Exploring the Great Outdoors: Finding Peace, Space, and Beauty in Eastern Neck

By Jonathan Linderman

Elm Staff Writer

One frigid February Fri- day, my friends and I decided to visit the local wildlife pre- serve, Eastern Neck.

Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge is less than a 20 mile drive from College.
Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge is less than a 20 mile drive from College.

Located in Rock Hall, the park encompasses most of the 3.571 square mile island. From the campus, it is a 30 minute trip passing through Edesville.

Arriving through the back- roads, you can instantly feel the cold wind brush through your hair.

If you keep on driving, you will find a welcome center that looks well-kept on the outside. It was closed for us though, so we had to resort to the first trail. On that trail, you can find a humble dirt path that shows signs of few human interference. The trees, while still dead from the winter, reach almost 60 feet into the sky.

Considering my home in Connecticut, and that my lo- cal trees aren’t older than 60 years, seeing these trees at

Eastern Neck had me star- struck. I can only imagine this place in May or autumn. The trail is short and leads you back in a circle to where the gravel parking lot is.

Continuing on the island, you can find a smaller island branching out from a long wooden bridge. With the sun barely beaming through the heavy clouds, it created a beautiful sight of the island from the beginning of the bridge. Needless to say, the shot made all our Instagrams’.

You don’t have to travel far to experience vast, open, natural landscapes.
You don’t have to travel far to experience vast, open, natural landscapes.

The island itself was even more tranquil than our previ- ous trail, and overlooked the Chesapeake Bay. If you were to visit Eastern Neck at all, I would definitely recommend checking out the smaller is- land. At the end of our visit, we visited a small dock near the entrance of the reserve. Although not much, you could see miles of leftover hunting supplies from previ- ous seasons. Definitely a nice view to end the trip.

I would recommend this place to anyone who wishes to start hiking as a hobby. There aren’t a lot of people around,

so no one can pressure you to walk the extra five miles or anything that might be too much. You can definitely spend hours here alone, read- ing a book or enjoying the outside.

Technically, we visited the island in reverse order, so a newcomer would see the dock first. We believe that the prime month to visit Eastern Neck would be April, when the tem- perature is warm enough, but not humid and hot. The trees will also have most of their leaves back, and the water won’t be freezing. I know for a fact that my group of friends and I will re-visit this area when it becomes warmer.

Out of everything, I would give Eastern Neck a solid recommendation. If you’re looking for a thrill, however, I would suggest elsewhere. Otherwise, feel free to stop by and enjoy an easy and relaxing view of the Chesapeake.

If you want to learn more about Eastern Neck or see it for yourself, visit their website https://www.fws.gov/refuge/ eastern_neck/

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