Fishing Bay Wildlife Management Area

Dorchester County, Maryland, Coastal Plain. Submitted by Jim Brighton, Co-founder of the Maryland Biodiversity Project; Wes Knapp, Chief Botanist, NatureServe

Fishing Bay WMA is a large tract of land located in the tidal marshes of southern Dorchester County. Main access is from Elliott Island Road, south of Vienna. Birding legend Harry Armistead calls the marshes of Fishing Bay the Everglades of the North with good cause since the marshes extend for miles interspersed with small hammocks of Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda). When traveling south on Elliott Island Road, you will pass through a variety of wetland habitats. Just south of Henry’s Crossroads you will enter a brief stretch of oligohaline habitat with very interesting plant species growing along the roadside ditches. Unfortunately, Common Reed (Phragmites australis) is taking over this area, so visit soon! The salt marshes to the south are dominated by Black Needle Rush (Juncus roemerianus) and Common Threesquare (Schoenoplectus pungens var. pungens). July-August is the best time to visit for plant diversity, but please be aware of the biting flies and mosquitos.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources; 11,736 hectares (29,000 acres).

© Jim Brighton

Pocomoke River State Park: Mattaponi Landing and Ponds

Worcester County, Maryland, Coastal Plain. Submitted by Jim Brighton, Co-founder of the Maryland Biodiversity Project; Wes Knapp, Chief Botanist, NatureServe

Mattaponi Landing and Ponds is a large area composed of bottomland swamps, Loblolly Pine woods, seasonal wetlands, and a few large ponds. Blades Road allows access to the area and there is a parking area (38.124088, -75.467334) where you can access the ponds and seasonal wetlands. The sandy acidic soils make for an interesting flora in the open wet habitats. Campsites are available near the ponds if you can handle the mosquitos (reservations required). Blades Road turns to dirt just past the pond's parking area. The road dead ends at a small parking area at Mattaponi Landing, a perfect place to launch a kayak and explore the swampy spatterdock-strewn banks of the Pocomoke River.

Maryland Park Service of the Department of Natural Resources; 50 hectares (124 acres)



© Jim Brighton

St. Mary’s River State Park

St. Mary’s County, Maryland, Coastal Plain. Submitted by Jim Brighton, Co-founder of the Maryland Biodiversity Project; Wes Knapp, Chief Botanist, NatureServe

St. Mary’s River State Park comprises two sections; St. Mary’s Lake (Section 1) and the much larger 2200-acre Indian Bridge Forest (Section 2). The St. Mary’s Lake section of St. Mary’s River State Park is a 250-acre parcel of land that surrounds a large man-made lake. There is a 7.5-mile trail that circles the lake. Dry Chestnut Oak dominated woodlands with ericaceous understory along with bottomland swamps are just a few of the habitats that you can traverse on the lake trail. The shallow sandy lake edge also holds interesting microhabitats including sphagnum seeps. There are two parking areas allowing access to the larger portion of the park on Indian Bridge Road. Walking trails begin at both parking areas. These trails transect various pine and hardwood forests and stream habitats.

Maryland Park Service of the Department of Natural Resources; 991 hectares (2450 acres)

© Richard Orr

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park: Ferry Hill to Snyder’s Landing

Washington County, Maryland, Mountains. Submitted by Jim Brighton, Co-founder of the Maryland Biodiversity Project; Wes Knapp, Chief Botanist, NatureServe

Ferry Hill was a plantation owned by John Blackford in the early 1800s. The plantation house is now a Visitor Center for the National Park Service. The C&O Canal can be accessed from the Visitor Center by a series of trails that wind through the forested slopes above the Potomac River. The dramatic cliffs harbor many calciphiles along with state endangered American Arborvitae, also known as Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis). Once you reach the C&O Canal Towpath, walk up river. The old canal, which is now mostly dry, allows access to the base of the cliffs which run from Ferry Hill to Snyder’s Landing (3.5 miles). Spring can be absolutely spectacular along this stretch of the C&O Canal Towpath.

National Park Service; 138 hectares (340 acres).

