There are 15 National Park Service Sites in Maryland. A few of these sites are shared with Virginia, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania.
NPS in Maryland
- Antietam National Battlefield
- Assateague Island National Seashore
- Catoctin Mountain Park
- C & O Canal National Historical Park
- Clara Barton National Historic Site
- Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
- Fort Washington Park
- George Washington Memorial Parkway
- Greenbelt Park
- Hampton National Historic Site
- Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park
- Monocacy National Battlefield
- Piscataway Park
- Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
- Thomas Stone National Historic Site
Antietam National Battlefield
Located in Washington County, this unit of the national park service sites in Maryland is a national battlefield. It was established in 1890 and is currently governed by the US National Park Service. The property protects the site of the American Civil War Battle of Antietam that took place in 1862. The battlefield site is located among the fields of the Appalachian foothills. There is also the Antietam National Cemetery that is located adjacent to the battlefield site. It measures at over 11 acres in land area and contains nearly 5,000 interments (about 1,800 of these are unidentified).
The national battlefield site encompasses the battlefield site, national military cemetery, stone arch Burnside’s Bridge, field hospital museum and a visitor center. More than 330,000 tourists visit the site each year.
Assateague Island National Seashore
This unit of the national park service sites in Maryland is shared with the state of Virginia. The site encompasses half of the Assateague Island, which is located on the eastern shore of the Atlantic Ocean. The entire national seashore site covers more than 41,000 acres of land area. The site is visited by more than 1.2 million tourists each year.
The location of the national seashore is a result of stormy seas and gentle winds along the coast that helped form the region. There is a beach and several other recreational facilities available for tourists to enjoy when they visit this site.
Catoctin Mountain Park
This mountain park belongs to Frederick County in Maryland. It preserves part of the Catoctin Mountain ridge along the eastern rampart of the Appalachian Mountains. The entire park measures at over 6,000 acres in land area that consists of panoramic views of the Monocacy Valley and sparkling streams within on the foot of the mountain range.
It is a unit of the national park service sites in Maryland and is therefore managed by the US National Park Service. As of 2011, there is an average of 264,460 tourists who visit the park each year.
C & O Canal National Historical Park
This national historic park is shared by Washington DC and Maryland. It was established in 1938 as a national historic park in order to preserve what is left of the original canal structures along the Potomac River. The canal and towpath starts from Georgetown in Washington DC and ends in Cumberland, Maryland.
As one of the units of the national park service sites in Maryland, this historical park is managed by the US National Park Service. It spans 19,586 acres in land area. An average of 3.9 million tourists visit this park each year.
Clara Barton National Historic Site
The Clara Barton House is the main attraction within this national historic site in Glen Echo, Maryland. The exact address of the house is in 5801 Oxford Road and includes a property spanning 9 acres in size. The house was built in 1891 and is a work of Architect Julian B. Hubbell. Aside from being a national historic site, the property is also listed as a national historic landmark and under the US National Register of Historic Places.
Clara Barton is an American pioneer, teacher, nurse and humanitarian. She founded the American Red Cross. The house and other properties preserved within this national historic site aims to celebrate and interpret her life and works until her death in 1912.
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
Located in Baltimore, this national historic shrine and monument was formalized in 1925. This unit of the national park service sites in Maryland encompasses the historical American coastal star-shaped fort. This fort was instrumental during the War of 1812 because it successfully defended the Baltimore Harbor from British navy attacks. The fort was built in late 18th century and was used by the American forces during World War I. In World War II, it was also used by the US Coast Guard.
Today, the fort has become a focal attraction for Baltimore tourists seeking recreational activities. In fact, over 641,000 tourists visit the site each year. Several restoration efforts had been done to the fort in order to preserve the original brick that was initially used to construct it.
Fort Washington Park
This park located in Fort Washington in Maryland served as the sole fort that protected Washington DC for several decades. The original fort provided an overlooking view of the Potomac River. It finished constructed in 1809 and was called Fort Warburton that time. It was renamed in 1808 as Fort Washington. The fort was destroyed by its own garrison in the War of 1812.
