Elk Neck State Park


Elk Neck State Park is a public recreation area located between Chesapeake Bay and the Elk River near the southern tip of the Elk Neck Peninsula in Cecil County, Maryland. The state park is home to the historic Turkey Point Light and offers land-based and water-based recreation. The park is located on MD 272, eight miles south of the town of North East, and south of exit 100 on I-95. It is operated by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

History

The park had its genesis when, in 1936, naturalist Dr. William Abbott bequeathed his holdings along the Elk River to the state for use as a state park. Although he originally intended the land to be a gift to the Boy Scouts, a meeting with State Forester Fred W. Besley in 1935 persuaded Abbott to change the terms of his will. Following the state's purchase of additional acreage, the Civilian Conservation Corps created park improvements from 1937 to 1941.

Activities and amenities

;Turkey Point Lighthouse
Dating from 1833, the Turkey Point Lighthouse sits on a bluff overlooking the Upper Chesapeake Bay. The tower is a "private aid to navigation" maintained by a non-profit organization, Turkey Point Light Station, Inc., which offers weekend tours seasonally.
;Campgrounds
The park offers more than 250 campsites, rustic cabins, camper cabins, and youth group sites.
;Trails
The park has of trails for hiking and biking.
Trail NameLengthDifficulty
White Banks TrailDifficult
Mauldin Mountain LoopDifficult
Pond LoopModerate
Farm Road TrailModerate
Beaver Marsh LoopDifficult
Lighthouse TrailEasy
Ravines LoopModerate

;Water recreation
The park offers a swimming beach, fishing, and crabbing, plus a boat launch and launch area for canoeing and kayaking.

Ecology

The park is part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion, with a landscape characterized by deep forests, bluffs, beaches, and marshlands.

In popular culture

The park was used as a filming location for the 1997 Clint Eastwood movie Absolute Power and as the setting of an episode of the television series Hannibal.