A Great Hike In Elk Neck State Park Maryland Until I Took A Tumble

When I awoke early Saturday morning  in Havre de Grace my mind was focused on where I was going to hike and what I was going to see  near the Chesapeake Bay that day. . Little did I know how different my world would be when I retired that evening.  There are no guarantees  in life and everyday is an adventure. When I left my apartment at the Vandiver Inn I  knew I was going to hike somewhere  across the bay from Havre de Grace, in either the Elk Neck State Park or the Elk Neck State Forest.  I was hoping to catch  the sunrise along the way but I wasn’t able to find a good location to observe it. I drove across the Susquehanna River and through the quaint town of Northeast. I continued another  10 miles through rural Marylad before I finally  decided to drive to  Elk Park State Park.

I drove the winding road to the entrance to a famous lighthouse with an overlook but found the gate to the parking lot was closed and didn’t open until 9 am. I drove back toward the Elk Neck State Forest and saw the trail head for the Beaver Marsh Loop Trail in the State Park and decided to hike there.

I entered the trail and found a woodland with scattered and towering sweet gum, American beech,

mulberry and tulip trees.

 it was still dark in the shade of the ancient trees. New York ferns were growing along the path at the beginning of the trail.

Young paw paw trees were also growing everywhere under the larger trees.

However invasive Japanese stilt grass soon took over and covered the ground along the trail killing the native plants, mushrooms and wildflowers. These nuisance species had taken over many of the parks and forest near my home in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  It has even overtaken a beautiful patch of cinnamon ferns on my property.

The stilt grass also kept the young paw paw trees from sprouting. I continued through the woodlands seeing a few ancient blank cherry trees. The sun continued to rise lighting up the woodlands .

It was very quiet. I heard no birds in the woodlands. The only living creature I saw was this daddy long legs or an eastern harvestmen. It is not a spider but actually an ancient species of arachnid.

I continued on the trail,

seeing many unripe  fruits on the paw paw trees along the trail.

Then I smelled the wonderful aroma of ripe paw paw fruit and found a tree were some had ripened and fallen to the ground.  I ate a few of these delicious fruits.    The flavor is unique like banana, mango pineapple custard.   They bruise easily and spoil just as quick so are not sold in supermarkets. I gathered a few more  to take home and share with family and friends.

After about a mile the trail intersected with a larger trail near the bay.,

I followed it a short distance and found this beautiful cove.

A great blue heron

and a flock  of Canada geese.

were on the sandy beach,

but the great blue heron flew off as I approached.

The beach was impassible during high tide, but the tide was low enough for me  walk across along the wetlands and beaver marsh .

I paused to take in beautiful and peaceful view of the Chesapeake Bay. A few boats and sail boats were already on the waters.

I imagined the Native Americans who lived here, and the first explores and settlers who also took in this  awe inspiring sight.

As I enjoyed the tranquil scene I watched a few double crested cormorants,

and an osprey trying to catch a fish,

then shaking the water from its dive off of its wings as it soared off over the bay.,

And I was delighted to see a juvenile bald eagle fly overhead.

I had a little trouble finding the trail on the other side of the beach ,

but eventually found it and hiked up ridge through another woodland with ancient trees, including some more familiar chestnut oak trees, black tupelo trees and more sweet gum trees, with their unique fruits.

I saw a few birds here, great crested flycatchers in the tree tops, and

a flock of tufted titmice closer to the ground,

this one feeding on a spotted lantern fly.

The rising sun illuminated the woodland as I followed the trail up the ridge. I soon came to another familiar sight, mountain laurel was growing along the trail. It made me feel more at home as I followed the trail up a ridge above the beaver swamp. The trail also became more difficult to walk on because of the mountain Laurel roots.

There was an overlook of the swamp below. I was now level with the tree tops and stopped when a heard and saw a flock of eastern wood pee wees. There were over a dozen of these birds feeding in the tree tops, which were now at my level on the overlook above on the ridge.

And, as I often observe, different species of birds feed together. I stood on the ridge for almost an hour and saw this chestnut sided warbler,

a flock  of Carolina chickadees,

a few  northern cardinals,

a magnolia warbler,

a white breasted nuthartch

and a smallflock of black and white warblers.

