The Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Tour offers a unique opportunity to learn about the outstanding natural resources of the Bay here on the Patuxent River. The four-mile roadway is open daily for hiking and bicycling, and open Sundays for vehicles.

The tour connects Jug Bay Natural Area with Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary and features educational displays, observation towers and a 1,000-foot long wooden bridge across the marsh. A self-guided tour brochure is available for visitors, and guided programs are available by reservation.

The idea for this project grew out of the Chesapeake Bay Initiatives. The Chesapeake Bay Protection Program, passed in 1984, required each local jurisdiction bordering the Bay and its tributaries to develop a program to protect natural resources, shorelines and water quality. The Critical Area Criteria called for restrictions on shoreline development, designation for a buffer area around tidal waters and the development of comprehensive, local guidelines to ensure long-term protection of the natural assets of the Bay.

The tour is a cooperative project between The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.