Thank you for your interest in visiting Smith Island, Maryland’s only inhabited offshore island located in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay. Smith Island was recently named one of

We’ll begin here by telling you that you do not need us to visit Smith Island! There are many businesses and providers that can get you to and from the island, provide you with meals and rooms, and connect you with nature and heritage experiences. For links to Smith Island tourism providers, please click the link for Island Tourism Providers.

Smith Island Outfitters was created for those travelers who want a little help navigating the many wonderful ways to experience island nature and heritage. We help by designing experiences and packages for birders, paddlers, foodies and those travelers who prefer a “one-stop shop” when planning a trip. We can also help you customize your own Smith Island itinerary.

Our goals for Smith Island Outfitters are matched closely with the vision and goals laid out by Smith Island United in their vision plan (click the image to the right to read more). We’re focused on helping with Goal#2: Build a more diverse local economy for Smith Island that leverages the Island’s tourism potential. From the Smith Island Vision Plan:

Since transitioning from a largely agricultural economy based on raising cattle in the 1800s, the watermen industry has been Smith Island’s economic mainstay. In recent decades the number of people who are making a full-time living on the water is declining in the Chesapeake Bay region. As part of this regional trend, more people have been leaving Smith Island to pursue other employment opportunities.

Strengthening the Island’s overall local economy will require diversifying seasonal and year-round job opportunities and creating businesses that can generate revenue that stays on the island.

Increasing visitors to the Island and providing more services and attractions to increase the length of their stays seems like an obvious answer. Many natural, historical and cultural aspects of the island draw visitors during the warmer months, for the day or the week, for getting away or for hunting and fishing. Various businesses have emerged over time as part of the tourism economy such as restaurants, short-term house rentals, and the Smith Island Bakery.

However, Smith Islanders have made it clear that they are concerned about becoming a tourism-centered island where outsiders have a negative impact on the values and culture that make Smith Island unique – a quiet, safe, church-centered community. Smith Islanders want to attract tourists and provide the services and amenities that will encourage them to spend money on the Island, while maintaining Smith Island’s current “working watermen” culture. It is also important to create year-round job opportunities that are not dependent on tourism and provide families with more steady income.