Kids on the water
The Bayside Escape

Hoopers Island, Maryland · on the Chesapeake Bay

Crab traps, a playset and a barn for the wet days

A week where the children are outside and nobody is asking for the iPad.

Crabbing off the road, a barn that fixes a rainy afternoon, and a playset in the yard.

When are you thinking?

The cheapest stay open in each of the next few months, priced all in.

It is a real drive: Baltimore about 2 hours 30 minutes · Washington, DC about 2 hours 40 minutes · Philadelphia about 3 hours.

Guest favorite on Airbnb5.0 from 8 reviews · Airbnb and VRBO
Unloading the cars at duskUnloading the cars at duskThe playset, in a yard that is open and not fencedThe playset, in a yard that is open and not fencedThe upstairs play corner, giant Jenga and blocksThe upstairs play corner, giant Jenga and blocksThree twins in one room, which solves the childrenThree twins in one room, which solves the childrenThe fire pit, with the firewood providedThe fire pit, with the firewood providedA kitchen built for cooking a week of mealsA kitchen built for cooking a week of mealsSee every room, photograph by photograph

Children take about an hour to work out that a crab trap on a line is better than anything on a screen. The shoreline is a short walk across a quiet road, the traps live in the barn, and the yard has a playset for the gap between breakfast and the tide.

The same nightly rate as our Evolve listing, without the booking platform's service fee added at checkout.

Book it whichever way suits you

Four ways in. Same house, same dates — pick whichever checkout you’d rather use.

Pick your dates and the total appears here, everything in, nothing added later.

Free cancellation 14+ days out. Card bookings are not charged until the owner approves.

Or book it where you already have an account:

Same house, same dates. Each site shows its own total at its own checkout.

What it actually costs

$1,575

The whole house, 3 nights, Mon 7 Dec to Thu 10 Dec, with cleaning and Maryland tax. Split 12 ways, that's $131 each.

3 nights
$1,119
Cleaning
$300
Maryland tax (11%)
$156
Booking platform service fee
none
Total
$1,575
Split 12 ways
$131

Those are the cheapest 3 nights still open. Your own dates will price differently; the calendar above quotes them from the same table.

Same nightly rate as our Evolve listing. Booking here removes the platform's service fee at checkout.

30% is due at booking and the balance 3 days before you arrive, so you are not asking anybody for their share months ahead.

Full refund if you cancel 14 or more days before check-in.

Who sleeps where

6 bedrooms, 14 beds, 24 people. Work out who goes where now rather than at midnight.

RoomBedsSleepsFloorBath
Master suite1 king2MainPrivate en-suite, soaking tub and shower
Bedroom 21 queen2MainFull bath off the small hall between bedrooms 2 and 3, with its own door
Bedroom 31 queen2MainFull bath off the small hall between bedrooms 2 and 3, with its own door
Bedroom 41 queen + 1 queen sofa bed4UpstairsUpstairs bath
Bedroom 51 queen + 1 twin3UpstairsJack and Jill, shared with bedroom 6
Bedroom 63 twins3UpstairsJack and Jill, shared with bedroom 5
Living rooms4 queen sofa-sleepers8BothHall baths
Master suite.
Reachable without steps from the parking area, like bedrooms 2 and 3.
Bedroom 2.
Just past the big downstairs living room — the one with the 75-inch television.
Bedroom 3.
Just past the big downstairs living room — the one with the 75-inch television.
Bedroom 4.
The giant windows and the best Bay views in the house — the biggest window anywhere in it. The queen sofa bed is the fifth of the five, moved in here to leave the upstairs living room open.
Bedroom 5.
The mother-and-child room: a queen and a twin, with its own door like every bedroom here. The Jack and Jill it shares with bedroom 6 puts the adult next door to the children.
Bedroom 6.
Its own door onto the landing — the two rooms are joined by the Jack and Jill between them, not by a doorway. Three twins, so it is the room most groups give the children, with an adult next door in bedroom 5. Or however your group wants to use it.
Living rooms.
Two downstairs and two upstairs. Not bedrooms: these eight sleep in shared living space, and that is the real limit on privacy here.

Said plainly, because it decides who is happy on Saturday: 14 of those are real beds and the last ten sleep on queen sofa beds. Four of those sofa beds are in the living rooms and the fifth is inside bedroom 4, so sixteen sleep behind a bedroom door and eight do not. A group of 24 is not 24 people in bedrooms. Nobody sleeps in the barn.

