Here is the honest headline: Maryland has zero true national parks. What it has is an exceptional concentration of National Park Service sites, 22 NPS designations in all: 17 visitable park units plus 5 long-distance trails that thread the state and the wider Chesapeake region.
Maryland is where these lists inflate the most, so I have cleaned it up. I dropped Harpers Ferry, which is administered as a West Virginia unit, and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways program, which is a partnership rather than a park unit, and I treat the parkway roads as roads, not destinations. Below I label every site by its real federal designation. Not one is a capital-P National Park.
Maryland National Park Service Sites At A Glance
| Site | Federal Designation | Near |
|---|---|---|
| Assateague Island National Seashore | National Seashore | Berlin |
| Antietam National Battlefield | National Battlefield | Sharpsburg |
| Monocacy National Battlefield | National Battlefield | Frederick |
| Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine | National Monument | Baltimore |
| Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park | National Historical Park | Church Creek |
| Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park | National Historical Park | Potomac corridor |
| Clara Barton National Historic Site | National Historic Site | Glen Echo |
| Hampton National Historic Site | National Historic Site | Towson |
| Thomas Stone National Historic Site | National Historic Site | Port Tobacco |
| Catoctin Mountain Park | Park (NPS unit) | Thurmont |
| Greenbelt Park | Park (NPS unit) | Greenbelt |
| Fort Washington Park | Park (NPS unit) | Fort Washington |
| Piscataway Park | Park (NPS unit) | Accokeek |
| Glen Echo Park | Park (NPS unit) | Glen Echo |
| Oxon Cove Park & Oxon Hill Farm | Park (NPS unit) | Oxon Hill |
| Fort Foote Park | Park (NPS unit) | Fort Washington |
| Harmony Hall | Park (NPS unit) | Fort Washington |
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail | National Scenic Trail | Western Maryland |
| Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail | National Scenic Trail | Potomac corridor |
| Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT | National Historic Trail | Bay corridor |
| Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail | National Historic Trail | Bay corridor |
| Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route NHT | National Historic Trail | Statewide corridor |
1. Assateague Island National Seashore
A national seashore protecting a wild barrier island on the Atlantic coast, best known for its free-roaming herds of wild horses. The undeveloped beaches, dunes, and salt marshes stretch into Virginia.
Swim, kayak the bayside, and camp within sound of the surf, but keep your distance from the horses. Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons; summer brings mosquitoes and crowds.
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2. Antietam National Battlefield
A national battlefield near Sharpsburg preserving the site of the single bloodiest day in American history, September 17, 1862, when more than 22,000 men fell. The battle gave Lincoln the moment to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
Drive or walk the tour route past the Cornfield, the Sunken Road, and Burnside Bridge. The visitor center film and the preserved, uncluttered fields make this one of the most powerful Civil War sites in the country.
Best Civil War Sites In America
3. Monocacy National Battlefield
A national battlefield near Frederick marking the 1864 fight known as the battle that saved Washington. Union forces lost the field but delayed a Confederate advance on the capital long enough for reinforcements to arrive.
An auto tour and walking trails cross the farm fields along the Monocacy River. It is quieter than Antietam and rewards visitors who want the story without the crowds.
4. Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
A national monument in Baltimore, and the only NPS site with the dual title National Monument and Historic Shrine. Its defense during the 1814 British bombardment inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became the national anthem.
Tour the star-shaped fort, time a visit for a flag change ceremony, and take in the harbor views. The visitor center film ends with a stirring reveal of the fort itself.
5. Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park
A national historical park on the Eastern Shore near Church Creek, in the landscape where Harriet Tubman was born into slavery and which she returned to again and again to lead others to freedom.
The excellent visitor center sits at the gateway to a driving tour byway through the marshes and farmland she knew. It is one of the most moving NPS sites in the mid-Atlantic.
6. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
A national historical park following 184.5 miles of the historic C&O Canal from Georgetown to Cumberland along the Potomac River. The towpath is one of the great long-distance walking and biking routes in the East.
Visit Great Falls for the dramatic Potomac cascades, explore restored locks and lockhouses, and ride or walk as much of the flat towpath as you like. It links seamlessly to the Potomac Heritage Trail.
7. Clara Barton National Historic Site
A national historic site in Glen Echo preserving the home of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, which also served as an early Red Cross headquarters and warehouse.
The house reflects her relief work in its unusual design. It sits right beside Glen Echo Park, so the two make an easy pair.
8. Hampton National Historic Site
A national historic site in Towson preserving a vast 18th-century Georgian mansion that was once among the largest houses in America, along with the slave quarters and farm that made its wealth possible.
The grounds tell the full story of the enslaved people whose labor built the estate, not just the owners. It is a sobering, honest look at the plantation economy of the Chesapeake.
9. Thomas Stone National Historic Site
A national historic site near Port Tobacco preserving Haberdeventure, the home of Thomas Stone, a Maryland signer of the Declaration of Independence.
