When most people think of Maryland, they picture Chesapeake Bay views, fresh seafood, and charming waterfront towns, but the state is also home to some seriously beautiful beaches that deserve a spot on your travel list.
You’ll find everything from quiet stretches of sand perfect for a relaxing afternoon to wide ocean beaches where waves crash along miles of shoreline.
Some are known for unique natural features and incredible wildlife, while others offer memorable coastal scenery and experiences that keep visitors coming back year after year.
Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway, a family beach day, or a summer road trip, these 9 Maryland beaches offer plenty of reasons to grab your sunscreen and start exploring.
1. Calvert Cliffs State Park
Calvert Cliffs State Park sits on Maryland’s western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Lusby, just over an hour’s drive from Annapolis, and protects a spectacular stretch of towering cliffs that rise above the water.
The park is famous for fossil hunting, giving you the chance to search the beach for ancient shark teeth, whale bones, and other fossils that washed out of cliffs formed between 10 and 20 million years ago.
To reach the shoreline, you’ll follow the Red Trail, a scenic 1.8-mile hike each way through forests and wetlands before arriving at a beach scattered with shells, driftwood, and fossil treasures.
Beyond the beach, the 1,079-acre park features freshwater marshes, a fishing pond, boardwalks, and 13 miles of trails, making it one of Maryland’s most unique spots for hiking, wildlife watching, and exploring prehistoric history.
2. Chesapeake Beach
If combing beaches with a classic Maryland waterfront town sounds like your kind of day, Chesapeake Beach delivers with a long fishing pier, a lively bayfront boardwalk, and sweeping views across the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County.
This historic resort town became famous in the late 1800s when visitors arrived by rail to enjoy bay swimming, seafood, and summer entertainment along the shoreline.
Today, you can stroll the Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail, cast a line from the Chesapeake Beach Fishing Pier, browse local shops, or stop by the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum to see artifacts from the town’s railroad era.
Keep an eye on the water because this stretch of the bay is known for spectacular sunsets, seasonal charter fishing trips for striped bass and bluefish, and frequent sightings of ospreys soaring above the shoreline.
3. North Beach
Just a short drive from Chesapeake Beach, North Beach offers a more laid-back stretch of Chesapeake Bay shoreline, with a half-mile public beach, a scenic fishing pier, and a beautiful waterfront promenade perfect for an easy stroll.
This small beach town is known as the “Jewel of the Chesapeake Bay” and has been drawing summer visitors since the early 1900s.
You can relax on the sandy beach, hunt for sea glass along the water’s edge, browse locally owned shops on Bay Avenue, or stop at Wetlands Overlook Park to spot herons, egrets, and other coastal birds.
The town also hosts popular events throughout the year, including the North Beach Farmers Market and Friday Night Farmers Market, giving you plenty of chances to pair your beach day with fresh seafood, local treats, and live entertainment.
4. Sandy Point State Park
For a beach day with one of Maryland’s most famous views, head to Sandy Point State Park, where 786 acres of shoreline and recreation areas sit right beside the western end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis.
The park features one mile of sandy beach along the bay, giving you plenty of space for swimming, sunbathing, picnicking, and watching massive cargo ships pass through the Chesapeake Bay.
You can launch a boat, fish for striped bass and white perch, explore shaded picnic areas, or scan the water for osprey, bald eagles, and other wildlife that frequent the shoreline.
One of the park’s biggest highlights is its unbeatable view of the 4.3-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge, especially at sunrise and sunset when the bridge stretches across the water and creates one of the most photographed scenes in Maryland.
5. Matapeake Beach
After taking in the sweeping bridge views at Sandy Point, cross over to Kent Island and check out Matapeake Beach, a quieter Chesapeake Bay spot located within the Matapeake Clubhouse and Beach area near Stevensville.
This beach is known for its soft sand, calm swimming waters, and one of the best close-up views of the eastern span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, making it a favorite place for photography and sunset watching.
You can walk the shoreline, relax in designated picnic areas with shaded spots, fish from the nearby pier, or explore sections of the Cross Island Trail, a scenic route across Kent Island.
Matapeake also stands out for its dog-friendly beach area, a rare feature along the bay, so you can bring your four-legged travel buddy along while enjoying views of passing sailboats, waterbirds, and the sparkling Chesapeake Bay.
6. Betterton Beach
If you’re ready to trade busy bayfront parks for a peaceful small-town shoreline, Betterton Beach is a great next stop, tucked along the Sassafras River where it meets the Chesapeake Bay in Kent County.
This charming beach is known for its unusually wide sandy shoreline, gentle waves, and shallow water, making it one of the most family-friendly swimming beaches on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Betterton was one of the region’s most popular summer resorts, drawing visitors from Baltimore and Philadelphia who arrived by steamboat to escape the city heat.
Today, you can relax on the beach, launch a kayak into the Sassafras River, fish nearby waters known for striped bass and perch, or simply enjoy views stretching across the bay from one of Maryland’s most underrated waterfront towns.
7. Ocean City Beach
For a complete change of pace from quiet Eastern Shore beaches, Ocean City Beach brings 10 miles of Atlantic Ocean shoreline, energetic crowds, and one of the most famous beach destinations on the East Coast.
Located on a barrier island along Maryland’s Atlantic coast, this beach is known for its wide sandy shoreline, excellent swimming, surfing, and the iconic Ocean City Boardwalk.
The boardwalk stretches nearly 3 miles and is packed with arcades, shops, restaurants, and amusement rides.
You can spend the day riding waves, biking the boardwalk in the morning, visiting Trimper Rides, grabbing Thrasher’s French Fries, or hopping on a fishing charter in the town known as the White Marlin Capital of the World.
The fun continues long after sunset thanks to free summer concerts, fireworks displays, bustling beachfront attractions, and a coastline that welcomes millions of visitors every year.
8. Assateague State Park
After the excitement of Ocean City, Assateague State Park offers a wilder coastal experience, stretching across Assateague Island, a barrier island famous for its free-roaming wild horses and undeveloped Atlantic shoreline.
Located just 15 minutes from Ocean City, Maryland’s only oceanfront state park features 2 miles of sandy beach where you can swim, surf, fish, beachcomb, or simply watch waves roll in from the Atlantic.
The park is part of a larger island that spans about 37 miles, and you’ll often spot the island’s legendary horses grazing near marshes, dunes, and campgrounds, creating one of the most unforgettable wildlife experiences on the East Coast.
Beyond the beach, you can paddle through calm bayside waters, explore nearby nature trails, and watch for sika deer, herons, and ospreys while enjoying a coastline that looks remarkably similar to how it appeared centuries ago.
9. Assateague Island National Seashore
If seeing the island’s famous wild horses left you wanting even more room to roam, Assateague Island National Seashore expands the adventure with 37 miles of protected beaches, dunes, marshes, and coastal bays stretching across Maryland and Virginia.
Managed by the National Park Service, this remarkable seashore is known for its untouched landscapes, offering opportunities for kayaking, surfing, fishing, crabbing, shell collecting, and wildlife watching far from the crowds of nearby resort towns.
You can explore the 0.5-mile Life of the Forest Trail, walk sections of the 6,800-mile American Discovery Trail that passes through the island, or paddle through winding marsh channels filled with herons, egrets, and diamondback terrapins.
While the wild horses remain the biggest attraction, the island is also an important habitat for migratory birds and sea turtles, giving you the chance to experience one of the most ecologically significant stretches of coastline on the entire Atlantic seaboard.
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