Kayak/Canoe
Information
Need
a kayak or canoe Retreat in Chesapeake Bay?
Thanks to its location, amidst the labyrinth of waterways
that are Dorchester County, Ransome's Chesapeake bay Retreat
is a paradise for coastal paddlers. Twenty-three paddling
locales are noted on the county's water trail map, granting
almost endless options for exploration. And don't forget the
private boat access at the Retreat. You can drive your boat
and launch at the many nearby put-ins or simply slip it from
Ransome's shore into the chain of twisting channels that begin
at the house.
Dorchester
County offers some of the best coastal marshland ever
paddled, and the area surrounding the Retreat is no exception.
You can investigate the meandering channels for hours, spooking
egrets, herons, and rails from the slender, snail-laden grasses
which turn golden in the autumn sun.
The
marsh is accented by low bluffs which sit above the water,
crested with loblolly pines. Watch these for bald eagles,
which live year round in the area, and which congregate during
the fall and winter in some of the largest numbers on the
east coast.
Nine
miles up the road, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge has
recently made canoeing for exploration just easier with new
put-ins, a canoe route signed on the osprey-nesting platforms,
and a soon-to-be published paddling brochure. Blackwater is
reknown for waterfowl in the fall and winter, when thousands
of ducks descend upon the pools and marshes. The Refuge also
presents paddlers with variety - from the large, open water
at the center of the Refuge where the Blackwater and Little
Blackwater Rivers meet, to twisting marshlands, and the winding
path of the Blackwater River as it enters and exits the Refuge.
Human intrusion around the Refuge is reduced to a few thatched-roof
duck blinds, and the sound of your own paddle dipping in the
water.
If
you prefer kayaking through rolling waves, then the location
of this Chesapeake Bay Retreat may well be perfect. The marsh paths take you
quickly to the Chesapeake Bay where an undeveloped shore greets
the rise and fall of the tide. The inter-tidal zone along
the Bay is a beachcombers treasure chest, full of shells,
seaweed and driftwood - carved into intriguing shapes by the
sand and water.
Options
from here are as open as the horizon. For instance, you can
make a full day, approximately sixteen mile loop of the Retreat,
by following the meandering path of Punch Island Creek from
the Bay until it loops south through Taylor's Island Wildlife
Management Area to the Honga River. The Honga reconnects you
to the Chesapeake Bay just south of Swan Harbor and the white
forms of its feathered inhabitants. Don't worry about getting
lost on such a venture, the Retreat has maps of the region,
and the channel is well marked - one of the few reminders
of people you will find.
Halfway
through this loop, you will come to another farm, owned by
the Ransome's, sitting in the perfect location for lunch upon
land. For shorter kayak or canoe excursions, the three mile
trip to Barren Island, which sits on the distant horizon from
the Retreat, may be perfect. Its name is misleading, as the
only thing it is barren of is human development, save an out-of-use
airstrip. The pines that top its sandy soil, create a roost
for many birds of this federal wildlife refuge, and offer
a private view of the Chesapeake.
Finally,
after trying to kayak or canoe all this in a single weekend,
there is no better place to listen to the Bay while recuperating
tired muscles for the next day's paddle than the hot-tub at
the Retreat. We just ask that you don't work on your j-stroke
in its shallow depths.
Download
all of our club flyers for more information:
Kayak
& Canoeing Clubs
Fishing Clubs
Cycling & Hiking Clubs
Photo Clubs
Other Clubs
These flyers require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.
Download it here.
Call
us at 1.856.981.6612 for your next kayak or canoe retreat
in Chesapeake Bay.
For bicycle and kayak rentals,
please click here to view Blackwater Adventures.
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us now
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