{"id":29770,"date":"2026-05-21T13:15:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T17:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/?p=29770"},"modified":"2026-05-21T16:33:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T20:33:54","slug":"marylands-best-kicks-off-the-2026-ice-cream-trail-with-new-locations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/press-release\/2026\/05\/21\/marylands-best-kicks-off-the-2026-ice-cream-trail-with-new-locations\/","title":{"rendered":"NEWS RELEASE: Maryland\u2019s Best Kicks-Off the 2026 Ice Cream Trail with New Locations!"},"content":{"rendered":"

ANNAPOLIS, MD<\/strong>—Maryland\u2019s Best Ice Cream Trail<\/a>\u00a0is back for its 14th year with new locations! Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks and Maryland\u2019s Best welcome residents and visitors alike to celebrate the state\u2019s dairy industry by visiting participating locations from May 21\u2013-September 7, 2026.<\/p>\n

Maryland\u2019s Best<\/a>\u00a0is a statewide marketing program dedicated to connecting consumers with farmers, watermen and locally made products. The program supports local businesses while ensuring consumers have access to fresh, high-quality products grown and harvested right here in Maryland.<\/p>\n

To participate in the 2026 Maryland\u2019s Best Ice Cream Trail, go to\u00a0marylandsbest.maryland.gov\/ice-cream-trail<\/a>. You\u2019ll be able to download and print out paper maps and information about each creamery\u2014and new this year\u2014Maryland\u2019s Best has created an easy-to-use digital app through Bandwango. This web-based service does not require a download to your phone. Simply create a free account, check-in online when you visit participating locations and earn points to qualify for prizes!<\/p>\n

\u201cI love seeing the way the trail evolves over the years as we interact with more consumers and farms,\u201d said Secretary Atticks. \u201cWe are excited to have multiple ways to interact with the Ice Cream Trail this year and we can\u2019t wait to get more people out to our dairy farms!\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

The Maryland Department of Agriculture is again partnering with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to encourage visitors to explore nearby Maryland State Parks before or after enjoying a sweet treat along the trail. Participants who check in for hikes using the Bandwango digital pass will be entered for a chance to win a Maryland State Park Pass.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are always searching for new ways to attract visitors to our wonderful state parks and natural areas,\u201d said Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz. \u201cThe Ice Cream Trail offers an enticing and delicious local treat for park visitors either before or after they navigate one of the nearby trails. We encourage Marylanders to take on a season-long adventure by visiting all the creameries and hiking on the state\u2019s trails.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The 2026 Ice Cream Trail features 13 on-farm creameries\u2014or 14 stops including Chesapeake Bay Farms\u2019 second location\u2014spanning more than 145 miles from Maryland\u2019s mountains to the Eastern Shore. Each location produces and sells its own ice cream directly to consumers. Each stop on the trail offers visitors a closer look at Maryland\u2019s dairy industry and the important role the state\u2019s nearly 300 dairy farms play in local agriculture. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s\u00a02022 Census of Agriculture<\/a>, Maryland dairy farms produced just under 102 million gallons of milk (or roughly 2.5 million bathtubs filled with milk!).<\/b><\/p>\n

The following creameries are stops along this year\u2019s Ice Cream Trail:<\/b><\/p>\n