Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How busy is Calvert Cliffs during the week?

The tiny beach at Calvert Cliffs is over a mile from the parking lot and only reachable via a trail through the woods. It is not stroller-friendly.

That’s ok! We haven’t used a stroller since age 2 (not OP), child is 5. Is it a busy spot otherwise?

Anonymous wrote:There are no lakes in the mid-Atlantic. The glaciers did not reach here.

I was also flabbergasted and depressed about this when I moved here from up north.

There are no natural lakes, but there are absolutely lakes with beaches. I've been to the beach at Lake Barcroft, but that's private, and at Deep Creek, but that's more than an hour. So, to say. that there are no no lake beaches is inaccurate.

Are there any that aren't private and are within an hour?

There are no lakes in the mid-Atlantic. The glaciers did not reach here.

I was also flabbergasted and depressed about this when I moved here from up north.

Anonymous wrote:How busy is Calvert Cliffs during the week?

The tiny beach at Calvert Cliffs is over a mile from the parking lot and only reachable via a trail through the woods. It is not stroller-friendly.

How busy is Calvert Cliffs during the week?

North Beach. But it’s not cheap.

https://www.northbeachmd.org/welcome-center/pages/beach

Anonymous wrote:Ridiculous. That's when they're going to be the most crowded.
Then everyone leaves at the same time and you'll be back after nightfall.

If anything, you need to get up at the crack of dawn and get there early - far less people, and less traffic either way.

Beaches are most crowded between 4 and 6-7 pm???

Sandy Point is under an hour if there's no traffic.
In Maryland there are lakes with beaches at Greenbrier State park and Cunningham Falls state park and beaches on the bay at Gunpowder Falls State Park (Middle River), Terrapin Beach Park (Stevensville) and Chesapeake beach.
Not sure about Virginia; I don't live there.

There are many. Here are a few with easy social distancing.

Kent Island (other side of Bay Bridge)
https://towncalendar.org/events/washington-dc/ongoing/kent-island-mds-best-beach-that-youve-never-heard-about/

Leesalvania
https://towncalendar.org/events/washington-dc/ongoing/beach-barbecue-at-freestone-point-leesylvania-state-park/

Wakefield
https://towncalendar.org/events/event/cardboard-boat-regatta/

Anonymous wrote:This doesn’t exist. Sandy Point State Park is provably more like 75 minutes.

Aren't there lake beaches closer than the Bay? (I'm genuinely asking, because I don't know)

Ridiculous. That's when they're going to be the most crowded.
Then everyone leaves at the same time and you'll be back after nightfall.

If anything, you need to get up at the crack of dawn and get there early - far less people, and less traffic either way.

Anonymous wrote:This doesn’t exist. Sandy Point State Park is provably more like 75 minutes.

If you somehow miraculously don’t hit traffic, it’s more like 45 mins. It’s often crowded though and there can be a line to get in once through bridge traffic.

This doesn’t exist. Sandy Point State Park is provably more like 75 minutes.

You could pull out a map and draw a circle with your home in the center that extends out about 50 miles. See what beach you hit or is inside the circle.

We've avoided beaches during the day because of crowds, but I think my son would really enjoy a beach. He is young and still naps, so this would be a late-afternoon activity. Any recommendations for a beach within an hour drive of NWDC that isn't too crowded after, say, 4:00?

Thanks!