The western shore of Maryland – that is, the western peninsula created by Chesapeake Bay – terminates here, in a preserved space of lagoons, pine woods and marshes managed by Point Lookout State Park. There's a playground for kids and a sandy beach that's OK for swimming, but watch out for jellyfish in summer; they're not deadly, but their stings hurt.
During the Civil War, the Union Army imprisoned thousands of Confederate POWs here, overseen by black soldiers. Swampy conditions and harsh treatment by guards led to the death of some 4000 Confederates. A controversial shrine to their memory has been built, and legends persist of Confederate ghosts haunting local swamps at night.
