Where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay — and why the exit off Route 4 is worth taking.
Solomons Island sits at the very tip of a narrow peninsula in Calvert County, Maryland — where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay, about an hour south of Annapolis and two hours from Washington DC. Most people who drive Route 4 south toward the beach pass the Solomons exit without stopping. That’s a mistake.
Why Solomons Island Is Worth the Exit
A waterman’s village, a WWII naval base history, and the Calvert Marine Museum — all at the tip of a peninsula most people drive past.
Calvert Marine Museum
One of the finest small maritime museums on the East Coast — paleontology, estuarine biology, maritime history. The Drum Point Lighthouse on the grounds is the visual centerpiece. Two hours minimum.
Search Hotels → Search on ExpediaSteamed Crabs at Stoney’s
Stoney’s Solomons Pier — steamed crabs on the waterfront, the essential Solomons meal. Loud, casual, outdoor deck right on the water. The Chesapeake experience distilled.
Search RentalsAnnmarie Sculpture Garden
A 30-acre outdoor sculpture garden on a wooded peninsula, Smithsonian Institution. Over 40 permanent sculptures along trails through the forest. A surprising and genuinely excellent find just outside Solomons.
Search Hotels → Search on ExpediaCalvert Cliffs State Park
20 minutes north — famous cliffs above the Chesapeake that yield fossil shark teeth on the beach below. A two-mile trail to the beach. Finding a fossilized shark tooth is likely and satisfying.
Search RentalsWhy Solomons Island
The town is small — a few thousand year-round residents, a working waterfront, marinas, the Calvert Marine Museum, and the kind of quiet that a genuine waterman’s village has when it hasn’t been fully discovered. We came here because a family friend had a marina on Solomons Island — a former World War II naval amphibious training base that a DC family purchased in 1981 and transformed into one of the Chesapeake’s great marinas.
Solomons Island is where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay, where working watermen and weekend boaters have always coexisted, and where the town has quietly remained itself through every wave of development that changed everywhere else.
The Marina History
During World War II, the site that became Calvert Marina served as a naval amphibious training base — a 210-acre installation where soldiers and sailors trained for the amphibious landings that defined the war. After the war, a DC family purchased it in 1981 and transformed it into the full-service marina it became. The Patuxent River on one side, Back Creek on another, the Chesapeake opening to the south. Calvert Marina at 14485 Dowell Road remains a full-service marina today.
The Town
Solomons Island proper is a compact walkable village — a main street along the waterfront, restaurants and shops facing Back Creek, boats at every dock, and the Drum Point Lighthouse standing in the harbor at the Calvert Marine Museum. One of only three surviving screwpile cottage lighthouses on the Chesapeake — moved from its original location in 1975 to the museum grounds. You can walk the entire waterfront in twenty minutes. That’s the point.
Where to Stay
Back Creek Inn
A well-regarded bed and breakfast on Back Creek — waterfront rooms, private dock, kayaks for guests. Small, personal, genuinely on the water. The quintessential Solomons Island lodging experience. Best for couples.
Calvert County Waterfront Rentals
The broader Calvert County area has genuine vacation rental inventory — waterfront houses on the Patuxent and the Bay with docks and water access. Best for families and groups who want the full Chesapeake house experience.
Search Solomons Island and Calvert County Rentals
Waterfront houses on the Patuxent River, Back Creek, and the Chesapeake Bay with dock access. Pair with Annapolis for a full Maryland Chesapeake trip.
Where to Eat
Stoney’s Solomons Pier
The Solomons waterfront institution — steamed crabs, crabcakes, seafood, outdoor deck right on the water. The place that captures the essential Solomons Island meal.
CD Café
The beloved local breakfast and lunch spot — creative menu, excellent coffee, the morning gathering place for Solomons regulars.
Quick Reference: Solomons Island Maryland
| Category | The Answer |
|---|---|
| Distance from DC | About 65 miles via Route 4 South — 1.5 hours |
| Distance from Annapolis | About 40 miles south — 1 hour |
| Must see | Calvert Marine Museum — 2 hours minimum |
| Hidden gem | Annmarie Sculpture Garden — 30 acres, Smithsonian |
| Day trip | Calvert Cliffs State Park — fossil shark teeth on the beach |
| The meal | Steamed crabs at Stoney’s on the waterfront |
| Pair with | Annapolis — 1 hour north, same Chesapeake character |
| Best time | May–October for crab season; September is the sweet spot |
Take the exit. Stop for the crabs. Stay for the museum and the light on the water at dusk.