Elk Neck State Park
| Elk Neck State Park | |
| Maryland State Park | |
 | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Maryland |
| County | Cecil |
| Elevation | 118 ft (36 m) [1] |
| Coordinates | 39°29′04″N 75°58′59″W / 39.48444°N 75.98306°WCoordinates: 39°29′04″N 75°58′59″W / 39.48444°N 75.98306°W [1] |
| Area | 2,191 acres (887 ha) [2] |
| Established | Unspecified |
| Management | Maryland Department of Natural Resources |
| IUCN category | V - Protected Landscape/Seascape |
| Nearest city | North East, Maryland |
  Location in Maryland
| |
| Website: Elk Neck State Park | |
Elk Neck State Park is a state-owned, public recreation area at the southern tip of the Elk Neck Peninsula in Cecil County, Maryland. The state park offers both land- and water-based recreation, with shoreline on both Chesapeake Bay and the Elk River, and is home to the historic Turkey Point Light.[3] It is located on MD 272, eight miles (13 km) south of the town of North East, and 13 miles (21 km) south of exit 100 on I-95.
Features, activities and amenities
The park is part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion, with a landscape characterized by deep forests, bluffs, beaches, and marshlands.[4]
- Turkey Point Lighthouse
Dating from 1833, the Turkey Point Lighthouse sits on a 100-foot (30 m) bluff overlooking the Upper Chesapeake Bay. The 35-foot (11 m) tower is a "private aid to navigation" maintained by a non-profit organization, Turkey Point Light Station, Inc., which offers weekend tours seasonally.[5]
- Campgrounds
The park offers more than 250 campsites, rustic cabins, camper cabins, and youth group sites.[6]
- Trails
The park has 12 miles (19 km) of trails for hiking and biking.[7]
| Trail Name | Length | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| White Banks Trail | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Difficult |
| Mauldin Mountain Loop | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Difficult |
| Pond Loop | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Moderate |
| Farm Road Trail | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Moderate |
| Beaver Marsh Loop | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Difficult |
| Lighthouse Trail | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Easy |
| Ravines Loop | .75 miles (1.2 km) | Moderate |
- Water recreation
The park offers a swimming beach, fishing, and crabbing, plus a boat launch and launch area for canoeing and kayaking.[8][9]
In popular culture
The park was used as a filming location for the 1997 Clint Eastwood movie Absolute Power. The park was also the setting of an episode of the NBC series Hannibal.[10][11]
References
- 1 2 "Elk Neck State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- ↑ "Fiscal Year 2014 DNR Owned Lands Acreage" (PDF). Maryland Department of Natural Resources. December 18, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Elk Neck State Park". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
- ↑ Olson, D.M., Dinerstein, E.; et al. (2001). "Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth". BioScience 51 (11): 933–938. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2.
- ↑ Duvall, Mike W. "History: Turkey Point Light Station". Turkey Point Light Station, Inc. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
- ↑ "Elk Neck River Camping Area". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Elk Neck Trails" (PDF). Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
- ↑ "North East Beach Area and Picnic Shelters". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Rogues Harbor Boat Launch Facility". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Absolute Power (1997) Filming Locations". IMDB. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Absolute Power (1997)". Movie Tourist. August 26, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Elk Neck State Park. |
- Elk Neck State Park Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Elk Neck State Park Map Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Turkey Point Light Station, Inc.