One of my favorite spots regardless of the time of the year is the Kent County owned public park Betterton Beach. During the winter months the beach collects jetsam that will be cleaned by the end of April. The park while being a treasure by the local community is a far cry for what it was once.

Betterton began as a small fishing village and a port for local agriculture.Beginning in the late 1800’s the town became a summer hot spot and once was thought of as “Maryland’s Foremost Bayside Resort.” It was a key stop for ships traveling up the Chesapeake Bay through the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal becoming a thriving beach resort for steamboat tourist traffic from Baltimore and Philadelphia. Hotels welcomed guests with comfortable lodging, orchestra-filled ballrooms, daily fishing trips with watermen, and dining on the Eastern Shore’s freshest local seafood and produce.

Unfortunately with the end of WWII, the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, automobile travel, and hotels with more modern conveniences, the town and its beach began to see better days.

Still it’s a lovely beach enjoyed by many throughout the year.

—-
Support this project at Patreon.com/ShoreToBeFun

#-#-#
Many of the photographs appearing on this Website are available as a print. Three sizes are available. 8×10 (with 11×14 Matt) at $25, 11×14 at $50 or 13×19 at $75. Please send an email to photos@shoretobefun.com to place an order.