Saint Michael's to Dividing Creek off Wye Island near Easton, Maryland

 We got an early start on Saturday morning to head towards Tilgham's Island and through Knapps Narrow drawbridge. We headed out to the Chesapeake Bay as we rounded Popular Island where they are filling in the island with dredge material from the ship's channel. We headed up the East Wye River and anchored in Dividing Creek. Wye Island is a Nature Preserve with hiking trails and kayak launching ramps and group camping. We headed up the creek in the dinghy looking for the dinghy dock and only found a small bulkhead near the group camping with a muddy bank. We pulled up there and followed the road to the Schoolhouse Trail. It is a beautiful old-growth forest and the wide paths have been mowed. We met the kayaking campers who told us that there is a better launch at the next creek at Grainery Creek so we will head there tomorrow.

Heading through Knapps Narrow drawbridge

Heading out of Tilgman's Island

The retaining walls for dredge fill at Poplar Island

Private lighthouse heading up East Wye River

Our muddy dinghy landing

Primitive group campsite

Toads were plentiful on the paths

Bluebird houses were placed along the fields

Winter wheat, corn and soybeans were planted

Nice trailhead maps

Amazing tall old trees

Shady hiking paths and few bugs

Cat tails along the marshy creek banks

Colorful trumpet vine

Gorgeous anchoring spot for birdwatching

It rained overnight and we were lazy on Sunday until late afternoon when we dinghied over to Granary Creek to the kayak launch at the picnic area. W ran into some kayakers just packing up. We headed down the road to the tip of the island to the Old Ferry Landing and Beach. We ended up hiking 8.3 miles so we were exhausted by the time we got back to the boat. Most of the hike was in the shade and all the folks we saw were in the water on a muddy beach with more boat traffic than on our side of the island.

First we thought eagles but more likely buzzards

Great blue herons along most banks

The cozy cottage across the river with a vineyard

The trail to the old ferry landing was like a tunnel

Twisted trees and vines

Steps down beside the kayak launch where we landed our dinghy

On Monday, it was breezy and we went back to the same kayak launch and walked the road to the equestrian lodge and then followed the Dividing Creek Trail around the fields finally seeing a deer in the woods and a fox crossing the road. The wild raspberries and blackberries were just getting ripe along the paths. We stopped to explore the youth campsite on the cove. We had one small different sailboat anchor up the creek each night. One sailing catamaran came in and left quickly complaining of the wasps which there were a few but not a nuisance.