Paddle Quest

Your Park Quest adventure will give your team a chance to explore part of the Janes Island State Park water trail network, named by the American Canoe Association to their inaugural list of the top twelve paddle trails in North America. This Quest will take you to the Sound side of Janes Island, which is only accessible by water. Once you’ve embarked on your quest, you will paddle along the Yellow Trail northwest for about 1 ¼ miles. Then you will beach your craft and walk a short distance across the island. At the dune line, you will see a wooden sign marking the Tangier Sound where you will make a rubbing of the medallion on the sign and answer the question on your Park Quest instructions. Take some time and enjoy the beauty of this remote side of Janes Island and the views of Tangier Sound. When you are ready to return, you will follow the Yellow Trail back to the mainland. Don’t forget to return to the Camp Store and have your passport stamped!

Quest Information

You may begin your Quest on any day of the week between 9 am and 2 pm, although it’s a good idea to visit during the week to avoid waiting for boats. You begin at the Eagle’s Nest Camp Store, where you pick up your Quest instructions, map, and equipment. You may bring your own kayaks or canoes or use boats provided by the park. Two crafts will be provided to Park Quest teams at no charge; additional craft will be available at our usual rental rate. Please note that you will not be able to reserve canoes or kayaks in advance; they are available to Park Quest participants as well as to our regular visitors on a first-come first-served basis. You will be allowed two hours to complete your tasks and return all borrowed equipment.

Because of the possibility of biting insects, remember to bring bug spray and possibly a long sleeved cotton shirt. You will also want to bring bottled water, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Janes Island offers many beautiful vistas and other unique photographic opportunities, so bring your camera, but make sure to carry it in a waterproof bag. Pets are not allowed in most developed areas of Janes Island, but they are allowed at the boat launch, on boats, and on the beach as long they are on a 6 foot leash. Please pick up after your pet. Further details are available at the camp store. Call 410-968-1565 for additional assistance.

Directions to Janes Island State Park

• Janes Island State Park is located in Somerset County. From points south: Follow Route 13N to Route 667. Follow Route 667 to Route 413S. Take Route 413S to Plantation Road. Take a right onto Plantation Road and follow for about 1½ miles to Alfred Lawson Drive. Take a right onto Alfred Lawson Drive and follow road into the park. Follow signs to nature center.
• From points north: Follow Route 13S to Route 413S. Follow Route 413S for 12 to 14 miles to Plantation Road. Take a right onto Plantation Road and follow for about 1½ miles to Alfred Lawson Drive. Take a right onto Alfred Lawson Drive and follow the road into the park. Follow signs to nature center.
• Make a reservation to stay at the park.

A Little History
Paleo Indians first settled this region approximately 13,000 years ago. At that time, sea levels were 350 feet lower than today and mammoths, mastodons, horses and bison roamed across Somerset County, Maryland. As the Tangier Sound was transformed from a freshwater river to an estuary rich in shellfish, prehistoric cultures occupied the landmass that would become Janes Island. Historic artifacts that can be found along the shoreline of Janes Island provide evidence of activities by primitive man, from hunting mammals to shucking oysters. In a sense, native people living on Janes Island were practicing a lifestyle very similar to the modern watermen surviving off the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay.

Janes Island is part of the Beach to Bay Indian Trail. This trail recognizes travel patterns established by the American Indians and later followed by the first European settlers. For more information about the trail, contact Somerset County Tourism at 1-800-521-9189.