For anyone who cannot manage stairs: the master is on the main floor with its own bath, and entry from the parking area is step-free. We do not claim ADA compliance — ask the chat for any measurement you need.

4.5 baths for 24 people

It is the first sum everybody does, so here is the honest version.

4 full baths and 1 half. The master has its own, and bedrooms 5 and 6 share a Jack and Jill upstairs. The half bath takes daytime traffic so nobody queues behind a shower.

The two main-floor queens share a full bath off the small hall between them. It has its own door onto that hall, so it is not a Jack and Jill — the Jack and Jill is upstairs, between bedrooms 5 and 6.

Spare towels are in the linen closet in that same small hall, beside the two main-floor queen bedrooms and just outside the downstairs full bath.

Two 50-gallon water heaters, so back-to-back showers hold up for a full house. With all 24 in, stagger the early birds and the night owls and nobody hits a cold one.

Two washers and two dryers, so a full house can run two loads at once.

Full refund if you cancel 14 or more days before check-in.

Getting here, and getting fed

It is genuinely remote. That is most of why it is good, and all of why you shop on the way in.

  • Baltimore — about 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Washington, DC — about 2 hours 40 minutes
  • Philadelphia — about 3 hours
  • Annapolis — about 2 hours
  • Salisbury — about 1 hour 20 minutes

The shop. The nearest full grocery is the Walmart Supercenter in Cambridge, 29 miles and about 40 minutes out, so stock up on the way in. Easton is bigger if the list is long, about an hour away. The General Store on the island is 5 miles and covers what you forgot, not the week's food.

Eating out. Old Salty's Restaurant is 3.6 miles up the road. Everything else worth the drive is in Cambridge.

If something goes wrong. Nearest emergency department: University of Maryland Shore Regional Health at Cambridge, 715 Cambridge Marketplace Blvd., open 24 hours. Call 911 first. Easton has a larger hospital about an hour away. A volunteer fire station on the island, about 10 minutes away.

Signal. High-speed Wi-Fi throughout the house and yard. It does not reach the Flex Barn — the metal walls block it, which makes the barn an accidental tech-free room. Coverage on the island is workable but not uniform across carriers. Ask the chat before you commit if the trip depends on it.

The full area guide

If the plan changes

Cancelling. Cancel 14 or more days before check-in and you receive a full refund of everything you have paid, including the deposit, cleaning fee and taxes. Cancellations within 14 days of check-in are non-refundable.

The group shrinking or growing. The rate is for the house rather than per person, so losing two people does not change what you owe — it changes what each remaining share costs. Going over 24 overnight is the one thing that is not possible.

Minimum stay. 2 nights.

Dogs. Up to 2, no cats, $150 once for the stay rather than per dog.

Arriving and leaving. Check-in from 4 PM, check-out by 10 AM. Early check-in and late check-out are not offered, because the turnaround between groups needs the whole window.

Yoga class in the Flex Barn with natural light and open doorsSunrise yoga in 1,600 sqft — no studio requiredFamily around the fire pit at sunset — multigenerational gatheringEvery reunion ends hereKids and a dog playing frisbee on the front lawn with the house in the background1.2 acres and a golden retriever — the kids won't ask to leaveThree generations gathered around the kitchen island during meal prepGroup cooking at the kitchen islandFamily gathered at the pergola during a daytime cookoutThe pergola seats 20 — and that's before people pull up extra chairsFamily with a dog on the pergola swings at golden hourGolden hour on the pergolaSee every room, photograph by photograph

What guests said

"We had such a fantastic stay! The house truly lived up to the listing—tons of space for our group of 20, and the layout made it easy for everyone to relax and enjoy. The host was amazing: super responsive, thoughtful, and proactive with details and local tips. The property itself is beautiful and private, with a great backyard and a huge flex barn. The kitchen had everything we needed, and all the linens were spotless. We'd absolutely come back for another stay!"

Smitha Ann

Group trip · July 2026

Verified review — see it on Airbnb

"This is great property for folks looking for accessibility - there's a ramp and primary bedroom / bath are on the main floor. This was a must for us as we were traveling with elderly parents with limited mobility. The setting is scenic but the location is more remote than some — so good for those looking for a quiet and relaxing time. We enjoyed nearby restaurant called "Old Salty's." We appreciated how responsive the host was to our suggestions and questions. We appreciated small details, like laundry baskets in the rooms as well as Tupperware in the kitchen, puzzles and card games in the sitting area. I believe the host is continuing to add more amenities as guests send more suggestions!"

