near
Wye Mills.The
Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway serves sites along the
Chesapeake Bay in the
Eastern Shore region, running from
Chesapeake City south to
Crisfield. The
National Scenic Byway portion runs from
Stevensville, near the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in Chesapeake City and has a spur to Eastern Neck Island in the
Chester River. The main route runs mostly along
MD 18 and
MD 213, former main roads that have since been bypassed by
US 50 and
US 301. The spur runs along
MD 20 and
MD 445. A state-designated extension of the national byway continues across the Bay Bridge, into
Annapolis, then back onto the Eastern Shore and heads south toward Crisfield. Both the national and state-designated sections of the byway run past many towns and buildings that remain preserved from the 18th and 19th centuries, passing through farmland and waterfront areas on the Chesapeake Bay. The Upper Eastern Shore section of the byway begins in
Chesapeake City, a town located at the western end of the
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. The byway heads south on
MD 213, coming to
Cecilton, where
MD 282 heads west to
Crystal Beach on the
Elk River. The road crosses the
Sassafras River and passes through
Georgetown, a community that was burned by the British during the
War of 1812. The Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway continues along MD 213 through
Galena and
Kennedyville, with a detour along
MD 298 and
MD 292 serving the Victorian resort town of
Betterton. The mainline of the byway comes to
Chestertown, a port on the
Chester River that has many historical buildings. At this point, a branch of the byway continues west along
MD 20 to
Rock Hall, a town on the
Chesapeake Bay with many marinas, before following
MD 445 to the
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge. From Chestertown, the mainline of the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway continues along MD 213 to
Church Hill, where St. Luke's Episcopal Church and Church Hill Theatre are located. The next town along the road is
Centreville, which is home to the Museum of Eastern Shore Life and the
Queen Anne's County Courthouse, the oldest active courthouse in Maryland. From Centreville, the byway follows
MD 18 west to
Queenstown, which has many Colonial buildings, and
Grasonville. The road heads onto
Kent Island, an island where a trading post was founded in 1631 that has many seafood restaurants. The Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway comes to
Stevensville, which is home to the
Cray House and the Stevensville Train Depot. At this point, a connection for the byway crosses the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge to
Annapolis. From Centreville, the Mid-Shore Section of the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway continues on MD 213, with a spur along
US 50 providing access to the
Wye Mills Natural Resource Management Area. The byway heads into
Wye Mills and heads south on
MD 662, passing by the site of
Wye Oak, which was the largest
white oak tree in the United States until it was destroyed during a storm in 2002. The byway continues along MD 662 before picking up US 50 and coming to
Easton, a historical town which is home to the
Avalon Theatre and the Academy Art Museum. From Easton, a branch of the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway heads west on
MD 33 to
St. Michaels, a shipbuilding town that is home to the
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, before heading to
Tilghman Island, where several restaurants and marinas. The byway heads back along MD 33 before heading onto
MD 329 and crossing the
Tred Avon River on the
Oxford–Bellevue Ferry, one of the oldest ferries in the country, to
Oxford, a maritime town home to the Oxford Museum and the Oxford Customs House. From here, the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway follows
MD 333 back to Easton, at which point it heads east along
MD 331, crossing the
Choptank River on the
Dover Bridge. The byway continues to
Preston, following
MD 16 south to
East New Market, a Native American trading post that became a center of Methodism. The Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway follows
MD 14 through the fishing community of
Secretary before running along MD 16 to
Cambridge, which has sites related to the
Underground Railroad and
Harriet Tubman as well as the Richardson Maritime Museum and Boatworks. The byway continues along
MD 343 to
Hudson, where the
Sharps Island Light can be seen, before heading back to Cambridge. At this point, a branch of the byway heads south along
MD 341 and Maple Dam Road into the
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to the largest amount of
bald eagles on the East Coast. Another branch of the byway continues south along
MD 335, passing to the west of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge before reaching
Hooper's Island. Another branch of the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway known as the Elliott's Island Branch splits to the east and passes through the
Fishing Bay Wildlife Management Area. From here, the byway heads north along the
Nanticoke River to
Vienna and
Eldorado. The byway continues north to Federalsburg, where the
Idylwild Wildlife Management Area is located. The Lower Eastern Shore section of the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway begins in Vienna and heads east and south along US 50,
MD 54, Old Railroad Road, and
MD 347 to
Quantico. From here, a branch of the byway heads east along
MD 349 to
Salisbury, which is home to the
Poplar Hill Mansion, the
Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, and the
Salisbury Zoo. The byway continues west along MD 349, with a branch serving
Nanticoke, and
MD 352 to the
Whitehaven Ferry across the
Wicomico River. The Chesapeake County Scenic Byway follows
MD 362 east to
Princess Anne, a historic town founded in 1733 that is home to the
Teackle Mansion. From here, a branch of the byway heads west along
MD 363 to
Deal Island, where waterfowl may be viewed in a wildlife area. The mainline of the Chesapeake County Scenic Byway follows
US 13 and
MD 413 to
Crisfield, a community on the Chesapeake Bay that is known as the "Crab Capital of the World". In Crisfield is the
J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum and the
Ward Brothers' House and Shop, and
Janes Island State Park. From Crisfield, a ferry provides access to
Smith Island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. The Lower Eastern Shore section of the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway was originally the western portion of the Blue Crab Scenic Byway. ==Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad==