As a matter of fact, we have beaches all around us!
To get that sand-between-the-toes, there’s-nothing-like-it kind of feel, Fredericktonians don’t always have to drive down to the Eastern Shore.
We’ve got a great list of day-trip beach destinations within a 90 minute drive from Frederick County Maryland.
You’ll be back home in time to sleep in your own bed!
Beaches Near Frederick Md
They may be a little bit different from the experience you’ll get down in Ocean City, Chincoteague, Assateague, or Fenwick, but state park beaches are a super convenient and economical alternative!
I’ve included links to each state park so you can click on each of them for more information.
*Make sure to go to the website of your state park beach of choice to get ALL information before heading out for your day trip! You don’t want to drive out there to find out that the beach is closed!*
Here are links to the various state parks Twitter pages to stay up-to-date on information:
Day-Trip Essentials When Visiting Beaches Near Frederick Md
But first, I’ve included a handy list of summer day-trip essentials I found on Amazon so you’re fully prepared for a fun day!
Essentials For The Ride
- Lysol Handi-Pack Disinfecting Wipes, Lemon & Lime Blossom – I have these at home. They’re great little packs of wipes to keep in the car for spills, cleaning dirty hands, & more. Plus they smell really nice too!
- Front & Backseat Car Organizer – This is great for organizing everything the kiddos need during the car trip: drinks, snacks, books, games, etc. It keeps it all in one place and not all over the car.
- Portable Charger – These are a must-have for when your cell phone battery runs low or even for your handheld fan!
Essentials For Your Beach Bag
- Beach Hats – Wearing a hat, especially if you’re sweaty, will really protect your face from getting too much sun.
- Sunscreen – I’m a big fan of Sun Bum sunscreen products.
- Mini Handheld Fan – You guys! I can’t say enough about this bad boy!
- It has 3 speeds.
- The USB port is rechargeable.
- It folds up to fit in your purse or bag.
- Note: When you first get it, be sure to pull that little white tab out of the battery compartment!
- Insulated Water Bottle – Every family member needs one of these! It keeps your water ice cold and holds 32 ounces.
- Drawstring Cinch Sack – Get one of these for each family member to carry their own stuff, like their beach towel, cell phone, etc. They come in a variety of colors.
- Beach Towels – Here’s a 4 pack of cabana striped beach towels in different colors, one for each family member.
- Water Shoes – My husband and son have this brand of water shoes and they both love them. They’re really tough on their shoes and have used these water shoes canoeing, at the beach, and at the lake this summer and the shoes are still intact! They’re great for walking around on the rocks or shells in the water.
- Waterproof Phone Holder – Another must-have whenever you’re going somewhere that involves a big body of water! I have first-hand experience dropping my cell phone in the bottom of a lake. It is the worst feeling in the world! The first thing I wanted to do was call somebody to tell them – but obviously I couldn’t! So I got one of these and it has saved my phone and my son’s phone on multiple occasions. Take my advice and get one, or two, or three!
Essentials For The Beach
- Beach Chairs – Our family loves the Tommy Bahama Backpack Chairs! They fold up and have padded straps and a towel rack. They have two pouches, one is insulated to keep food and drinks cold. These chairs adjust to 5 positions with an adjustable pillow. The weight capacity is 300 pounds and they have a side pouch with drink holder and cell phone pocket.
- Beach Umbrella – Sticking with our Tommy Bahama theme, this beach umbrella has a built-in sand anchor and a tilt mechanism to make your day trip at the beach complete.
- Beach Buggie – We call this a beach buggie. They call it a Wonder Wheeler. Whatever you call it, it’s a life saver when you have chairs, bags, coolers, beach umbrella, and everything else you need for a beach day. The wheels on this bad boy are specially made for rolling onto the sand. Believe me, you will thank me for this!
- Beach Cooler – You’re definitely going to need a cooler to pack all of your snacks, lunch, beverages, etc. Just stick this cooler in your beach buggie and roll ‘er right onto the beach!
