Explore the Beauty of Elk Neck State Park!
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Elk Neck State Park is somewhere we visit at least once a year. It's roughly 2.5 hours away, making it a great weekend escape. Located in Cecil County, Maryland, this hidden gem offers tons of outdoor activities for nature enthusiasts of all ages.
What Makes Elk Neck State Park Special?
Elk Neck State Park is on a peninsula in northern Maryland and offers over 2,300 acres of wilderness. You can enjoy stunning views of the Chesapeake Bay, Elk River, Turkey Point Lighthouse, lush forest, and diverse wildlife. North East Beach is also located in the park, which offers swimming access on the head of the Chesapeake Bay. So whether you enjoy laying by the beach, hiking, camping, fishing, or simply relaxing in nature, this park has something for everyone.
How to Spend a Weekend in the Park
Elk Neck has a few walking and biking trails to offer, each offering different views. For a map to the park, click here.
One thing to note, you do not have to bike any of these trails if you're not a biker. A cool thing about Elk Neck is that all the trails they offer are both hiking AND biking!
Campgrounds - Which to Choose
Elk Neck State Park has over 250 campsites to choose from! It is a popular park, so still be sure to book ahead of time!
Bohemia Loop - Tent only, non electric
- There is a shower house in this loop and a place to fill up with drinking water.
Chester Loop - RV & Tent, electric and water hook up
- We stayed here out first time and enjoyed it. There is a shower house in this loop. It wasn't as secluded as I thought it would be. However, a lot of people don't mind that! It's a great way to meet new friends.
Sassafras Loop - Tent only, non electric
- There is a shower house in this loop and a place to fill up with drinking water.
North East Loop - TV & Tent, full hook up (electric, water, sewer)
- I usually don't prefer full hook up because they seem to always be less secluded than just an electric site. HOWEVER, I actually prefer Elk Neck's full hookup campsites over Chester Loop. We have stayed here multiple times, and I finally had enough sense to scope out the best spot. Next time we go, we are definitely staying at site #28!
Wye & Susquehanna Loop - Tent only, non electric
- Each loop has a shower house and a place to fill up with drinking water. The Wye Loop even has a playground
Choptank, Miles, and Elk Loops - Tent only, non electric
- If I still tent camped, this is were I would stay. It's secluded and quiet. The Miles and Elk Loops even have some site with water views!
- Each loop has a shower house and a place to fill up with drinking water.
Tred Avon Cabins - electric only
- I have never stayed here, but they look so cute! They are electric only, but have AC in the cabin. THere is a shower house and a place to fill up with drinking water close by!
FRIDAY - arrive, set up camp, hike
We usually take a half day at work so we can get to the park at a decent time.
3PM - arrive at Elk Neck
HIKE - Wapiti Pond Trail (1.5 miles)
- This is an easy walk with some changes of scenery along the way. You can enter multiple different ways, we entered on Campground road. You will first walk through the woods a little bit along the Wapiti Pond. There are a few different look outs to give you you beautiful sights of the ponds. It then opens up out of the woods, into a great view of the pond. As you keep walking, you head back into the woods up a steeper hill. This was my favorite part. It opens up into this almost prairie like area. It was so pretty! There are a couple areas on this hike that have a steeper climb and descend, but nothing crazy. I do recommend grippy shoes on this one. Especially after a rain, I could see it being on the slick side.
- CARHARTT VEST
- This Carhartt vest is something I am always wearing camping or when I am outside doing yard work. It's warm, yet you can still move freely.
- Pictured is my husband, who has the men's version
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SATURDAY - hike, bike, relax!
BIKE - White Banks Trail (3 miles)
- I will be honest, when I saw this biking trail said "expert" I did not believe it. Boy was I wrong! Truthfully, I am not sure why I was being so cocky. When it comes to biking, I am probably at a beginner to modest. I don't bike a ton, I just enjoy doing it when we camp. You can either bike or hike this one, either way I think you should check it out! There are many steep climbs, descends, and tight turns so be sure to come prepared. There is a spectacular view at white clay cliff that overlooks the Chesapeake Bay. It made the exhausting bike trip all worth it.
- Since I was biking, I just wore tennis shoes. If I was hiking it, I would definitely wear my hiking boots!
- BOOTS
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- These Columbia boots are my absolute favorite boots on long hikes. They are grippy in slippery situations and waterproof. They are also great in colder weather because I am able to wear thicker socks.
