Big Tree Driving Tour

Cecil County is blessed with many big trees; some are even State Champion trees. Most are either privately owned or require some walking to visit. There are 17 trees of different species that can be visited or at least seen without getting out of the car. Most are on public lands. Some are in cemeteries which are privately owned but the owners allow visitors. Please be respectful of these locations. One tree is on school grounds; it is best not to visit during school hours; or if you do visit during that time, please stay in your car.

For our purposes the tour starts in Perryville at Rodgers Tavern (lower left-hand corner). It heads east along MD 7 to North East; then to Elkton; then north to Fair Hill; next west to Calvert and ending in Rising Sun. You can begin the tour anywhere along the route and visit as many trees as you have time.

BT-2073 Rodgers Tavern Museum Willow Oak – Cecil County Champion

333 points

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Historic tavern visited several times by George Washington. Tree likely planted in 1940’s to mark the bicentennial celebration of the tavern’s founding. Picnic table nearby. Museum open by request. This is a native tree.

BT-2539 Principio Furnace Foundation Common Persimmon – Cecil County Champion

156 points.

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The Principio Furnace was one of the first blast furnaces in North America, established in 1723. The area surrounding the Mansion is not open to the public due to safety concerns, but the Mansion House itself is open for tours upon request and the mowed yard where grows the persimmon is also open to the public. Off-road parking is available.

BT-1495 North East Middle School Siberian Elm

233 points

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This is not a native species. It was widely planted in the United States to replace the American elms which were devastated by the Dutch elm disease that killed most of the native elms during mid-century 1900’s. It is believed this tree was gifted to the school by a graduating class of unknown year.

Map of Elkton Big Trees – 6 trees – Start near Acme Markets, left center

BT-1693 Cordish Company Bitternut Hickory – Maryland State co-Champion

295 points

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Since this photo was taken, tree has been struck twice by lightning and has lost a large branch. It is on private property, although the owners have given permission to have it listed as “public access”.

Please do not drive onto the property. Tree can be viewed from the Acme Markets parking lot. Tree is a native species; it was likely planted at this location as it is usually naturally found on lower slopes near water. It is the tallest tree in Elkton at 119’.

BT-2241 Eastern Cottonwood – Cecil County Champion

275 points

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Tree is located in Mariner Park near gravel road 300 yards behind the Goodwill store and 200 yards from the Big Elk Creek on the south edge of the mowed area. This is a native tree more commonly found west of the Chesapeake Bay where examples can get quite large—over 400 points. The Maryland Big Tree Program only has two examples registered east of the Bay—this one in Cecil and one in Wicomico County. One can speculate that seeds from a tree in Pennsylvania may have washed down the Creek and been deposited in this area during a flood.

BT-0535 Elkton Cemetery Weeping European Beech – Maryland State Champion

233 points

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This tree is located in the cemetery along an access road parallel to Howard Street in the center of the cemetery. It has a huge cavity in the trunk 3’ above ground. It is a non-native species. We know nothing about its history except it has been a registered big tree since at least 1990 and has been the State Champion for that entire time.

BT-3665 Meadow Park West River Birch – Cecil County Champion

243 points

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This tree is located in Meadow Park West on the west end of the paved hiking/biking/vehicular traffic loop 30’ south of the playground and 40’ east of the pavilion. It is a native species that likely was living when the park was created. There is a smaller example nearby along the Big Elk Creek. It is within the top 5 largest examples in Maryland.

BT-3664 McKinney Park Eastern White Pine

249 points

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This tree is located in J. Evans McKinney Memorial Park across Delaware Avenue from the river birch near the fenced dog park. It is the second largest example in Cecil; the county champion is at Fair Hill but is not easily accessible. Those are poison ivy vines on the trunk; we do not advise hugging this tree. The circumference was reduced by 6” to compensate for the vines. Eastern white pines are usually not considered native to Cecil County; however, they are widely planted as these were. Nearby is a grove of planted baldcypress that are almost large enough to qualify for the Maryland Big Tree Program.

