Maryland

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is working to ensure that the state's magnificent natural resources are accessible to all citizens and visitors.

Maryland is a state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east.

Maryland possesses a great variety of topography, hence its nickname, "America in Miniature." It ranges from sandy dunes dotted with seagrass in the east, to low marshlands teeming with water snakes and large bald cypress near the bay, to gently rolling hills of oak forest in the Piedmont Region, and mountain pine groves in the west.

The highest point in Maryland is Hoye Crest on Backbone Mountain, in the southwest corner of Garrett County, near the border with West Virginia and near the headwaters of the North Branch of the Potomac River. Maryland's only ski area, Wisp, is located close to Backbone Mountain.

The majority of Maryland's population is concentrated in the cities and suburbs surrounding Washington, DC and Maryland's most populous city, Baltimore.

Maryland's largest airport is Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (formerly known as Friendship Airport and recently renamed for Baltimore-born former and first African-American Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall). The only other airports with commercial service are at Hagerstown and Salisbury. The Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., are also serviced by the other two airports in the region, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Dulles International Airport, both in Northern Virginia.

Public primary and secondary education in Maryland is overseen by the Maryland State Department of Education. The oldest college in Maryland, and the third oldest college in the United States, is St. John's College, founded in 1696 as King William's School. Maryland has 18 other private colleges and universities, the most prominent of which is Johns Hopkins University, founded in 1876 with a grant from Baltimore entrepreneur Johns Hopkins.

Most hotels in Maryland and Delaware, including many bed-and-breakfasts and inns, offer accessible accommodations, but be sure to ask when you make reservations. Nearly all of the states' museums are accessible, with the exception of some historic buildings and sites. The state and county tourism offices listed in "Visitor Information" and in the individual chapters can help you locate accessible accommodations and answer any questions about specific historic sites.

Several state parks in Maryland offer handicapped-accessible facilities. A complete list is available from the Maryland DNR website at www.dnr.state.md.us/accessforall

Further Information Regarding Maryland

Things to See in Baltimore
Baltimore is strategically located at the center of Maryland. This fact makes it one of the focal points for business as well as the famous spot for tourist attractions. Exploring Mother Nature in the place is always awesome. This independent city has a lot of things to say when it comes to addressing your health concerns as well.