Hoopers Island Travel Guide

Hoopers Island History

The island is considered to be the oldest settled area within Dorchester County and is one of the oldest settled areas in the state of Maryland. It was originally settled by Henry Hooper in 1669 and was distributed in parcels to his children after his death. Throughout the 18th century, the island and its surrounding region saw a high level of piracy, leading Hooper’s great-grandson to ask the Governor of Maryland in 1780 for assistance in combating plundering of supply boats to the island.

The island remained an insular community throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries, with some accounts stating that for the first 300 years of its settlement, all of the island’s residents could be traced to the lineage of 10 families. The island’s economy originally settled around tobacco and produce crops, but throughout the 19th century, many islanders became involved in crabbing and oystering as the fishing industry increased throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. Prior to the turn of the 20th century, Lower Hoopers Island was heavily populated with oystering activity, but in the late 1920s, island erosion forced residents to leave, leaving the island uninhabited since.

Hoopers Island Attractions

Today, Hoopers Island is best known for its sport fishing and crabbing industries, though new regulations on crabbing enacted in Maryland in the late 2000s have led to a decline in fishing industry activity. The three islands are located along the Chesapeake Bay’s southwestern shores in Dorchester County along the Honga River and are accessible via Maryland Route 335, which travels through Upper and Middle Hooper’s Islands. Since 1933, Lower Hooper’s Island has been an uninhabited marshland that is inaccessible to vehicle traffic. The island’s population, which totaled 441 as of the 2000 census, has been described as a strongly independent, self-sufficient community with a strong sense of fellowship.

The islands are approximately a 40-minute drive from Cambridge and accessible from the mainland via two arched bridges along Maryland Route 335. All visitors should be advised to exercise caution while driving, as high tides and storm surges may make roads wet and dangerous. The two-mile causeway spans the length of Upper and Middle Hooper’s Islands and connects the communities of Honga, Fishing Creek, and Hoopersville. The islands have a rustic atmosphere, with many working oyster boats and crab houses visible along the route at sites such as Rippons Harbor, a working fisherman’s waterfront area. Marshlands within the region are home to a number of duck and waterfowl species, including double-crested cormorants, Foster’s common terns, little and great blue herons, and American oystercatchers.

A number of historic structures are located on or near the islands, including the Hooper Island Lighthouse, which is located approximately three miles off the western edge of Middle Hooper Island. The 63-foot-high pneumatic caisson-style lighthouse was constructed in 1906 and is one of only 11 of its kind remaining in the United States. Other historic buildings include the Hosier Memorial United Memorial Church, which was the first church constructed on the islands, and the Hoopers Memorial Methodist Church, which dates back to the late 1800s.

The island’s only restaurant, Old Salty’s, is housed within the islands’ former high school building and is a popular draw for visitors from the Baltimore-Washington D.C. metropolitan area. A variety of seafood dishes are offered, including Maryland crab cakes and soft-shell crab. The island is also the home of the A. E. Phillips and Son seafood processing plant, which services the Phillips Seafood restaurant chain, a famous American East Coast seafood restaurant. The factory, which predates the restaurant chain, was originally opened on the island in 1914 by Augustus E. Phillips. Visitors may tour the plant’s crab factory by appointment, with group tours available. The Hoopers Island Oyster Company aquaculture processing plant is also available for group tours by appointment.

A number of businesses operate regular chartered boating and fishing trips, including Sawyer Charters, which offers cruises and crab feasts on the water for individuals and groups. The island’s back creeks and marsh areas may be explored through Hooper Island Expeditions, led by fishing guide Adam Xenides. On the mainland, the nearby Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge offers a variety of wildlife watching opportunities, including chances to see American bald eagles.

Hoopers Island - Ongoing Programs and Events

Several annual events and festivals are held on the island, including the William T. Ruark Fishing Tournament, which began in 1973 and is the island’s largest annual event today. In November, the annual Ronald McGlaughlin Artisans Fair is held at the Hoopers Memorial Methodist Church. Artisans works are sold by a variety of vendors, along with homemade baked goods, crab cakes, and other home-cooked items.

Dorchester County Office of Tourism, 2 Rose Hill Place, Cambridge, MD 21613, Phone: 410-228-1000