Elk Neck State Park
{{short description|Public recreation area in Maryland, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox park
| name = Elk Neck State Park
| photo = Turkey Point Lighthouse.jpg
| photo_caption = Turkey Point Light
| photo_alt = Lighthouse
| photo_width = 280
| map = USA Maryland
| map_caption = Location in Maryland
| map_width = 280
| relief = 1
| label = Elk Neck State Park
| location = Cecil County, Maryland, United States
| nearest_town = North East, Maryland
| coordinates = {{coord|39|29|14|N|75|59|24|W|display=inline,title}}
| area = {{convert|2369|acre|abbr=on}}
| elevation = {{convert|262|ft|m|abbr=on}}{{cite gnis|590763|Mauldin Mountain}}
| established = 1936
| free_label =
| free_data =
| designation = Maryland state park
| administrator = Maryland Department of Natural Resources
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| visitation_ref =
| status =
| website = {{Official website}}
| embedded =
}}
File:Elk Neck Peninsula 2020.jpg in the foreground and the North East River beyond]]
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, {{convert|8|mi|km|spell=in}} south of the town of North East, and {{convert|13|mi}} 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 {{convert|100|ft|adj=on}} bluff overlooking the Upper Chesapeake Bay. The {{convert|35|ft|adj=on}} 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.
;Water recreation
The park offers a swimming beach, fishing, and crabbing, plus a boat launch and launch area for canoeing and kayaking.
;Trails
The park has {{convert|12|mi}} of trails for hiking and biking.
| class="wikitable" style="width:50%" |
| }
! Trail Name ! Length ! Difficulty |
| White Banks Trail
| {{convert|3|mi|km|1}} | Difficult |
| Pond Loop
| {{convert|1|mi|km|1}} | Moderate |
| Beaver Marsh Loop
| {{convert|4|mi|km|1}} | Difficult |
| Lighthouse Trail
| {{convert|2|mi|km|1}} | Easy |
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
References
{{reflist|refs=
{{cite journal |author1=Olson, D.M. |author2=Dinerstein, E. |title=Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth |journal=BioScience |year=2001 |volume=51 |issue=11 |pages=933–938 |doi = 10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2 |display-authors=etal|doi-access=free }}
}}
External links
{{commons category|Elk Neck State Park}}
- [https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/central/elkneck.aspx Elk Neck State Park] Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- [https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Documents/Elk-Neck/ensp_map.pdf Elk Neck State Park Map] Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- [http://www.tpls.org Turkey Point Light Station] Turkey Point Light Station, Inc.
{{Protected areas of Maryland}}
{{authority control}}
Category:State parks of Maryland
Category:Parks in Cecil County, Maryland
Category:Protected areas established in 1936