Here we will discuss how to navigate Maryland’s year-round seasonal activities.
Maryland is a mid-northeastern Atlantic state, which means many things. It means that Maryland has prime access to the great Atlantic Ocean, is near the capital; Washington DC, and gets to experience the benefits of all four seasons!
Let’s jump right in!
Spring
C&O Canal
The C&O Canal is an 184.5-mile trail spanning from Georgetown to Cumberland. The trail is open to the public year-round; however, it is most enjoyable during the spring.
Starting as early as mid-March, wildflower blooms can be found along the trail, and all of the state’s hibernating and migrating creatures start reappearing and ready to resume their daily lives.
Great Wolf Lodge
For many, one of the best things about the sunshine is the ability to hop back on the water. Therefore, when spring has finally sprung, you might be anxious for the beaches to reopen.
If you are too eager to wait, you can go to the Great Wolf Lodge, a 126,000-square-foot indoor water park that maintains a cozy temperature of 84° year-round. Great Wolf Lodge has 700 family-friendly suites, multiple bars and restaurants (including an indoor food truck), an arcade, mini bowling, and an onsite scavenger hunt!
Maryland Zoo
The zoo is often thought of as a summer activity, however, it is a much more pleasant experience when the sun isn’t beating down on you for hours as you walk around. Avoid the sweat and sunburn and visit the zoo in the spring instead.
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is 135 acres and home to over 130 species living in naturalistic exhibits. The Zoo hosts events like penguin feeding and breakfast with the animals. Visitors can also sign up for activities like otter or rhino training or purchase one-of-a-kind art pieces hand (or mouth) painted by the animals themselves.
Summer
Delmarva Balloon Rides
If you have ever wanted to see the world from a different view, consider taking a hot air balloon ride this summer.
At Delmarva Balloon Rides you get to hop aboard a balloon with Todd David, a pilot with over 20 years of evidence, and any friends and family you want to bring along. The journey is safe, relaxing, and exciting.
Ocean City
Ocean City is a ten-mile beach on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and a hotspot for many residents and tourists.
The beach offers soft, clean, and crystal-clear water. The beach also has a three-mile boardwalk with every type of food and shopping imaginable. Whether you want to shop, dine, relax, swim, or even surf fish, Ocean City Beach is the place to go.
Swallow Falls
When you hear “Swallow Falls” your mind might take you to an island that rains cheeseburgers. Unfortunately, as great as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was, it’s only make-believe. However, Swallow Falls in Oakland, Maryland is very real and maybe even more exciting.
Swallow Falls is a state park featuring majestic waterfalls, hiking trails, fishing spots, and the delicious Swallow Falls Country Store which serves pizza, wings, burgers, and ice cream.
Fall
Maryland Harvest Festival & Cannabis Cup
This festival celebrates the legalization of cannabis- one of the most valuable crops of all.
At the festival, you can listen to music, learn about the plant’s economic and medicinal benefits, and shop for cannabis products. This event is new to Maryland but has quickly grown to be incredibly popular. Recreational cannabis is legal in Maryland but MMH holders have access to special festival products. Here, you can find a marijuana doctor and apply for your MMJ.
Butler’s Orchard
Butlers Orchard is a family-focused farm in Germantown that features pick-your-own patches, hayrides, a playground, and a market and cafe.
The Orchard has a large variety of crops to pick throughout the year but what they are known for is their fall harvest of delicious apples and massive pumpkins. Butler’s Orchard apples make the best juices, pies, jams, and holiday treats. The farm is a must-visit location for anyone in the area.
Winter
Wisp Resort
Wisp Resort in McHenry is Maryland’s only four-season resort offering year-round activities. What the resort is most known for though is its phenomenal 172 acres of ski terrain.
If you don’t ski, don’t worry because you can also snowboard, go tubing, and take lessons. If the cold isn’t your scene at all, you can shop, dine, join an escape game, and ride the mountain coaster that takes you 1,300 feet into the air along Deep Creek and then 3,500 feet downhill. You may be wondering how a coaster would be fun in the winter. Well, this coaster lets you control your own speed so you can enjoy the ride without worrying about the cold.
Maryland Science Center
The Maryland Science Center is the perfect place for families to have fun while staying warm during the frigid winter months.
At the Science Center, you can take a guided tour beyond the solar system, see a 3D Imax movie, visit the kid’s room, and learn about dinosaurs, math in nature, Newton’s laws, electricity, chemistry, the human body, and more. Maryland’s Science Center has a plethora of interactive exhibits the entire family can explore.