Mac Kid has been begging to go to the beach. Everyone wanted to go but between work and sports schedules, it just didn’t fit. In past trips to the Delaware beaches, mom has observed people at the beach very close to the bay bridge and decided we should check it out. We were glad that we did.
Sandy Point State Park is about 45 minutes from the Mac house and is in Anne Arundel County. You can type in 1100 East College Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21409 to find it on GPS. There is both a lot to do and nothing to do at the same time. The 786-acre park has one mile of sandy beaches. We spent most of our morning at the East Beach. It is the smaller of the beaches and seemed to be much calmer. Mom and dad were able to relax while the kid dug a really big hole. If mom would have remembered the sand toys, it would have been a great place to build a sandcastle. There were also carts driving around selling Italian Ice and cotton candy. Those were cash only. Since this beach is on the bay, there were not many seashells to find. There were lots of very cool rocks so the rock collection had some cool additions that day.
Later in the day, we walked over to South Beach. This is where the party happens. There were lots of people having a great time and playing music. There was also a concession stand with plenty of beach food available. There were also many picnic tables.
Throughout the park, there were very nice playgrounds and pavilions. Lifeguards patrol the beaches from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 10-6. We didn’t go into the water because there were jellyfish warnings. The water is brackish water so it is not as salty as the ocean but it is not as fresh as a lake. We did dip our toes and the water was a comfortable temperature.
The park also boasts some easy hiking trails. The whole family should be able to enjoy them. On our hike, we were surprised to see deer very close up. During our day, we also observed many cool birds including a giant nest on the water tower.
We love to go to the beach in the winter so we will be sure to return later in the year. It is open from 7 am to dusk most of the year but closes at 4 from mid-November – January 2 due to the Lights on the Bay display (which is also a great trip).
Admission is $5 for adults, which includes kids not in a car seat or booster on weekends and $4 during the week from May 1 – September 30. Veterans are always free.
We really enjoyed this trip which is close enough to enjoy for a day but feels like another world.