© Jim Brighton

Finzel Swamp Preserve

Garrett County, Maryland, Mountains. Submitted by Jim Brighton, Co-founder of the Maryland Biodiversity Project; Wes Knapp, Chief Botanist, NatureServe

Finzel Swamp is a large boreal fen protected and owned by the Nature Conservancy. It is located at the headwaters of the Savage River in northeastern Garrett County. A vast shrub swamp, wet meadows, and forested seeps make Finzel Swamp rich in plant diversity. A single trail with three bridges traverses the swamp and gives access to the wet meadows and a large pond on the eastern edge of the property. Finzel Swamp contains one of the last stands of Eastern Larch (Larix laricina) in the state.

The Nature Conservancy; 132 hectares (326 acres).

© Richard Orr

Green Ridge State Forest

Allegany County, Maryland, Mountains. Submitted by Jim Brighton, Co-founder of the Maryland Biodiversity Project; Wes Knapp, Chief Botanist, NatureServe

Green Ridge State Forest is one of the largest tracts of public land in Maryland. With over 80 miles of trails and 100 campsites, there is an abundance of habitats to explore, but the Appalachian Shale Barrens are the star of the show. Appalachian Shale Barrens are a rare ecosystem only found in the Ridge and Valley Province of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Shale Barrens occur on steep, very dry, south-facing slopes and there are many to explore in Green Ridge SF. Piclic Shale Barren, located at the intersection of 15 Mile Creek Road and Piclic Road is easily accessible and can be viewed from the road. There are also stream-side bottomlands, and rich woodlands to botanize. The Sideling Creek bottomlands along Cliff Road are also worth investigating.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources; 19,020 hectares (47,000 acres).

© Jim Brighton

Lost Land Run Natural Area

Garrett County, Maryland, Mountains. Submitted by Jim Brighton, Co-founder of the Maryland Biodiversity Project; Wes Knapp, Chief Botanist, NatureServe

Lost Land Run Natural Area is a section of Potomac State Forest that runs from the base of Backbone Mountain, east to the Potomac River. Rich hardwood forests with sandstone outcrops and steep cliffs towering above the rapids of the Potomac make for a dramatic landscape. According to MD DNR, most of Lost Land Run Natural Area is made of acidic soils, but there are pockets of calcareous habitat, especially on the cliffs along the Potomac River. Lost Land Run Road parallels the creek and dead ends at the Potomac. There is also a trail that runs three miles from the Ranger Station on Camp Run Road down to the Potomac. The trail ends at the parking area of Lost Land Run Road.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources; 308 hectares (760 acres).

© Jim Brighton

Gunpowder Falls State Park: Hereford Area

Baltimore County, Maryland, Piedmont. Submitted by Jim Brighton, Co-founder of the Maryland Biodiversity Project; Wes Knapp, Chief Botanist, NatureServe

Located in northern Baltimore County, the Hereford Area of Gunpowder Falls State Park is a great location to escape from the insanity of the city. Over twenty miles of trails give access to a variety of habitats. The trail through the Masemore Hemlock Ravines is of special interest since it transects one of the few remaining stands of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) in the Maryland Piedmont. Unfortunately, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is wreaking havoc on the trees. This area is well known for its spring ephemeral show. Trilliums (Trillium spp), Dutchman Britches (Dicentra cucullaria), and Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) carpet the forest slopes in late April.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 1465 hectares (3620 acres)

© Jim Brighton

Soldier’s Delight Natural Environmental Area

Baltimore County, Maryland, Piedmont. Submitted by Jim Brighton, Co-founder of the Maryland Biodiversity Project; Wes Knapp, Chief Botanist, NatureServe

Soldier’s Delight is the largest managed Serpentine Barren in Maryland. There are over seven miles of trails allowing visitors to experience the sparseness of the barrens, but also the dry Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana) and Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica) woodlands. According to MD DNR, there are over 39 rare plant species that are found on the property. Because of the sensitivity of the landscape, visitors are asked to stay on the trails. Luckily, many of the plant specialties can be observed from the walking trails. There is a Visitor Center on property with ample parking and most trails can be accessed from the Visitor Center.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources; 770 hectares (1900 acres).

© Jim Brighton