunny warm spring day. By the time I got to Annapolis, it had turned cloudy, windy, and cold. Nevertheless, though I wasn’t dressed for it, I was determined to take a hike in Terrapin Nature Park. The county limits the number of people who can visit the park at any given moment, so it can quickly fill in the warmer weather. The cold blustery weather at least assured my entrance.
Kent Island is full of little coves and inlets, so there aren’t many places where you can get sweeping views of the bay. In fact, Terrapin is one of the few publicly accessible places on the island to the open bay. It is also one of the few places on the island with a public beach. From the parking lot you can either choose to follow the bike trail which heads inland, or you can follow the path to the beach. I decided to head for the beach because you can get commanding vistas of the bay bridge. The beach path also takes you through wetlands, providing an opportunity to see a great many wetland birds.
Being cold and windy, I was one of just a handful of brave souls heading for the beach. I like visiting Terrapin this time of year. The trails take you though forests, which at the moment are devoid of vegetation, giving the park a sinister Fangorn Forest vibe. On this cold forlorn day, I half expected to run into an Ent.
The dark grey clouds to the west only added to the mystical and foreboding atmosphere. But I was rewarded for my bravery by fantastic views of the bay and bridge. As I get older, I much prefer the calm subtle vistas of the bay to the brash glare of the ocean beaches, and this park gives you excellent views of both the bay and bridge.
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