Nearly 450 miles above the Bay, the Susquehanna River is a minor stream trickling out of a modest lake. But the river gathers force as it moves through New York and Pennsylvania amid landscapes constantly shifting from mountainous to rural to industrial. When the Susquehanna flows into the Chesapeake at Havre de Grace, it does so at an average rate of 19 million gallons a minute, supplying about half of the fresh water in the Bay.

Historically, the Northern Bay area around the mouth of the Susquehanna has been an important transportation corridor. Today, with both Interstate 95 and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, the region continues to link the Bay with commerce and tourism from the Northeastern states.

Gateways allow you to experience this region along a developing network of user-friendly water trails that stretch from one end of the Susquehanna system to the other. A cluster of Gateways along the top of the Bay includes both scenic state parks and fascinating cultural attractions.