Explore

At 64,000 square miles, the Chesapeake Bay watershed stretches from New York to North Carolina. It is one of the world’s largest estuaries – a place where salt and fresh water mix according to the ebb and flow of tides. The region is home to 16 million people, reaching into six states and through the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C.

The Gateways Network offers you more than 160 places to access the authentic Chesapeake – for hiking, biking, paddling, exploring a museum or discovering a historic downtown. To find a site that matches your interests, follow this link or locate the region on the map you would like to visit and click on it.

Two National Historic Trails

With nearly 3,000 miles of trail route there are countless things to see and do along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. Designated by Congress in 2006, the trail combines history, the natural environment, and outdoor recreation in a myriad of ways and places throughout much of the Chesapeake watershed. The trail is named for John Smith, an English explorer, who played a pivotal role in the exploration and European settlement of eastern North America.

The trail takes you to authentic places to learn the history and meaning of John Smith’s journeys. It takes you to authentic places to learn about the native peoples and their descendant communities today. It takes you into natural areas to see the Bay’s rich diversity of plants and wildlife and learn how the environment has changed over time. The trail offers new ways to discover the Chesapeake Bay and what makes the Bay a national treasure. Click here for more information.

Information on the trail as well as other Chesapeake Bay conservation, access and education initatives is also available through the Friends of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail

The Chesapeake Region was also home to a dramatic chain of events, people and places that led to the birth of our National Anthem. During the War or 1812, the Bay witnessed a fierce struggle between the British and the Americans, including the burning of the White House in 1814! In 2008, Congress designated the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, to commemorate the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812. Learn how to visit sites associated with this historic moment here.