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Voykit pocket guide · United States

Smith Island

Go for one night, not a day trip: ferries from Crisfield run about 1 h and the last boat back leaves mid-afternoon.

Smith Island is a 4 sq mi inhabited island in Chesapeake Bay, reachable only by boat, with about 360 residents, no banks, no ATMs and no police. Most visitors come for one night to eat crab, walk or cycle the flat lanes and kayak the marsh creeks. Day-trippers get about four hours ashore.

Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.

Country: United States
Best months: May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Avoid: Jan–Feb (cold, thin ferry schedule), peak Jul–Aug weekends
Stay: 1 night

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency: USD
Money: Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
Daily spend: Budget $60–110 excl. bed · Mid $110–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data: AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
Emergency: Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Poison control 1-800-222-1222
Plugs: Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
Tipping: Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
Water: Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
Toilets: Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.

What things cost

Item	Price
Smith Island cake, whole or by the slice	$5–30
Crab cake plate at a local restaurant	$18–30
Coffee or a soft drink	$2–4
Passenger ferry, one way	$20–25

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

SBY · Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional: About 1 h drive to Crisfield, then the ferry; check car rental hours.
BWI · Baltimore/Washington International: About 3 h drive to Crisfield; the usual gateway for most trips.

Typical fares

Crisfield → Ewell ferry: about $20–25 one way, about 1 h
Point Lookout → Ewell ferry: about $20–25 one way, about 1 h
Kayak hire, one day: about $30

Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

Walk or cycle; the island is flat and small. Some guest houses lend bikes, kayaks and canoes. Golf carts and skiffs are used by residents; ask your host about informal lifts. No car rental.

See and do

Known for

Smith Island cake, the Maryland state dessert
Crabbing and oystering villages
Kayaking and birdwatching in the marsh
Methodist island culture

Day trips

Where	How	Time
Crisfield	Passenger ferry from Ewell	About 1–1.5 h
Point Lookout	Passenger ferry from Ewell	About 1 h
Tangier Island	Private boat or a long crossing via the mainland	Half a day or more

Sleep

Ewell: Main landing, most guest houses, the deli and the inn; walk to everything.
Tylerton: Smaller village across the island; quieter, fewer beds, reachable by boat or a long walk.
Rhodes Point: Third village, mostly residential; limited visitor beds.

Phrase card

English	Say or show
How much is it?	How much is it?
Do you take cards?	Do you take cards?
Where is the ferry dock?	Where is the ferry dock?

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned

Scams and watch-outs

No ATMs, banks or card-friendly tills everywhere: bring cash.
No medical facilities on the island; the nearest hospital is on the mainland.
Cell and data coverage is patchy: download offline maps and ferry times before you leave Crisfield.
Ferries are weather-dependent and can sell out in summer: book ahead and confirm the return sailing.

Very low crime and no police on the island; the real risks are weather on the water, no medical facilities and no ATMs. Carry cash and check the marine forecast before any kayak or skiff trip.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Smith Island yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

Smith Island cake, the Maryland state dessert
Crabbing and oystering villages
Kayaking and birdwatching in the marsh
Methodist island culture

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Maryland Office of Tourism: www.visitmaryland.org/
Somerset County, Maryland: www.somersetmd.us/
Wikivoyage: Smith Island, revision 5268557 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5268557

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Smith Island

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Police, fire, ambulance911
Poison control1-800-222-1222

No embassies on the island; the nearest consulates are in Washington, DC and Baltimore. US visitors: 911.

Cash is king here: no ATMs on the island.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/smith-island). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.