Chapman State Park
Preserved in 1998 by the State of Maryland's Program Open Space (POS), Chapman State Park stretches from the Potomac River to Mattawoman Creek, in western Charles County. The park is a dramatic reminder of the great woodlands that once cradled the Potomac tidewater region.
Visitors to Chapman State Park enjoy a journey through time, to Southern Maryland's pastoral heritage, finding mature forests, rare plants, and bald eagles frequenting the skies above. Park visitors also discover the Mt. Aventine Mansion: the historic home of the prominent Chapman family, who were closely tied to the families of our Founding Fathers George Washington and George Mason. As one stands in front of the Chapmans' grand estate, looking down the Potomac River and Virginia shoreline, enjoying one of the most striking view sheds in the region, our colonial history inspires the imagination.
Chapman State Park is also home to Mt. Aventine Mansion, home of the Chapman family until 1914. To learn more about the mansion, check out the subject page on Maryland DNR's website.
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Nearby Places
At the Site
Activities to do
Facilities/Amenities available
Hours
Sunrise to Sunset. Certain activities are permitted outside of the regular park hours.
(Note: Many places fill to capacity on busy, nice weather days, especially holiday weekends. Please call ahead or visit the official website to get the most up-to-date information before visiting.)
Fees
None
Activities
Birding - In 2009, Chapman State Park was designated as an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society
Fishing - Fishing is permitted from shore. Species include largemouth bass, sunfish, catfish, white and yellow perch, carp and hardhead. A Chesapeake Bay Sportfishing License is required.
Hunting - Designated areas of Chapman State Park offer managed and in-season hunting opportunities. For specific information refer to the Maryland DNR Guide to Hunting and Trapping or call 302-743-5161 for current seasons. Hunters may enter/remain on park property outside of regular posted hours provided that they are engaged in legitimate, authorized hunting activity.
Hiking- There are three marked trails: the Potomac River Trail, Marsh Trail, and Coastal Woodlands Trail.
History
For several thousand years before the arrival of Europeans, Native Americans inhabited the area that is now Chapman State Park. In 1608, Captain John Smith passed here on his exploration of the Potomac River. During his riparian voyage various tribal settlements were identified, and maps of the area dated 1673 still showed Native American longhouses where Chapman State Park is now.
However, by 1750, with plantations becoming increasingly common along the Potomac River, Nathaniel Chapman acquired this land, then known as Grimes Ditch. Nathaniel Chapman was a prominent colonial businessman. He was also a friend and business associate of both the American patriot and “Founding Father” George Mason and Augustine Washington, father of George Washington.
The 165 years that followed the Chapman acquisition of Grimes Ditch brought an engaging history that included a tidewater plantation, a large and lucrative shad and herring fishery, the construction of the family’s “Mt. Aventine” manor, the gripping drama of the Civil War, a post-war farm, a Hungarian horse farm, and eventually the creation of Chapman State Park.
