Boardwalk-ing on the wild side

There are more ways to get on the water than you might realize. With parks adding boardwalks to their shorelines and wetlands, you can watch for wildlife even in the winter—when you might not want to take out a canoe or kayak on frigid rivers and streams.

Often, newly constructed boardwalks are paired with an ADA-accessible paddle launch or fishing pier. But access to the water isn’t limited to opportunities for fishing, boating and swimming. Sometimes the view is the biggest draw.

These efforts contribute to the Chesapeake Bay Program’s goals for increasing public access across the watershed. By 2025, our partners are committed to adding 300 such sites. As of 2018, the Chesapeake watershed has seen the addition of 176 new boat ramps, fishing piers, boardwalks and more.

We paired a selection of boardwalks with the views of wildlife they have enabled across the watershed.