I had heard a few of them on my hike, and one of them, a pileated woodpecker landed on a tree right along the trail.

I love seeing these large woodpeckers on my hikes in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the birds I saw on my 4 mile  hike. Elk Neck State Park birds August 31 2025.

I could have spent the entire morning here but decided to move on. The trail took me through groves of large mountain laurel shrubs as it continued to climb up the ridge.

It took me to the camping area and some nice camp sites where I would love to spend the night someday.

I saw mushrooms on the trail, I believe these are ringless honey mushrooms.

I was surprised to find this egg shell on the trail and I am not sure what bird would be nesting this late in the Summer.

The trail soon split, with one path heading back to the trail near, and ,the other, the White Banks Trail,  going back down the ridge along the other side of the Beaver Marsh . I should have headed back up to my Jeep.

Instead I walked down the ridge above the Beaver marsh  through more groves of laurel shrubs. 

Laurel shrubs have roots and, as I was walking, too quickly, down a steep trail, I tripped on a root and was, literally,airborne. I knew  I was it wasn’t good when I hit the ground. My glasses flew off and I had dirt in my mouth. My arms and shoulders, especially my right one took the brunt of the impact. I knew it was injured, either broken or torn.  My first reaction was to reach for my phone in case I had to call 911.  I was still out about  2 miles. I got up, a little dazed, and, as long as I didn’t move it,  my arm wasn’t in severe pain.  I walked down the ridge. It wasn’t a pleasant walk. I knew I’d have to get to an emergency room or urgent care center.

The first part of the trail was still steep and  covered in roots so I walked slowly. I did manage to take a few photos.  I was relieved to get to the cove on the Chesapeake Bay where I now encountered some  other hikers. 

I didn’t follow the trail  through the woodlands back to my Jeep, instead I walked up the access road for about another mile.

It would have been a nice walk on the little used road if I hadn’t injured my shoulder. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more from  my 4 mile  hike. Elk Neck State Park  August 31 2025.

I got back to my Jeep around noon. There was not a lot of pain in the shoulder and I thought maybe it wasn’t to bad of an injury. I decided to have lunch in the quaint town of Northeast at Woody’s Crab House.

I had another bowl of hearty Maryland crab soup and,

and interesting Cajun catfish Po Bo. It was la large serving and I only was able to eat half, taking the rest to go. As I was starting to drive back to my apartment I moved my right shoulder the wrong way and immediately felt a sharp pain followed my muscles spasms.  I knew I had to have it looked at and found the nearest  Urgent Care Center was near my apartment in Havre de Grace. I drove there and found itwas  closed.

There was another Urgent Care Center in the town Aberdeen about five miles from Havre de Grace.   I drove there, and when I arrived  I was  advised they had no x-ray technician on duty.  I now drove to a Patient First facility , about 5 miles away. Here I  was greeted by a wonderful, professional staff.  X rays were taken and I learned nothing looked broken. I was told it could be a sprain, strain , a dislocation or a tear and given a dose of steroids and a sling. I had my own pain medications which I was told to take to relieve the pain.

After my visit to the urgent care center I returned to my apartment and took the first high dose of steroids and some pain meds. I actuallt felt good editeding  photos and worked on my blog. I ate the left over soup from the Japanese restaurant an. 1/2 of my catfish Po Bo for dinner in the modern kitchen in my apartment . I had hoped to eat at the fine restaurant I ate last year, the Vintage Cafe . It was another one of the many plans that didn’t turn out on this trip. I fell asleep as  the steroids and pain meds took effect.  I wasn’t sure how bad my shoulder was injured, but it wasn’t good. However I still enjoyed being on the road. I loved Havew de Grace and the Chesapeake Bay.  I still hoped to hike in the morning before I picked up the steamed blue crabs for my nephew’s party. I dozed off listening to the trains crossing the bridge over the Susquehanna. I slept well , the sterioids and meds worked

“Time, whose millioned accidents creep in betwixt vows, and change decrees of kings, tan sacred beauty, blunt the sharpest intents, divert strong minds to the course of altering things.” William Shakespeare

“The best laid schemes of mice and men / Go often awry”. Robert Burn

The Bay and its rivers are part of the lifeblood of the earth.” —Nelse Greenway,