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The Atlas/Maryland/Chesapeake Beach Bayfront Road (MD-261)

Chesapeake Beach Bayfront Road (MD-261)

13 mi
Length
3
Verified stops
210 ft
High point
Scenic
Road type

Maryland Route 261 runs 12.86 miles along the western Chesapeake Bay shoreline from Parran (Calvert County) north to Friendship (Anne Arundel County), passing through the beach towns of Chesapeake Beach and North Beach and the forested Rose Haven shoreline. The road is part of the Roots and Tides Scenic Byway and parallels the bay closely as Bayside Road and Willows Road, passing the preserved Chesapeake Beach Railway Station (now a museum) and historic Holly Hill near Friendship. The ride itself is flat and shoreline-hugging rather than twisty, making it a scenic complement to the longer St. Mary's County loops or a standalone lunch-and-waterfront run out of the DC/Annapolis area.

// Mile by mile

What you'll hit along the way.

Rider-verified stops, overlooks, fuel, and the corners worth knowing about — in the order you'll meet them.

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Tranquility

A quiet residential community near the start of the route, offering a calm entry point along the Chesapeake Beach corridor.

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Huntingtown Meadows

A small community set among Maryland's western shore landscapes, worth noting as you head along MD-261.

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Woodwind Estates

A neighborhood near the bayfront area that marks a convenient reference point as you wind through this scenic coastal stretch.

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