Sandy Point State Park is a public recreation area on

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...

, located at the western end of the

Chesapeake Bay Bridge The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (also known locally as the Bay Bridge) is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the urban Western Shore, between ...

Anne Arundel County Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, whi ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. The state park is known for the popularity of its swimming beach, with annual attendance exceeding one million visitors. The park grounds include the

Sandy Point Farmhouse The Sandy Point Farmhouse is a historic home at Sandy Point State Park, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. It is a five-part plan consisting of a two-story central block connected to two wings by single-story hyphens. It was built in a ...

, which is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. The historic

Sandy Point Shoal Light Sandy Point Shoal Light is a brick three story lighthouse on a caisson foundation that was erected in 1883. It lies about off Sandy Point, north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, from whose westbound span it is readily visible. The current light r ...

house stands in about five feet of water some east of the park's beach.

History

In 1948, the state purchased the site of a ferry landing that had served the

Chesapeake Bay Ferry System Chesapeake often refers to: *Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian * The Chesapeake, a.k.a. Chesapeake Bay *Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula Chesapeake may also refer to: Populated plac ...

on its run across the bay to

Kent Island Kent Island is the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay and a historic place in Maryland. To the east, a narrow channel known as the Kent Narrows barely separates the island from the Delmarva Peninsula, and on the other side, the island is sep ...

at what is now

Matapeake State Park Matapeake State Park is a public recreation area on Chesapeake Bay occupying the site of a former ferry landing in Matapeake, Kent Island, Maryland. The landing served the state-owned Chesapeake Bay Ferry System before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge ...

. The park opened in 1952 with racially segregated beaches and bathhouses which led to litigation in 1955. The

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

ordered the park to become integrated in '' Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City v. Dawson'', which ultimately extended the Fourteenth Amendment to state beaches and other recreational facilities.

Activities and amenities

The park offers swimming beaches, fishing, crabbing, hiking, wildlife viewing, nature center, picnicking, marina store, and boat rentals. The adjacent Corcoran Woods forest preserve includes of hiking trails. The historic

may be viewed from the main park road and is not open to the public. In January, the park hosts the annual Maryland State Police

Polar Bear Plunge A polar bear plunge is an event held during the winter where participants enter a body of water despite the low temperature. In the United States, polar bear plunges are usually held to raise money for a charitable organization. In Canada, po ...

, where participants run into the Chesapeake Bay to raise money for

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in ...

References

External links

Sandy Point State Park
Maryland Department of Natural Resources {{authority control State parks of Maryland Parks in Anne Arundel County, Maryland Beaches of Maryland Protected areas established in 1948 1948 establishments in Maryland