BNHA Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail
Interpretive Framework
Seeking Prosperity on the Chesapeake: Baltimore History from Colonial Times through the 1800s
Resource Type
Trails and Byways
Various paths along the Patapsco River and Middle Branch
Baltimore, Maryland
The United States’ first national water trail follows the historic routes of Captain John Smith’s travels throughout the Chesapeake Bay region from 1607 to 1609. Based on his map and journals, the trail is roughly 3,000 miles long and travels through the waters of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. John Smith extensively explored the Baltimore’s Patapsco River for two and a half days.