Mark’s Score 8.7
Though I am an avid hiker, I tend to stay away from the trails in July and August for three reasons, the heat, the humidity, and the bugs. So, during the summer I shift my focus from our state and federal parks to the more intimate, shorter, and more urban community parks and trails.
Back Creek Park was built and is maintained by Talbot County. The park is located on the north side of Knapps Narrows across from Tilghman Island. It was designed to serve the local community rather than for tourists. Its purpose was to preserve a section of the Chesapeake Bay shoreline, provide public access to the bay on a stretch of the coast that is almost entirely privately owned, and to protect bay tidal marshes and bird habitats. The park was designed for “passive” recreation; walking, nature photography, birdwatching, and fishing.
The park is tiny, no more than a few acres and the trail is paved and very short (0.5 miles/0.8 K). It winds along the narrows through a playground, a picnic area, and open meadows. It ends at a wooden elevated observation deck with sweeping views of the open bay and the north end of Tilghman Island. In fact, due to extensive marshlands, deep inlets, and private property, it is one of the few places on the lower Eastern Shore where you can get sweeping views of the bay. Which is one of the reasons I like to walk this trail.
I just had lunch at One if by Sea (see review) and it was such a spectacular summer’s day, I decided to take a walk through the park. The parking lot for the park is just over the bridge and immediately past the marina parking lot on the left. Though it was a beautiful day, and the height of the summer season, I had the park to myself.
There is a playground at the trailhead, and the trail is paved and winds along the narrows shore through a well-maintained parkland. This park is not for those people looking for unspoiled wilderness. If you want a wilderness trail, head to Black Walnut Point on the south end of the island. For most of the distance the trail runs along the edge of the marina, with plenty of opportunities to observe multiple sailing craft.
Once you past the marina, the trail skirts along the edge of a marsh to the east end of Knapp Narrows. You then ascend a very low embankment at the top of which is a wooden observation deck, providing sweeping views of the bay.
Though I enjoy the boats and the views of the bay, I think one of my favorite things about this park are the majestic silver maples that dot the park. They remind me of the London Plane trees in Hyde Park in London. This park is small and the trail is short. But if you want a leisurely stroll with boats, majestic trees, and water views, this is the park for you.
What else is there to do on Tilghman Island?
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