Backyard Road Trip – Maryland Light Houses
Backyard Road Trip – Maryland Light House Tour
As Maryland is slowly emerging from the State wide lock down and loosens the Stay at Home Orders, a lot of us are itching to do something now. If you live in the DMV (District of Columbia , Maryland, Virginia ) consider taking a Backyard Road Trip around Maryland’s scenic coastline.
One of Maryland’s best kept secrets are its historic Lighthouses and many are within a couple hour drive from the DC Metro area. Their beauty can be observed at a distance and without risking breaking any social distancing recommendations.
Take advantage of the spring weather, pack the kids up, roll down the windows, and breathe in the fresh air, taking in the glorious natural beauty Maryland’s Historic Lighthouses have to offer. With any good road trip, it’s more about enhancing your bond and creating memories than it is about the destination.
These lighthouses were originally built as beacons to guide sailors to safe harbor. The allure of lighthouses still draw many of us to them. Dozens of these graceful structures remain in Maryland. Begin your lighthouse tour with these beautiful historic beacons and enjoy the surrounding nature and vistas of the Chesapeake region.
There are fourteen active lights in the state, as well as three automated caissons and eleven skeleton towers replacing previously manned lights.
The first lighthouse in the state was lit in 1822 and the last in 1965 (ignoring automated towers erected later); the oldest surviving structure is the Pooles Island Light and the oldest still active is the Cove Point Light. The tallest extant tower is the Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear Light, according to Wikipedia.
The Lighthouses below are considered by most to be Maryland’s must see Lighthouses. All easily accessible to be viewed by car.
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Photo credit: Alvin Matthews
1. Cove Point Lighthouse
Cove Point Lighthouse is located in Calvert County along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, four miles north of the mouth of the Patuxent River. The lighthouse was built in 1828 to mark the shoal that extends outwards from the scenic point of land toward the shipping channel in the Bay.
Not only can you tour this lighthouse, but you can also rent one of the two renovated rental units in the keeper’s quarters that include all the modern amenities and beach access. Stay at this unique historic lighthouse and spend your day playing on the bay. Learn More
2. Drum Point Lighthouse
Today, Drum Point Lighthouse sits at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, but that wasn’t always the case. Built in the water off Drum Point in 1883, the lighthouse is one of three screwpile cottage-type lighthouse left on the Chesapeake Bay. At one time, there were 45 such lighthouses! Decommissioned in 1962, the lighthouse was moved to the museum in 1975 and restored. It is open for tours, weather permitting, when the museum is open.
Visitors to the Calvert Marine Museum can climb inside this 46-foot-tall structure and see the preserved innkeeper’s quarters. The museum also offers boat tours of neighboring lighthouses.
(currently under renovation check website before visiting) Learn More
3. Choptank River Lighthouse
This is a replica of a historic lighthouse located in Cambridge that once guided mariners along the Choptank River. The lighthouse features a mini-museum and visitor information. From May-October, the lighthouse is open daily, 9am-6pm for free self-guided tours. Volunteers serving as “lighthouse keepers” will be on duty Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to answer any questions. In the off season (November-April), the lighthouse is open by appointment (call 410-463-2653). Learn More
4. Fort Washington Lighthouse
This 1870 lighthouse is on the grounds of Fort Washington Park outside Washington, D.C., and is still used as a navigational aid today. Visit the historic lighthouse and fort, then enjoy a picnic or a day fishing. Learn More
5. Concord Point Lighthouse
A National Register historic site, this Havre de Grace beacon is made of Port Deposit granite and has withstood the tests of time – it is the oldest lighthouse in Maryland still open for public visits.Learn More
6. Hooper Strait Lighthouse
Originally built in 1879, today this lighthouse is located on the grounds of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels. Visitors can climb inside the hands-on exhibits or participate in the museum’s Lighthouse Overnight Program, which allows guests to live the life of a lighthouse keeper. Learn More
7. Piney Point Lighthouse
Climb the oldest lighthouse on the Potomac (constructed in 1836), see historic boats and maritime history in the museum, learn about the U1105 Historic Shipwreck Dive Preserve, stroll the beach, paddle about in your kayak & enjoy great panoramic views, 6 acres of park, pier & more. Learn More
8. Turkey Point Lighthouse
The lighthouse sits atop a 100-foot bluff and offers stunning views of the crown of the Chesapeake Bay. Still an active navigation beacon, Turkey Point is in beautiful. You can hike the 1.9 mile trail out and back, located near North East, Maryland that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leashElk Neck State Park Learn More
9. Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse
The last of the classic Chesapeake screwpile lighthouses still in its original location, Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse is perhaps the most recognizable and beloved landmarks on the bay. Accessible only by boat and staffed by volunteer docents, Thomas Point is on the National Register Historic Places. Learn More
10. Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse
Located in the heart of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, this lighthouse is part of Historic Ships in Baltimore. Fascinating exhibits provide a great window into history. Learn More
11. Cove Point Lighthouse
Haunted Lighthouse
Point Look Out Lighthouse
Are you into Ghost Hunting or a Civil War buff? Then this last light house on the list is a Bonus ! It is touted as one of, if not the most haunted places in Maryland.
For over 350 years, humans have massacred, imprisoned, tortured and starved one another. Add shipwreck, fire, famine, disease and war, and the stage is set for ghostly encounters.
Point Look Out began as a resort for the wealthy elite located just south into the Potomac where the river meets the Chesapeake Bay. During the Civil War, it was quickly converted into a military hospital. After the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, the Union established a prisoner-of-war camp at the site. By the end of the war, more than 50,000 Confederate prisoners had passed through Point Lookout’s gates, making it the largest prisoner of war facility in the north. The soldiers who died at the prison camp are now buried at Point Lookout Confederate Cemetery located north of the historic prison. Two memorials stand commemorating the Confederate soldiers buried in a mass grave at the cemetery.
Adding to its legendary Status, Point Look Out was also a stop along the Underground Rail Road.
https://dnr.maryland.gov/Pages/Spirits-of-Point-Lookout.aspx
