Hear me out. Delmarva could be an internationally recognized destination for paddling. There are thousands of miles of waterways to explore, from the narrow, winding marsh creeks to the big open waters of the Chesapeake. Throw in some deep Delmarva heritage, world-class birding and fishing, and charming, historic towns and well, we’ve got the makings for a mecca of ecotourism opportunities suited for all interests and paddling abilities.
I have had so many people reach out to me, either through this site or my personal paddling blog, asking for advice as they plan their kayaking vacations. Where to go kayak camping, how to access a barrier island, what outfitters are kid-friendly, where’s a good place to stay near such-n-such waterway, what the tides are like near this or that island, and my favorite - where should we get a beer after we paddle?
It is my dream to create a comprehensive water trails resource to answer all of these questions, promote safe paddling, educate visitors about our natural resources and local heritage, and attract paddlers from all over to come experience the incredible opportunities on Delmarva.
Now, there are some resources already out there. Virginia has a wonderful website, VirginiaWaterTrails.org, that accomplishes a lot of this. In fact, I was contracted to handle their marketing for almost three years to leverage their ecotourism assets to the paddling community. It was a dream come true - paddling the trails, writing about my experiences, and tying in educational information and travel suggestions.
Coastal Delaware has a similar website, PaddleCoastalDelaware.com. It has a similar goal as Virginia Water Trails, but as the title implies, it’s only geared towards the coast of Delaware.
And then what about Maryland? My home state is lacking in paddling resources. DNR has designated some official water trails, but they are few and far between, barely scratching the surface of the amazing paddling opportunities that exist across the state. And the only way to see a water trail map is by purchasing a hard copy on the DNR website and waiting for it to be mailed to you. There has to be a better way!
I have probably paddled over a thousand miles of Delmarva’s shorelines. Six hundred of those miles were towards a personal goal of circumnavigating the whole peninsula, which I achieved in 2023. My interactive tracker map is the perfect beginning to what could be an awesome paddling resource. Combine that with the searchable launch database and the launch locator map on this website, and I’m one step further to creating a valuable paddling resource.
It’s not nearly enough though. There are thousands of miles of rivers, creeks, and inland ponds that would need to be added to the map to cover all levels of paddling abilities. And even still, that’s not enough. To truly have an exceptional paddling resource, the map must be accompanied by engaging articles describing what each water trail has to offer, difficulty levels, important safety tips and nearby points of interest.
I’ve spent the last four years thinking about this. It’s an idea I can’t shake. But it’s an idea that would take an incredible amount of time and energy which is preventing me from just doing it on my own. I even applied for a grant through the NPS Chesapeake Gateways program back in 2023, and although my application scored well, I was not awarded any funding.
So I’m reaching out to you all, my loyal readers and followers, for your ideas. Do I start small and see if a smaller jurisdiction, like a county or town, would be interested in building a water trail system? Should I find a nonprofit to partner with to be able to qualify for grant applications? Is there anyone reading this that knows about a similar project that’s already in the works? Hit me up with your ideas! I’d love to chat.
The best way to reach me is via email at Laura@scharleoutdoorrec.com.