2026 Birding & Boating the Tubman Byway Tours
Explore the pathways and waterways that Harriet Tubman traveled during her journeys to freedom along the Underground Railroad
Cost is $100/person. We require 10 participants ro run each tour. All tours will run 2:00 – 6:00 pm.
Our meeting location is the Linchester Mill, located at Route 331 and Linchester Road in Preston, MD. The GPS Coordinates for the parking area are: 38.701391, -75.897370.
From 2:00 – 4:00 pm, we will drive our own vehicles to historic sites along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. From 4:00 – 6:00 pm, we will cruise the upper Choptank River north of Denton, MD with the River City Cruise Company. Total distance walking for the afternoon is less than one mile. Scroll down this page to read more.
If you are interested in adding your name to the interest list for a tour, please email dmvbirds@gmail.com with your name, your preferred date(s) and the number of participants in your group.
2026 Tour Dates
Tuesday, September 22, 2:00 – 6:00 pm
Update (posted at 8:00 am on July 4): There are 0 participants on the interest list. We need 10 to run this tour.
If you are interested in adding your name to the interest list for the September 22 tour, please email dmvbirds@gmail.com with your name and the number of participants in your group.
Wednesday, October 7, 2:00 – 6:00 pm
Update (posted at 8:00 am on July 4): There are 0 participants on the interest list. We need 10 to run this tour.
If you are interested in adding your name to the interest list for the October 7 tour, please email dmvbirds@gmail.com with your name and the number of participants in your group.
Journeys to Freedom
Join Harriet Tubman Tours, River City Cruise Co. and Delmarva Birding Weekends as we go birding along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway in Caroline County, MD. During the guided, self-driven tour, we’ll learn about the many daring escapes led by the famed freedom seeker and human rights activist known as “The Moses of Her People,” Harriet Tubman. In Caroline County, Harriet Tubman found shelter and assistance as she traveled along the Underground Railroad to Delaware.
The driving route courses through the farms, forests and significant Underground Railroad sites of Caroline County. We’ll also explore the upper reaches of the Choptank River in Denton, MD during a two-hour cruise aboard a pontoon boat. Downriver, landings and points along the Choptank served as sites for perilous escapes by boat. The shallow waters of the Upper Choptank provided crossings for freedom seekers heading north towards Sandtown, DE.
Harriet Tubman was born around 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland. She was brought into the world as Araminta “Minty” Ross, the middle of nine children born to Harriet “Rit” Green and Ben Ross, who were both enslaved. Her childhood was spent toiling on the plantation of Edward Brodess, who often hired his enslaved people out to neighboring farmers.
In 1849, Harriet Tubman escaped Maryland’s Eastern Shore to Philadelphia, but she returned at least 13 times to rescue around 70 people, including her parents, family members, and friends. In the face of incredible danger, she guided them safely to freedom as a conductor of the Underground Railroad — a secret network of people, places and routes that provided shelter and assistance to escaping slaves. By 1860, Harriet Tubman had earned the nickname “Moses” for liberating so many enslaved people at great risk to her own life.
During her years as a conductor of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman would have been intimately familiar with the birds and wildlife of Dorchester County. She used the call of a Barred Owl to alert freedom seekers that it was safe to come out of hiding and continue northward.
The same birds that Harriet Tubman would have known more than 170 years ago still inhabit the fields, forests and marshes of Caroline County. As we visit the sites on our driving tour, we will search for Summer Tanagers, Indigo Buntings, and Orchard Orioles. On the Choptank River cruise, we’ll likely encounter Bald Eagles, Osprey and Great Egrets.
These are the stops we will make along the ~20 mile, two-hour driving and walking tour:
- Linchester Mill, where Enslaved and Free Blacks worked side by side
- Jacob & Hannah Leverton House, home of Quaker Underground Railroad Agents (private, not open to the public)
- James Webb Cabin, a typical African American home of the time
- Caroline County Courthouse, site of slave auction and jail
Before your tour begins, we recommend that you visit Adkins Arboretum or Martinak State Park, or enjoy a walk and lunch in historic Denton, MD or Preston, MD.
Driving and Boating Route:
We will meet at the small roadside pull-off at Linchester Mill, located at Route 331 and Linchester Road in Preston, MD. The GPS Coordinates are: 38.701391, -75.897370.
Please make certain to fuel up your vehicle and use the restroom before you arrive. We will have access to restrooms before and after the boat tour in Denton, and there is a “head” (toilet) on the boat.
Please note the following:
- Cancellations are accepted if you inform us two weeks (or earlier) before your trip departs. For a further explanation of our refund policy, please click here.
- Trips will go rain or shine, unless torrential rains prevent us from viewing wildlife.
- If the trip is canceled due to dangerous conditions, we will notify you via email. Please note that the email will be sent to all participants BCC, so you may need to check your email spam folder. A full refund will be provided within 15 days.
- Please bring a $5-$10 tip for the First Mate on the boat.
- Please make sure you have enough fuel in your vehicle for the trip, as we will not stop at gas stations along the route.
- We encourage you to explore Caroline County before and after your tour. You will find museums, restaurants, farm stands and shops all within easy walking and driving distance of Preston and Denton.
- We encourage you to support our friends at the Caroline County Historical Society. We thank them for their work promoting and protecting Caroline County’s rich history.
Some common sense approaches to make your birding and boating trips more enjoyable:
- Wear appropriate clothing and shoes for weather on the water!
- Carry sunscreen, sunglasses and/or a hat to protect yourself from the sun. You can still get sunburn in the winter.
- Bring rain gear as all events are rain or shine.
- Try to arrive a little before the scheduled trip departs.
- Most trips are not appropriate for young children. Please use your discretion when registering.
- Be courteous to your fellow birders. Speak quietly and turn off cell phones during trips.
We hope you’ll join us for Birding and Boating along the Harriet Tubman Byway!