Maryland State Park Beaches Within 90 minutes of Frederick
General information for ALL Maryland State Park beaches:
Entry fee per person: $3 on weekdays, $5 on weekends and holidays; Admission is free for visitors with a Golden Age Pass, a DNR Universal Disability Pass and for children in car seats.
Time of year beaches are open: Memorial Day to Labor Day
Lifeguard hours: Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (limited coverage on Mondays).
Note: Try to get to the park as early as possible when visiting several of the busier parks. These parks often reach capacity by mid to late morning on weekends and holidays. If the park reaches capacity, visitors will be turned away.
Cunningham Falls State Park
(Located in Frederick County)
14039 Catoctin Hollow Rd
Thurmont, MD 21788
301-271-7574
Greenbrier State Park
(Located 24 minutes from Frederick)
21843 National Pike
Boonsboro, MD 21713
301-791-4767
Sandy Point State Park
(Located 1 hour, 16 minutes from Frederick)
1100 East College Parkway
Annapolis MD 21409
410-974-2149
Gunpowder Falls, Hammerman Beach
(Located 1 hour, 26 minutes from Frederick)
7200 Graces Quarters
Middle River, MD 21220
410-592-2897
Rocky Gap State Park
(Located 1 hour, 17 minutes from Frederick)
17600 Campers Hill Drive
Flintstone MD 21530
301-722-1488
Pennsylvania State Parks Within 90 minutes of Frederick, Maryland
Cowans Gap State Park
(Located 1 hour, 18 minutes from Frederick)
6235 Aughwick Road
Fort Loudon, PA 17224-9801
717-485-3948
Entry fee per person: No fee to get in to the park, to swim, or to park.
Time of year beach is open: May to Late September, 8am to sunset
Lifeguard hours: No lifeguards. Swim at your own risk. Please read and follow posted rules.
Pine Grove Furnace State Park
(Located 1 hour, 11 minutes from Frederick)
1100 Pine Grove Road
Gardners, PA 17324
717-486-7174
There are two mountain lake beaches at Pine Grove Furnace State Park.
One beach is at Fuller Lake and the other beach is at Laurel Lake.
Entry fee per person: No fee to get in to the park, to swim, or to park.
Time of year beach is open: May 1st to September 30th, 8am to sunset
Lifeguard hours: Laurel Beach is swim at your own risk. Fuller Beach has lifeguards on duty from 11:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M. daily, between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, unless otherwise posted. Please follow posted rules for swimming when lifeguards are off duty.
Gifford Pinchot State Park
(Located 1 hour, 13 minutes from Frederick)
2200 Rosstown Road
Lewisberry, PA 17339-9787
717-432-5011
Entry fee per person: No fee to get in to the park, to swim, or to park.
Time of year beach is open: May 1st to September 30th, 8am to sunset
Lifeguard hours: No lifeguards. Swim at your own risk. Please read and follow posted rules.
West Virginia State Parks Within 90 minutes of Frederick, Maryland
Cacapon Resort State Park
(Located 1 hour, 15 minutes from Frederick)
818 Cacapon Lodge Drive
Berkeley Springs, WV 25411
304-258-1022
Entry fee per person: The fee for swimming: $5.00 per adult $4.00 for children 12 and under. (Cash only at the beach).
Time of year beach is open: Tuesday through Sunday. The summer beach hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Dates for the beach at Cacapon are May 25-27; June 1, 2; June 8 – August 18; August 24, 25; August 31 – September 2 in 2019.
Lifeguard hours: Lifeguards are available during summer beach hours.
For other day trip ideas, check out our posts on:
Catoctin Zoo: How To Have An Awesome Day Trip
Free Things To Do In Frederick, MD During the Summer
Kings Dominion Soak City: 10 Tips Before You Go
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- Cajun Shrimp Gumbo Recipe with Andouille Sausage - March 8, 2023
- Egg Roll Casserole Recipe - February 24, 2023