Visitor Guide
Charles — Visitor Guide
Top attractions, trails, food and drink, history, seasonal activities, and everything you need to plan your visit to Charles, Maryland.
🧭 About Charles
Colonial History and Quiet Rivers on Maryland's Western Shore
Charles County sits along the Potomac River just south of Washington, D.C., where 17th-century tobacco ports, Civil War history, and the strange, wooden skeletons of a sunken WWI 'Ghost Fleet' share the same stretch of shoreline. It's a county built around water — from the kayak-friendly wrecks of Mallows Bay to the paved Indian Head Rail Trail — with the pace of Southern Maryland and easy access to the capital.
⭐ Top Attractions
Mallows Bay Park (Ghost Fleet)
A National Marine Sanctuary holding roughly 100 shipwrecks, mostly wooden WWI-era 'Ghost Fleet' steamships now overgrown and forming a unique wildlife habitat. Kayak or canoe launch, plus two miles of hiking trails.
Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House Museum
The mid-19th-century farmhouse of Dr. Samuel Mudd, convicted for setting John Wilkes Booth's broken leg after the Lincoln assassination. Open for guided tours Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Thomas Stone National Historic Site
The 328-acre former home of Thomas Stone, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, preserved by the National Park Service with walking trails and no admission fee.
Historic Port Tobacco Village
One of America's oldest colonial ports and the former county seat from 1727 to 1895, with a restored courthouse and preserved historic village.
Smallwood State Park
A 628-acre park at Sweden Point on Mattawoman Creek, home to the restored historic house of Revolutionary War General William Smallwood.
Chapel Point State Park
A 600-acre park on the Port Tobacco River, site of the historic St. Thomas Manor dating to a 1638 Jesuit land patent, with a boat ramp and small beach.
🥾 Trails & Outdoors
🍺 Food & Drink Trails
Southern Maryland Stuffed Ham
A signature regional dish dating to the 17th century — salt-cured ham stuffed with kale, cabbage, onion, and spices, a Southern Maryland holiday tradition
Regency Furniture Stadium Concessions
Ballpark food and theme nights at the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs' home stadium
🏛️ History & Heritage
Thomas Stone National Historic Site
Colonial-era Georgian mansion and grounds of a Declaration of Independence signer
Historic Port Tobacco Village
One of America's oldest colonial ports, with a restored 19th-century courthouse
African American Heritage Society of Charles County
Educational and cultural facility in La Plata documenting African American history in Southern Maryland
🗓️ Seasonal Guide
Spring 🌸
Food truck festivals and Taste of Southern Maryland events bring local dining out into the open across Waldorf and La Plata.
Summer ☀️
The Red, White & Blue Crabs Celebration ties Fourth of July fireworks to Southern Maryland Blue Crabs baseball at Regency Furniture Stadium.
Fall 🍂
The Charles County Fair — over a century old — takes over the Charles County Fairgrounds in La Plata, alongside the Colonial Faire & Fall Festival at Historic Port Tobacco.
Winter ❄️
La Plata's Olde Tyme Holiday Gathering & Tree Lighting and the Kris Kringle Christmas Market bring seasonal markets and lights to the county seat.
🏨 Places to Stay
Browse all accommodations →🗺️ Plan Your Visit
Source: Maryland Mountain Side — Official Allegany County Tourism