The restored five-part Georgian house and grounds are quiet and rarely crowded. It is a good stop for anyone tracing the founders of the Revolution.
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10. Catoctin Mountain Park
A park unit of the National Park Service in the forested mountains near Thurmont. Note the designation is simply “Park,” not “National Park.” It is best known as the location of the presidential retreat, Camp David, which is closed to the public.
For visitors, the draw is the hiking: trails to Chimney Rock, Wolf Rock, and Thurmont Vista offer real ridge-top views. It adjoins Maryland’s Cunningham Falls State Park.
11. Greenbelt Park
A park unit of the NPS in suburban Greenbelt, a 1,100-acre woodland just outside Washington, D.C., with a popular campground.
The nine-mile Perimeter Trail and quiet picnic areas make it a green refuge close to the capital, and the campground is a budget base for exploring D.C.
12. Fort Washington Park
A park unit of the NPS on the Potomac south of D.C., preserving a 19th-century masonry fort that long guarded the river approach to the capital.
Tour the fort, watch occasional cannon demonstrations, and enjoy the riverside trails and views across to Mount Vernon. It is an easy, scenic outing.
13. Piscataway Park
A park unit of the NPS on the Maryland shore of the Potomac, created specifically to preserve the view across the river from George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
The park includes the National Colonial Farm, a living-history site, plus trails and fishing piers. It is a quiet counterpoint to the busier Virginia side.
14. Glen Echo Park
A park unit of the NPS preserving a former amusement park that is now a thriving arts center, complete with a restored 1921 Dentzel carousel.
Take a class, catch a dance in the Spanish Ballroom, or ride the carousel in season. It sits right next to the Clara Barton site, making the two a natural pair.
15. Oxon Cove Park & Oxon Hill Farm
A park unit of the NPS just south of D.C., a working historic farm with animals, fields, and a barn that gives visitors a taste of early-20th-century rural life on the edge of the capital.
It is especially good for families. Kids can see cows, pigs, and chickens, and seasonal programs bring the farm chores to life.
16. Fort Foote Park
A park unit of the NPS preserving the earthen remains of a Civil War fort that helped defend Washington, set on a wooded Potomac bluff.
Two massive Rodman guns still sit among the trees. A short trail leads to the quiet, overlooked ruins, a good stop for Civil War enthusiasts.
17. Harmony Hall
A park unit of the NPS near Fort Washington centered on an 18th-century Georgian house and the grounds along Broad Creek.
It is one of the lesser-known NPS holdings, with limited facilities, best for a quiet walk through colonial-era landscape. Check ahead for access before you go.
18. Appalachian National Scenic Trail
The first of five national trails that cross Maryland. These are NPS-administered corridors rather than single gated parks, so you follow them through markers and walkable segments.
About 41 miles of the Appalachian Trail run along South Mountain in western Maryland, a relatively gentle stretch popular with weekend hikers and a rite of passage for thru-hikers.
19. Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
A national scenic trail network following the Potomac River corridor, which in Maryland overlaps long stretches of the C&O Canal towpath.
It links the river’s history and recreation from the Chesapeake to the Allegheny Highlands. Walk or bike its Maryland segments along the Potomac.
20. Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail
A national historic trail, the first all-water national trail, tracing Captain John Smith’s 1607 to 1609 voyages of exploration around the Chesapeake Bay.
You experience it by boat and at interpretive buoys and shore sites around the bay. It connects much of Maryland’s tidewater history.
21. Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
A national historic trail following the routes of the War of 1812 Chesapeake campaign, from the British landing through the burning of Washington to the defense of Baltimore at Fort McHenry.
It ties together many Maryland sites into one story by land and water. Fort McHenry is its dramatic climax.
22. Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail
A national historic trail tracing the 1781 march of American and French forces under Washington and Rochambeau toward the decisive victory at Yorktown.
The route crosses Maryland on its way south. Like the other trails, you follow it through markers and certified sites rather than a single gate.
Planning Your Maryland Trip
Cluster by region. The D.C. suburbs hold a dense group of NPS units: the C&O Canal, Clara Barton, Glen Echo, Greenbelt, Fort Washington, Piscataway, Oxon Cove, Fort Foote, and Harmony Hall, all within easy reach of the capital. Western Maryland covers Antietam, Monocacy, Catoctin Mountain, and the Appalachian Trail. Baltimore anchors Fort McHenry and Hampton, and the Eastern Shore holds Assateague Island and the Harriet Tubman park.
Spring and fall are ideal, with summer best reserved for Assateague’s beaches. Many of these sites are free, including the battlefields and the D.C.-area park units; Assateague charges an entrance fee. There is no national park entrance pass to buy here, because there is no national park, but few states pack this much history into one footprint.
Historic Sites In Maryland | Parks In Washington D.C. | Virginia | West Virginia
Bottom line: Maryland has no national park, but its 17 National Park Service units and 5 national trails hold an outsized share of American history, from the bloodiest day of the Civil War to the marsh country where Harriet Tubman led others to freedom.