- These are my second favorite pair of hiking boots, they would have worked perfect for this trip because they are breathable yet waterproof. I have noticed I am not able to wear very thick socks with these, which is why I usually only wear these in the summer months. These are also grippy for slippery situations.
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HIKE - Beaver Marsh Loop (2 miles)
- We started this trail at Stoney Point Road and did it counterclockwise, which I recommend. I'm not going to lie, that was the most boring part of the hike and I was glad we did it first. Once you get through the first portion, you get some pretty awesome views of Beaver Marsh. There is also a water front portion where you are walking on the beach. They say this area floods at high tide, so plan accordingly and make sure you do it during low tide. Overall, this is an easy hike with very minor hills.
RELAX - North East Beach
- If it's warm outside, I highly recommend checking out North East Beach! It is busy, but we were surprised by how nice it was. With amazing views, you can't really go wrong.
- WATERPROOF SANDALS
- These shoes are so easy to slip on and off. They are water proof. They are so comfortable. You can thank me later!
SUNDAY - hike, head home
HIKE - Turkey Point Lighthouse (.8 miles)
- This is such an easy hike and it's only .8 miles. You HAVE to see the lighthouse when you go to Elk Neck. If you don't go to North East Beach Saturday, you can alway go to Turkey Point instead! It offers great sunset views as it overlooks the Chesapeake Bay. You are able to go inside the historic lighthouse, which is such a fun experience.
You can also do this hike a sunset to see some really great views!
- CAMERA
- I got this camera because all of the many hours of research I did said this one was one of the best for beginners. Whether you plan to just take pictures, or want to use it for videography, this camera is great for beginners. I absolutely love it! It was definitely a learning curve, but nothing YouTube can't help with! I bought the package that came with the RF 18-45mm lens, which works great for me!
MUST HAVES - ITEMS I ALWAYS BRING/ WEAR CAMPING
- BOOTS
- These Columbia boots are my absolute favorite boots on long hikes. They are grippy in slippery situations and waterproof. They are also great in colder weather because I am able to wear thicker socks.
- These are my second favorite pair of hiking boots, they would have worked perfect for this trip because they are breathable yet waterproof. I have noticed I am not able to wear very thick socks with these, which is why I usually only wear these in the summer months. These are also grippy for slippery situations.
- CARHARTT VEST
- This Carhartt vest is something I am always wearing camping or when I am outside doing yard work. It's warm, yet you can still move freely.
- WATERPROOF SANDALS
- These shoes are so easy to slip on and off. They are water proof. They are so comfortable. You can thank me later!
- SPANDEX SHORTS
- I wear these to run a lot and they do NOT ride up as I'm running, which is honestly really hard to find. they are also extremely affordable.
- CAMERA
- I got this camera because all of the many hours of research I did said this one was one of the best for beginners. Whether you plan to just take pictures, or want to use it for videography, this camera is great for beginners. I absolutely love it! It was definitely a learning curve, but nothing YouTube can't help with! I bought the package that came with the RF 18-45mm lens, which works great for me!
- BLACKSTONE GRILL
- My parents got us a Blackstone grill about 4 years ago when we first started our camping journey, and let me just say.. GAME CHANGER. It is so easy and so convenient. I love cooking over the fire, but sometimes, especially in the morning, you just don't usually have time to wait for the fire to heat up and get to the most perfect temperature. The Blackstone has helped me out tremendously and has made cooking while camping less stressful.
- We have the 17" tabletop Blackstone, which is perfect for the two of us. Even if we had a couple kids, I don't see us needing to upgrade. I love the tabletop Blackstone because we can easily store it away in the camper when we are done, and get it out and set it on the table when we need it. They only make the 17" and the 22" in tabletop versions, which I linked below.
- Since we keep the Blackstone in the camper, we bought a cover for it because let's be real here, it gets greasy. The cover is extremely easy to get on and off the grill. I actually have some space in there to keep a few extra things in there as well.
- To use the Blackstone, you just need propane. I use a propane adapter since I have a propane line on my camper. However, you can also use propane tanks which you can buy anywhere! I linked both options below.
- A couple things that I always use while using the Blackstone are the plastic squeeze bottles and the extra long spatulas. The squeeze bottles are great for filling with oil and just leaving with your camping gear. You never have to worry about brining oil that way. The extra long spatulas are so useful for your basic grilling needs. I also keep this with all of my camping gear. The less you have to remember to bring, the better!
I earn a small commission if you use these links I greatly appreciate your support!