Top 10 Camping Places to Go in Maryland

Camping Gems - Places to Go in Maryland Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine This is the site of a very important victory over the British in the War of 1812. You'll also find a replica of the flag that Francis Scott Key saw during the battle which inspired him to write, "The Star Spangled Banner." (24000 E Fort Ave, 410-962-4290) Ocean City Experience Maryland's eastern shore while you play at the two amusement parks, stroll the board walk, run along ten miles of public beach, dine at great seafood buffets, and try to catch one of the marlins or sharks just waiting to challenge your skills. Gunpowder Falls State Park    Explore the more than 100 miles of trails on foot, by bike, or on horseback.  This stunning park includes freshwater fishing streams, flatwater lakes for canoeing and kayaking, hunting areas, and playgrounds.  Canoe down the whitewater of the Gunpowder River or cool off with a river swim. Baltimore Head to the big sites of Baltimore -- the Inner Harbor with its sail boats, the National Aquarium, and Fort McHenry. You can also take in an Orioles game for as little as $8. Little Italy is a vibrant area full of great, cheap dining places, and if you're lucky enough to schmooze your way into a crab boil, your life will never be the same again. Backbone Mountain Get the satisfaction of having climbed Maryland's highest point without too much effort.  Climbing Backbone Mountain is fairly easy, and the view from the top is rewarding.  Sugarloaf Mountain    This Registered Natural Landmark has lush oak forests and over 500 species of plants and wildflowers.  With miles of hiking trails, this is a terrific place to watch for flying squirrels, red foxes, eastern cottontails, great horned owls, and raccoons. National Museum of Civil War Medicine, Frederick As you tour this 3-story pre-Civil War brick building you'll see some of Gordon Dammann's 3,000 object medical artifact collection, the unforgettable photos that make up the Wall of Wounded, and four galleries divided into "Recruiting-the Army Camp," "The Army Battle," "Caring for the Sick and Wounded," and "The Role of the Home Front." (48 E Patrick St., 301-695-1864) Eastern Neck Island National Wildlife Refuge Set on a 2,286-acre island in the span where the Chester River flows into Chesapeake Bay, this refuge is a sanctuary for migratory birds.  Every year, more than 240 bird species visit or live here, including bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and tundra swans. Western Maryland Railroad Ride through areas of scenic beauty and historical drama on the Western Maryland Railroad. You'll pass through the Narrows, see the historic Frostburg Depot, and cruise through the Brush Tunnel.  Regular excursions leave from the Cumberland station at 11:30 a.m. US Frigate Constellation A visit to the Constellation will give you a chance to see the oldest American warship continuously afloat. When it was launched in 1797 from Baltimore, it became the first commissioned ship in the US Navy. (Baltimore, 301 E Pratt St, 410-539-1797)