BT-3663 McKinney Park Boxelder - Cecil County Champion

226 points

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This tree is located in J. Evans McKinney Park 100 yards east of Delaware Avenue and 30 yards north of the fenced dog park in a field on the edge of the woods. Boxelder is a native maple species typically found on the edge of wooded areas in wet locations. It has no timber value and is not considered suitable for planting in public parks or on private lands. It is short-lived and rarely grows in a form pleasing to the eye. It will rapidly colonize wet disturbed areas. This tree is currently within the top 5 examples in Maryland.

Fair Hill Trees – There are 32 registered Maryland Big Trees at Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area. Unfortunately only 3 can be seen from a road on a driving tour.

BT-1461 Fair Hill NRMA Black Gum

227 points

N39.68682 W7584116

This tree is located in a field ½ mile south of the Gallaher Road parking lot on the west side 100’ from road. There is no pull-out area, so be careful of traffic. The tree lost its top a number of years ago and a lower branch in the crown has grown upward to replace the missing leader. Cecil County has 6 registered black gums; this is the only one that does not require a substantial walk to view.

BT-1697 Fair Hill NRMA Pendant Silver Linden - Maryland State Champion

238 points

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This non-native tree is located 12’ from MD 273 on the south bank across road from an unoccupied farm house near Entrance Road #3. It was presumably planted by the DuPont family who donated the land which now forms the NRMA. It has been the State Champion since 2005.

BT-3667 Fair Hill NRMA Umbrella Magnolia – Cecil County Champion

75 points

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This tree is located on the south side of MD 273 just west of Entrance #3, and 40’ SE of the silver linden. It is presumed to have been planted by the DuPont family. It is a native species which seems to become more common in Maryland. The leaf the volunteer is holding is 23” long—hence the name “umbrella” magnolia.

Calvert Trees – intersection of MD 272 and Brick Meetinghouse Road

BT-3966 Calvert Regional Park Pin Oak

247 points

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This tree is located 70’ north of the boardwalk in the NW corner of the park and 10’ south of an unnamed stream that is part of the headwaters of the Little Northeast Creek. It is the second largest example in Cecil. There is no direct access to the tree. It can be seen from either the east or west parking areas—the boardwalk transverses the two lots. It is taller than any of the surrounding trees—many of which are smaller pin oaks—possible progeny from this tree. It is a native tree and is growing naturally.

BT-3709 Rosebank Cemetery American Holly

157 points

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Tree is located on the east side of Rosebank Lane standing alone in the graveyard. It can be easily seen from the car. It is a tree short in stature—only 37’ tall—but with a crown spread exceeding its height (51’) which makes it unique among registered hollies in Maryland. It is a native tree; we do not know if it was planted.

BT-3708 Rosebank Cemetery Eastern Red Cedar – Cecil County Champion

187 points

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This native tree grows on the west side of the cemetery among a number of other cedars. It has a handsome form with some slight irregularity. It can be seen from an access road thru the cemetery. Please be respectful in the cemetery.

Eastern red cedars commonly germinate and grow in fields so it is likely these cedars are growing naturally. It is very common to find large examples in old graveyards.

BT-1337 Meetinghouse White Oak – Maryland State Champion

Maryland Bicentennial Tree – Penn’s Woods Tree

406 points

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This tree replaced the Wye Oak as the Maryland state tree symbol. It has been the State Champion since 2008. It is easy to visit. It is next to the Brick Meetinghouse, a Quaker facility that has been in constant use since 1709. This is one of two 400-plus-point trees in Cecil County; the other being the State Champion silver maple in Eder Park in Elkton. That tree requires a difficult hike to visit.

Rising Sun, Veteran’s Community Park, and BT-3965 Water Oak

BT-3965 Town of Rising Sun Veteran’s Community Park Water Oak

193 points

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The park’s address is 300 Kirks Court but the tree is located near a paved parking area off Wilson Avenue/Hopewell Road on the south side of an unnamed stream which bisects the park. The tree is 70’ downhill from the Boy Scout cabin. This species is native to Maryland but not to Cecil County; the native range extends northward to cover the lower Eastern Shore and southern Maryland. It is obviously planted but the details are unknown. The leaf has an unusual spatulate shape. The park has a number of very nice examples of native trees that are not yet large enough to qualify as “big trees”.