The present fort is managed by the National Park Service. It was constructed in 1824 and is made out of stone. In the 1840s, the fort was remodeled. Over the years, several works were done on the park to offer recreational activities such as hiking, biking, fishing and picnicking. There are also historical re-enactments within the park held on a periodic basis.
George Washington Memorial Parkway
This 25-mile long parkway is one of the national park service sites in Maryland. It spans from Virginia to District of Columbia in Maryland. The parkway is currently maintained and governed by the National Park Service. The parkway is historically important as it ran along the south bank of the Potomac River starting at Mount Vernon in Virginia. It is also designated as an All-American Road with an official designation of State Route 90005.
Greenbelt Park
This unit of the national park service sites in Maryland is located in Greenbelt. It encompasses a forested park that is located 10 miles from Washington DC. The entire park measures at 1,176 acres in land area with the highest elevation at 200 feet. The park was founded in 1950 and is currently managed by the US National Park Service.
The park facilities offer a wide range of recreational activities for tourists. There are hiking and equestrian trails available within the park. However, there are also shorter nature trails for those who want to explore for a day, along with picnic areas and various campsites.
Hampton National Historic Site
This national historic site located in Baltimore County in Maryland preserves a 18th-century estate. The site includes a Georgian manor house, original stone slave quarters, gardens and grounds. The estate is owned by the Ridgely family for seven generations from the mid-18th century and mid-20th century. During the time of its completion in 1790, the Hampton Mansion was the largest private home in the US. It is also considered as one of the best examples of Georgian architecture.
When you visit the property, all of the furnishings and its preserved structures provide insight into the life in the region during the 18th century. When it was named a national historic site, it was the first of its kind to have been known for its architectural significance.
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park
This unit of the national park service sites in Maryland spans 11,750 acres of land area. It commemorates the life of former slave Harriet Tubman. He was an activist in the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War. The site was established as a national monument under the declaration of President Barack Obama in 2013. The monument includes sites in Cambridge that held significance to Tubman’s life while he was still alive.
Monocacy National Battlefield
This battlefield site is another one of those sites managed by the National Park Service in Maryland. It encompasses the site of the Battle of Monocacy during the American Civil War in 1864. The battlefield is located along the Monocacy River in the southeastern part of Frederick City. This particular battle was regarded as “The Battle That Saved Washington” since this is the last of the battles that the Confederate soldiers fought under Union territory.
Before the battlefield site was managed by the US National Park Service, it was in private hands for more than 100 years. The property was established as a national battlefield site in 1976 and currently has an average of nearly 18,000 visitors per year.
Piscataway Park
This park is located in Prince George’s County, which protects Marshall Hall the National Colonial Farm. It also preserves the Accokeek Creek Site. The park is located directly across the Potomac River from the Mount Vernon estate of George Washington. The park was named after the Piscataway Creek that was in itself named after a Native American tribe. The park is home to several species of wildlife and birds such as bald eagle, osprey, and beavers. The landscape within the park varies from a meadow to a wetland to woodland in some parts.
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
Known shortly as Potomac Heritage Trail, this site measures 710 miles in length and connects various sites and trails from Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. This network of trail includes both existing and planned sections of the trail route. This trail is considered culturally important due to its link with the natural, historical and cultural features of the Potomac River and its surrounding areas. This trail route differs from other long-distance hiking trails since it has plenty of alternative routes and side trails.
Thomas Stone National Historic Site
This national historic site completes the list of national park service sites in Maryland. It was established in 1978 and is located in Charles County, Maryland. The site is more commonly referred to as Thomas Stone House or Haberdeventure. The site was established in order to preserve the home and property of Thomas Stone. He was one of those who signed the US Declaration of Independence. The home and estate were owned by the Stone family until 1936. There are approximately 6,351 tourists who visit the site each year.
View all the National Park Service Sites in neighboring states: