Maryland is home to some of the most fascinating lighthouses on the East Coast, and this road trip takes you from busy harbor waterfronts to remote points of land overlooking the Chesapeake Bay.
Along the way, you’ll discover historic beacons that have guided sailors for generations, walk through restored keeper’s quarters, and uncover stories of ship captains, storms, and life on the water.
Whether you love history, scenic views, photography, or simply finding unique places to explore, this Maryland lighthouse road trip is packed with memorable stops that prove these iconic structures are far more than just pretty landmarks.
1. Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse
Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse sits at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, where this bright red screw-pile lighthouse now stands on land after originally guiding ships in the Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay.
Built in 1855 at the mouth of the Patapsco River, it is one of the oldest surviving screw-pile lighthouses in Maryland and was moved to Baltimore in 1988 to save it from deterioration and demolition.
You can walk through the restored lighthouse, explore exhibits about Chesapeake Bay navigation, and see historic artifacts that tell the story of Maryland’s maritime past.
One of the coolest facts is that the lighthouse once stood over open water on iron screw piles, giving you a close-up look at a unique engineering design that helped protect sailors for more than a century.
2. Concord Point Lighthouse
From Baltimore, it’s about a 50-minute drive to Havre de Grace, where Concord Point Lighthouse stands at the spot where the Susquehanna River meets the Chesapeake Bay.
Built in 1827, it is the second-oldest lighthouse in Maryland still open to the public and rises 36 feet tall from a stone keeper’s house that has become one of the town’s most recognizable landmarks.
You can climb the narrow spiral staircase to the top for sweeping views of the bay, river, Concord Point Park, and passing boats that travel through this busy waterway.
Keep an eye out for the nearby Keeper’s House Museum and the lighthouse grounds, where plaques, historic markers, and waterfront walking paths share stories about the lighthouse’s role in guiding mariners for nearly two centuries.
3. Turkey Point Lighthouse
Keep following the Chesapeake Bay shoreline and you’ll reach Turkey Point Lighthouse, perched on a 100-foot-high bluff inside Elk Neck State Park.
First lit in 1833, this white lighthouse marks one of the bay’s most dramatic locations, with steep cliffs dropping toward the water and panoramic views stretching for miles across the Chesapeake.
Getting here is part of the adventure, since the lighthouse sits at the end of the Turkey Point Trail, a roughly 2-mile round-trip hike that winds through forests and open meadows before reaching the overlook.
While the lighthouse is only open during limited seasonal tour hours, the surrounding trails, birdwatching opportunities, and incredible sunsets make this one of the most photogenic lighthouse stops on any Maryland road trip.
4. Choptank River Lighthouse
After the clifftop views at Turkey Point, switch gears and head to Cambridge, where the Choptank River Lighthouse stands right on the waterfront along the Choptank River at Long Wharf Park.
Unlike many historic lighthouses on this road trip, this structure is a full-scale 2012 replica of the 1871 Choptank River Lighthouse, a screwpile lighthouse that once guided vessels through the river before being destroyed by ice in 1918.
You can tour the interior rooms, explore exhibits about lighthouse keepers and Chesapeake Bay maritime life, and see how families lived and worked in these unique over-water stations.
The lighthouse’s wooden walkway, bright red roof, and location above the river make it one of Maryland’s most distinctive lighthouse experiences, especially when boats are passing by and the sunset reflects across the wide Choptank River.
5. Hooper Strait Lighthouse
Less than 40 minutes from Choptank River Lighthouse, the Hooper Strait Lighthouse is one of the standout attractions at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels.
Built in 1879 in the middle of Hooper Strait between Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Hooper Island, this screw-pile lighthouse was moved to the museum in 1966, making it one of the few surviving screw-pile lighthouses that you can actually walk through in Maryland.
Inside, you’ll find restored keeper’s quarters, period furnishings, and exhibits that show what daily life was like for lighthouse keepers who spent months living above the bay’s choppy waters.
The lighthouse stands over the water on iron piles just as it did in its original location, giving you a rare chance to see the engineering up close while enjoying views of St. Michaels Harbor and the Miles River.
6. Cove Point Lighthouse
About a 2-hour drive from the Hooper Strait Lighthouse, Cove Point Lighthouse is located on a narrow point of land where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay near Lusby.
First lit in 1828, this is one of the oldest continuously operating lighthouses on the Chesapeake Bay, and its 51-foot white tower has guided mariners for nearly two centuries.
You can tour the lighthouse grounds on select days, walk past the historic keeper’s houses, and enjoy incredible views of the bay from one of the most scenic lighthouse settings in the state.
7. Piney Point Lighthouse
Continue south along the Chesapeake Bay and you’ll arrive at Piney Point Lighthouse, located on a scenic bluff overlooking the Potomac River near its meeting point with the bay in St. Mary’s County.
Built in 1836, this 35-foot lighthouse is one of the oldest standing lighthouses on the Potomac River and served as an important navigational aid for ships traveling between Washington, D.C., and the Chesapeake.
Today, you can climb the tower, tour the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum, and explore exhibits featuring shipwreck artifacts, maritime history displays, and stories from the region’s lighthouse keepers.
The grounds also include a historic keeper’s house and riverfront walking areas, giving you a mix of lighthouse history and maritime heritage in one stop.
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