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Best Lighthouses Around Baltimore

If you're looking for a couple of hours' getaway from the city life, try discovering some of the old Maryland lighthouses. Most of them carry more than a century of history in the Chesapeake Bay area. You'll not only discover parts of the state that you might not have known, but also witness beautiful and very relaxing sites. - Roxana Bardan
The Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse
(credit: historicships.org)

Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse

201 E Baltimore St.,
Baltimore, MD
(410) 396-3453
www.historicships.org

Located on the Inner Harbor waterfront, the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse is a Baltimore landmark, impressing through its history that goes back to 1855. Built entirely of iron, in a circular design, the lighthouse is famed for its barn red color. Maryland's oldest screw-pile lighthouse is open to the public and it's a locals and visitors' favorite to watch the sunset from the harbor. Check website for more.

Sandy Point Shoal
(credit: dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/Southern/sandypoint.asp)

Sandy Point Shoal

1100 East College Parkway,
Annapolis MD 21409
(410) 974-2149
www.dnr.state.md.us

Located on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay, one and a half miles north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the Sandy Point Shoal can be seen from the shore of Sandy Point State Park. The lighthouse was built in 1883 to replace an older light facility located on the place where the state park is now. While it can be seen from the main park road, the lighthouse is not open to the public.

Cove Point Lighthouse
(credit: calvertmarinemuseum.com/cove_point.htm)

Cove Point Lighthouse

Calvert Marine Museum
14200 Solomons Island Road,
Solomons, MD 20688
(410) 326-2042
www.calvertmarinemuseum.com

A historic and well-preserved light station, manned as late as 1986, the Cove Point Lighthouse is located in Calvert County, at the end of MD 497. The site is a private community and it's generally closed, but opens in the summer afternoons. The lighthouse is still active, but only the base of the tower is open to the public. Check website for information on fees and hours of operations.

Bloody Point Bar
(credit: lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=427)

Bloody Point Bar

Located roughly 1.2 miles west of Kent Point, the southern end of Kent Island
www.lighthousefriends.com

Located in beautiful Queen Anne's County, just off the southern tip of Kent Island, the Bloody Point Bar is also known as the "coffee pot." Its interior was gutted by fire in 1960, but was restored later in 1988. However, the lighthouse still needs thorough restoration. The site, only accessible by boat, is currently closed.

Craighill Channel Lower Rear Lighthouse
(credit: lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=415)

Craighill Channel Lower Rear Lighthouse

Located just off the southern end of Hart Island, offshore from Ramona Beach
www.lighthousefriends.com

The Craighill Channel Lower Rear Lighthouse got its name after William Price Craighill, a key figure on the Lighthouse Board in the 19th century, who supervised the engineering surveys of the channel. The lighthouse is located in the Chesapeake Bay just east of Ramona Beach and about three miles northeast of Fort Howard. The site is only accessible by boat, and while active, it is not open to the public.

Craighill Channel Lower Front
(credit: lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=416)

Craighill Channel Lower Front

Location: 2.4 miles south of the Craighill Channel Lower Rear Range Light, and about two miles offshore from North Point State
www.lighthousefriends.com

One of the four Craighill Channel lighthouses, the Craighill Channel Lower Front is best viewed from the water, but a distant view is possible from North Point State Park. The lighthouse was constructed in 1873, and was automated in 1963. Check website for more.

Craghill Channel Upper Range Light Rear
(credit: lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=418)

Craghill Channel Upper Range Light Rear

Location: on the western side of Old Road Bay, roughly 1.5 miles north northwest of the associated front range light.
cblights.com

Owned by the Coast Guard, the Craighill Channel Upper Range Light Rear, the lighthouse is best seen from the water as the access to the tower is restricted by a steel mill. The lighthouse is mostly recognizable by its striking red and white bands, and its molded brick arches. See website for more on its history.

Craighill Channel Upper Front
(credit: lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=417)

Craighill Channel Upper Front

Location: just offshore from Fort Howard
www.lighthousefriends.com

The front light of the Craighill Channel sits upon the foundations of the earlier old North Point lighthouse, and it's mostly recognizable by its red and white brick. Like its companion light, the Craghill Channel Upper Rear, it was fully automated in 1929. See website to learn more about the light.

Thomas Point Lighthouse
(credit: thomaspointlighthouse.org)

Thomas Point Lighthouse

Location: one and a half miles off Thomas Point, at the mouth of the South River
(410) 222-7317
www.thomaspointlighthouse.org

The Thomas Point Lighthouse is best seen from the water, but it is also visible from Thomas Point Park. The beautiful lighthouse is preserved through "a public-private partnership for our maritime heritage," committed to keep it active for the future generations. To learn more about the shoal, including its history and about the possibility for hearing wedding bells at the lighthouse, check out the website.

Turkey Point
(credit: lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=413)

Turkey Point Lighthouse

Location: at the southern end of Elk Neck State Park, on a high bluff overlooking the head of Chesapeake Bay
www.lighthousefriends.com

The lighthouse was originally built to work in concert with Concord Point and Pooles Island lighthouses, and started its operation in 1833. Through time, the lighthouse has been distinguished by a numbered of tenured female keepers, who also kept a vegetable garden around. The lighthouse is open Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., late April through mid November. Check website for more.

Hooper Strait Lighthouse
(credit: cbmm.org/v_lighthouse.htm)

Hooper Strait Lighthouse

213 N. Talbot St.,
St. Michaels, MD 21663
(410) 745-2916
www.cbmm.org

Just over a mile in width, Hooper Strait is a passage connecting the Chesapeake Bay with Tangier Sound. The 1879 lighthouse is the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum's most famed and recognizable exhibit, offering incredible programs like overnight adventures and unique dinners. Check website for more.

Piney Point
(credit: lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=437)

Piney Point Lighthouse

(301) 994-1471
www.lighthousefriends.com/

Just 14 miles up the Potomac River from the Chesapeake Bay, the Piney Point Lighthouse is located on the Maryland shore of the river. The Piney Point Lighthouse grounds are open daily during daylight hours, while the nearby Piney Point Lighthouse Museum is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from mid-April through September. Check website for more.

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