Sandy Point State Park
Sandy Point State Park is located in Anne Arundel county just before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The 786 acre park provides a variety of recreational opportunities such as swimming, fishing, crabbing, boating, and windsurfing.
The park’s beaches and picnic areas are well known for their breathtaking scenic water views that overlook one of Maryland’s true treasures, the Chesapeake Bay.
The Sandy Point Nature Center, located in the heart of the park, is an education center which displays collections of local wildlife including a snake, turtles and frogs. Visitors of all ages will also enjoy hands-on displays and an area where they can dress up like a ranger. The park also offers a wide variety of interpretive programs for visitors of all ages, as well as environmental education programs for grades 3-8.
The Marina Store, located near the boat launch ramps, is open from mid-April through mid-October. Here you can purchase a variety of boating, fishing, crabbing and picnicking supplies. Boat fuel, ice, snacks and drinks are also available for sale. Rowboats and 6hp motorboats are also available for rent on a first come first served basis. The marina facility offers 22 launching ramps and a soft launch on the east beach.
The park provides lifeguards on its beaches from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and there's a food concession adjacent to the park's South Beach.
Pets are welcome from October 1 through April 30 only. No pets are allowed from May 1 through September 30.
In addition to the beach, Sandy Point also has several hiking trails, a playground, and group camping sites.
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Activities
Sandy Point's marina facility offers 22 launching ramps and a concession that sells bait, tackle, fuel, and fishing licenses. The park also rents rowboats and motorboats.
The park provides lifeguards on its beaches from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and there's a food concession adjacent to the park's South Beach. There are 12 picnic shelters for group rentals.
Sandy Point also features several hiking trails and a playground.
The park supports youth group camping year-round. Call the park office to reserve a campsite.
Fishing from the shoreline is permitted in designated [A couple fishes at Sandy Point's South Beach] areas. There are several rock jetties in the park and a fishing pier located next to the boat launch ramps. The park allows night fishing; however, only people who are actively fishing can be in the park after the park closes. The Chesapeake Bay blue crab is a delicious treat and can be caught on the park’s fishing and crabbing pier located at the south end of the boat launch ramps.
The park’s grassy picnic areas are located next to the swimming beach.
History
Because it was a port town and state capital, nearby Annapolis feared it would be a British target during the War of 1812. But with a military camp and four forts to protect it, the British passed the city by for easier marks. The British fleet blockaded Annapolis in April 1813 and again in July. In August 1814, British warships came close to Annapolis on their way to Baltimore after burning Washington. Seven British deserters came ashore at Sandy Point. At the time, the land was the home of 1st Lt. Baptist Mezick. His house still stands in the park. Residents of Annapolis panicked, thinking their city was the next target. Lookouts used the dome of the Maryland Statehouse to track the British navy’s movements, and alarm guns and signals from Forts Madison and Severn sounded as far as Sandy Point. But Annapolis was lucky—the British never landed near the city, and it survived the war untouched.
he Sandy Point Shoal lighthouse was built in 1883 and features a 37-foot Empire-style, eight-sided red brick tower with a white roof and black lantern, which houses a 4th order Fresnel lens. This structure replaced an earlier Sandy Point Light that had been built on land where Sandy Point State Park is located now. The original lighthouse, a brick tower constructed in 1858, was located on shore and situated in a poor location.
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