This list of National Park System areas in Maryland includes the lands, trails, or park networks maintained by the National Park Service of the United States within the U.S. State of Maryland. The National Park Service controls 24 units in the state of Maryland. They range from sites of historical interest to sites of ecological interest to portions of the parkway system around Washington, DC. Many of the sites currently under the control of the National Park Service in Maryland were previously under the control of other agencies in the federal government, such as Antietam National Battlefield, which was originally managed by the Department of War. There are eight units administered by the National Park System as part of the National Capital Parks. The most recent unit created in Maryland is the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, which was authorized by Congress in 2006.
National Park System areas
| Name | Location | Description | Established | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antietam National Battlefield | Washington County | Site of the Battle of Antietam (Civil War) | 1890[B] | |
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail | Washington County | 2,175 mi (3,500 km) footpath stretching through 14 eastern states from Maine to Georgia. | 1970 | |
| Assateague Island National Seashore | Worcester County | 37 mi (60 km) long barrier island managed to conserve its plants and animals. | 1965 | |
| Baltimore–Washington Parkway[A] | Anne Arundel and Prince George's Counties | 29 mi (47 km) highway connecting Washington, DC with Baltimore, Maryland. | 1954 | |
| Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail | Chesapeake Bay | Water trail tracing Smith's explorations of the Chesapeake Bay, accessible from many points on Maryland's Chesapeake shoreline. | 2006 | |
| Catoctin Mountain Park | Frederick County | 5,810-acre (23.5 km2) forest park in the Appalachian Mountains. | 1954 | |
| Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park | Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, and Allegany Counties | Park paralleling the Potomac River, preserving remains of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. | 1938 | |
| Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network | Chesapeake Bay shoreline | Network of sites of historic and environmental interest across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. | 1998 | |
| Clara Barton National Historic Site | Montgomery County | Home of Clara Barton (1821–1912), the founder of the American Red Cross. | 1975 | |
| Fort Foote Park[A] | Prince George's County | Wood and earthwork fort on the Potomac River that formed part of Washington, DC's military defenses in the Civil War era. | c. 1946 | |
| Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine | Baltimore City | Star-shaped fort that successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy during the War of 1812, in the battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write The Star-Spangled Banner. | 1925 | |
| Fort Washington Park[A] | Prince George's County | Had a long history of military use as a defensive fort protecting Washington, DC | 1946 | |
| George Washington Memorial Parkway | Montgomery County | Parkway in Virginia and Washington, DC; the short Clara Barton Parkway section connects to Glen Echo Park and the Clara Barton National Historic Site in Maryland | 1930 | |
| Glen Echo Park | Montgomery County | Park was first established in 1891 as a National Chautauqua Assembly; later it became an amusement park, which closed in 1968. | 1971 | |
| Greenbelt Park[A] | Prince George's County | A 1,176-acre (476 ha) recreational area within an urban environment. | 1950 | |
| Hampton National Historic Site | Baltimore County | 18th century estate including Georgian manor house, gardens and grounds, and original stone slave quarters | 1948 | |
| Harmony Hall[A] | Prince George's County | 18th-century country house surrounded by 65 acres (26 ha) of parkland. | 1966 | |
| Monocacy National Battlefield | Frederick County | Civil War battlefield straddling the Monocacy River southwest of Frederick. | 1976 | |
| Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm[A] | Prince George's County | Located in Washington, DC and Prince George's County, Maryland, Oxon Cove Park provides recreational activities. | 1959 | |
| Piscataway Park[A] | Prince George's County | Across the Potomac River from Mount Vernon, established to protect the view from Mount Vernon. | 1961 | |
| Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail | Potomac River shoreline | Network of trails along the Potomac River and its tributaries, from the mouth of the river near St. Mary's County to the headwaters. | 1983 | |
| Suitland Parkway[A] | Prince George's County | 9.35 mi (15 km) historic parkway built during World War II to connect Washington, DC-area military facilities | 1944 | |
| Thomas Stone National Historic Site | Charles County | Home and estate of Thomas Stone, a signer of the Declaration of Independence | 1978 |
See also
Notes
- A ^ Part of the National Capital Parks.
- B ^ Antietam National Battlefield was originally two separate units, a cemetery established in 1865 and the battlefield established in 1890 under the War department. Both the battlefield and the cemetery were transferred to the National Park Service from the War Department in 1933, and the two units were combined in 1974.
References
External links
- Find a Park in Maryland - official site of the National Park Service