Elk Neck Peninsula

Elk Neck Peninsula is in

Cecil County, Maryland Cecil County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland at the northeastern corner of the state, bordering both Pennsylvania and Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,725. The county seat is Elkton. The county was n ...

, between the towns of Elkton and

North East, Maryland North East is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, Cecil County, Maryland, United States. It is located between Philadelphia and Baltimore. The population was 3,572 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The Turkey Point Light, Turkey Point L ...

. Native American and colonial travelers often canoed or sailed up the Chesapeake Bay to Elkton, where the Elk River became unnavigable, and then walked or took some form of surface transportation to the Delaware Bay watershed, since this was the shortest surface crossing. Native Americans of the area, including the

Nanticoke Nanticoke may refer to: * Nanticoke people in Delaware, United States * Nanticoke language, an Algonquian language * Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape, a state-recognized tribe in New Jersey Place names Canada * Nanticoke, Ontario ** Nanticoke Generating S ...

and

Lenni Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...

, hunted and fished, as well as established semi-permanent camps.

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 l ...

includes the southern tip of the peninsula, bounded by the

North East River The Northeast River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Entirely tidal, it extends for about U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 from the town of ...

, Elk River, as well as the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland Route 272 ends at the point of the peninsula, with the famous

Turkey Point Light The Turkey Point Light is a historic lighthouse at the head of the Chesapeake Bay. Although only a tower, the height of the bluffs on which it stands makes it the third highest light off the water in the bay. It is also known for the large numbe ...

. Much of the peninsula's land is legally protected from development, either as part of the state park or as part of Elk Neck State Forest. Deep forests, bluffs, beaches and marshlands are the primary natural features of the park's landscape. {{coord, 39, 29, 57.38, N, 75, 58, 1.29, W, type:landmark_region:US-MD, display=title Landforms of Cecil County, Maryland Peninsulas of Maryland