 Bill Burton Fishing Piers State Park |
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Bill Burton Fishing Piers State Park |
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On July 22, 2009 the Board of Public Works approved the naming of the Choptank River Fishing Piers in honor of Bill Burton, a reporter, writer and fisherman who has for more than 50 years chronicled outdoor opportunities for Maryland citizens. The Bill Burton Fishing Piers State Park offers a perfect tribute to Bill's life and work - the pier is a destination fishing spot for anglers, and a popular access point for many working families of Maryland - and he was instrumental in preserving the Choptank River Bridge for a fishing pier when the new bridge was constructed. Sadly, less than a month after the renaming Mr. Burton passed at age 82 on August 10, 2009. In a statement issued by Governor O'Malley, he stated "Bill was an iconic figure in Maryland's outdoor history, having chronicled outdoor opportunities for Maryland citizens for the past half-century. The Bill Burton Fishing Piers State Park is a small but appropriate tribute to his life's work, and I'm pleased we were able to make the dedication while Bill was still with us."The Choptank River Fishing Piers, now renamed as the Bill Burton Fishing Piers State Park, are open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. The piers are lighted, and the pier is popular because of the variety of fish that can be caught including perch, striped bass, hard heads, sea trout, and catfish. Both sections of the piers are lighted for night fishing from April 1st through December 31st and the Dorchester County side of the pier is open and lighted year round. The pier adjoins Sailwinds Park via the walkway under the bridge.
Fishing and crabbing are the main attractions but other activities such as bicycling, walking, jogging, picnicking or sunbathing can be enjoyed.
The Talbot County side offers 25 acres of land extending upriver from the pier and there is a walking path along the Choptank River and Bolingbroke Creek. While the area offers a variety of wildlife, the piers also are an excellent observation area for waterfowl and birds such as osprey, Canada geese and a variety of ducks and shorebirds.
FEATURES
Fishing, trails, picnicking.
The fishing pier is accessible and offers accessible port-a-pots. For additional accessible amenities in Maryland State Forests and Parks, visit the Accessibility For All section of this website.
![The Choptank River Fishing Pier is located in Talbot County]](/publiclands/art/smchopmap.jpg)
Location - The piers are located adjacent to Maryland Route 50 at the Frederick C. Malkus Bridge near Cambridge on the Eastern Shore. The piers are the previous Choptank River Bridge over the Choptank between Talbot and Dorchester counties.
The Bill Burton Fishing Piers State Park
29761 Bolingbroke Point Drive
Trappe, MD 21673
410-820-1668
Funding for Maryland's State and local parks and conservation areas is provided through The Department of Natural Resources' Program Open Space. Established in 1969, Program Open Space symbolizes Maryland's long term commitment to conserving natural resources while providing exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities.
Updated on August 26, 2009 Photograph by: Tom Darden
