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| Review of North Beach, Maryland |
If you are like many parents these days, a getaway to Ocean City or some of the other Maryland, Virginia and Delaware beaches is just a bit too much of a commitment in time and money. So then there are the Chesapeake Bay beaches to consider, and although none of them are quite the same as, say Ocean City, there are two or three that come to my mind that might be decent day-trip substitutes. They are all in Calvert County and they are: North Beach, Chesapeake Beach and Flag Ponds Beach. These are way better than Sandy Point State Park near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and aren’t that much further. (I couldn’t help but laugh and agree with a recent review of Sandy Point on Google — it said something like: “If you’re looking for a dirty beach and jellyfish, this place is for you.”)
Today I am going to talk about North Beach. Its about 30 minutes from Annapolis and not far from Howard, Prince George’s and pretty much anywhere in Anne Arundel County.
When you arrive, you find that there is a free parking lot right near the public beach, but you do have to pay admission and wear an armband to show you’ve paid.
Current beach admission fees (as of May 2017) for out of county visitors are:
Adults 12-54: $17.00
Children 3-11: $9.00
Children 2 and under: Free
Seniors 55 and up: $9.00
Active Military: $9.00
Season passes are $120 for adults and $100 for children.
It’s cheaper for in-county visitors:
Adults 12-54: $7.00
Children 3-11: $4.00
Children 2 and under: Free
Seniors 55 and up: $4.00
Active Military: $4.00
It was $10 to rent an umbrella and $5 to rent a chair.
Fishing Fees Two poles maximum per person
North Beach/Calvert County Residents: Free. (Must show proof of Calvert County residency.)
Out of County Visitors: 1st Pole & 2nd Pole Inquire at Welcome Center
Paddle or Pedal Fees Single Kayak: Hourly $15.00/Daily $45.00
Double Kayak: Hourly $20.00/Daily $60.00
Stand Up Paddleboard: Hourly $20.00/Daily $60.00
Bicycles: Hourly $10.00/Daily $30.00
[Looking for birthday party ideas in Anne Arundel County?]
There are many regulations to be aware of. No large coolers (actually only pretty small coolers are allowed – 9 quart limit), no tents, no pets, no loud music, no alcohol, no fires, no g-strings, don’t feed the animals, no thongs, no fireworks. Although I thought they might be kind of restrictive, I also thought that it did make the beach nicer for everyone. You have to pass a guard on the way down to the beach and they definitely stop you if they see you have a cooler or tent. See the image with most of the other rules and regulations below.
The area of the beach we were on was surrounded by breakers and was never more than 2 or 3 feet deep even if you walked out pretty far. There were very small, gentle waves. This meant that it was a perfect place for kids to play and not have to be worried about getting bowled over by a huge wave or going in too deep.
The sand was clean. There wasn’t alot of trash around. Some people might be turned off by the feel of the bottom when they’re in the water. You could either consider it slimy or silky or somewhere in between. It surely feels different than at an Atlantic beach. Its kind of a muddy clay. It didn’t bother me, but it is kind of surprising the first time you experience that. Otherwise, other than some seaweed in the water, it was a very clean, nice experience.
There were some restaurants and shops around, as well as a fishing pier. Again, there are some fees involved if you want to fish (see North Beach admission rates above).
If you are looking for a place to spend a summer beach day (or night) then I would recommend visiting North Beach, MD. You may also want to read my blog posting on Summer Camp Ideas for Kids In Maryland. You may also want to read my post about educational birthday gift ideas or my review of the FamZoo debit card for kids.