Anoka F.

Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2026 · Traveled with family and young children

Verified review — see it on Vrbo

"We absolutely loved our stay. [The] house was beautiful, the amenities were excellent, and we loved the crabs!! We went for a family weekend (mix of 18 kids and adults) and it was very spacious and comfortable for everyone. The pergola in the back was an especially big hit! We highly recommend and would stay again."

Bridget C.

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2026 · Traveled with family and young children

Verified review — see it on Vrbo

Would rather book somewhere you have used before? The same house and the same dates are on Airbnb and VRBO. Each site shows its own total at its own checkout.

Is it actually on the water?

It is water view, not waterfront. The house looks out over the bay and the marsh from the front deck, and the shoreline is a short walk across a quiet road — people crab from it. There is no dock, no private beach, and you cannot launch a boat from the yard. Hoopers Island is narrow enough that water is on both sides of you; it is just not on the lot.

Is the whole house ours?

Yes. Whole-house, every time. No shared rooms, no other party, nobody staying on site. Entry is a smart lock with your own code, so there is no key handover and no set arrival hour to hit beyond check-in from 4 PM.

Can we use the barn, and does it cost extra?

The 1,600 sq ft Flex Barn is included at no extra cost, with 16-ft ceilings, a rubber floor and a sliding door wide enough to drive through. It is deliberately empty: bring your own tables, chairs and games and make it whatever the weekend needs. Three things to know — nobody sleeps in it, it is not heated or cooled, and the Wi-Fi does not reach it, because the metal walls block the signal.

Can we have more people over for the day?

Up to 50 people on the property at once, and that number includes the 24 staying the night rather than sitting on top of them. So a full house of 24 may invite 26 more for the day. Ask before check-in — there is no fixed number of days — and the owner's approval must be in writing. Without that approval, a gathering beyond the people staying is not permitted. Events are only for stays booked on this site, never through a listing site.

Is there anything to do nearby?

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is 19 miles up the road — eagles year round, tundra swans and snow geese through the winter. Old Salty's is 3.6 miles away for crabs. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad park is 17.7 miles. Public boat ramps are minutes from the door, and collapsible crab traps live in the barn for anybody who wants to try from the shoreline.

How do we hold the dates?

Pick them on the calendar above and reserve. 30% is charged at booking and the balance 3 days before you arrive, so you are not chasing anybody for their share months in advance. The calendar is the live one — if a date shows as open, it is open.

Can the children actually catch a crab?

Yes, from the shoreline across the road or the bridge, April to mid-December and best from July to September. Collapsible traps are in the barn. A handline or a dip net needs no licence at all, which is the simplest way in, and two dozen male hard crabs a person a day is the limit that goes with it; the traps need a Maryland recreational crabbing licence, about $10 a year for an out-of-state visitor.

Is it safe for toddlers?

It is an ordinary house near water rather than a childproofed one. The yard is open and not fenced, the shoreline is across a quiet road, and there are stairs to the upper floor. Most families with very small children use the main-floor bedrooms and treat the road as the boundary.

What is there when it rains?

The barn — 1,600 square feet of indoor floor with a rubber surface, which is the whole reason it is worth having. Bring a ball, bring bikes, bring whatever. There is also a play corner upstairs with giant Jenga and building blocks, and 75-inch televisions on both floors.

What should we bring?

Bait and a cooler if you want to crab, life jackets if you want to be near the water, bikes if you have them, and a long line for the dog because the yard is open. Groceries for the week, because the full shop is about forty minutes away.

Is there anything to do off the property?

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is 19 miles and has eagles all year, which children tend to take better than adults expect. Public boat ramps are minutes away. Old Salty's is 3.6 miles for crabs when nobody wants to cook.

Can we bring the dog?

Up to two, no cats, $150 once for the stay rather than per dog. The yard is open and not fenced, so a long line earns its place in the boot.

Not ready to book yet?

Take the $100 first, and save the dates you are weighing up while you ask everyone.

  • $100 toward your first stay. Yours once you set up an account — it comes off the total at checkout whenever you book.
  • Save the dates you are considering. If a window you are watching opens up, we email you.
Claim $100 and save my dates

No card needed, and nothing is held. The credit is good for twelve months.

Full refund if you cancel 14 or more days before check-in.

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