At a Glance

Hours: Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round.

Cost: Free.

Tips: No pets. ◾ Waterproof boots are recommended for the wetlands area and for fields where the grass may be wet. ◾ No collecting of any specimens (plants or animals) is allowed. ◾ Hunting is not allowed, but there may be hunting on adjacent private lands. ◾ No restrooms.

Best Seasons: Year round. Spring and fall migrations are excellent.

Breeding Bird Atlas Blocks: Libertytown CW, Libertytown SW

Local MOS Chapter: Frederick Bird Club

Official Website
Trail Map
eBird Hotspot
Google Photo Gallery

Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary

13030 Old Annapolis Road, Mt. Airy, MD 21771
centralmdaudubon@gmail.com

Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary is a 129-acre farm that was donated to the Audubon Society of Central Maryland (ASCM) in the early 1990s. Located northeast of New Market in Frederick County, the sanctuary lies within the Piedmont physiographic province, with low ridges oriented north/south, providing good raptor migration viewing opportunities in the fall. The sanctuary is surrounded by farms and vineyards and maintains an agricultural character.

ASCM actively manages the habitats on the property, resulting in great diversity within a relatively small parcel. Habitats include: managed fields of warm season grasses; early successional habitat; upland deciduous and pine forests; forested wetlands; and a small farm pond.

The Bill & Martha Becraft Memorial Viburnum Garden contains a selection of native viburnums; the garden memorializes two late leaders of the Audubon Society of Central Maryland who often recommended viburnums to home gardeners interested in establishing productive backyard habitats.

Maintained trails cover most of the property (see Trail Map at link in the orange box in the At a Glance section of this webpage. There are bluebird boxes, a Purple Martin gourd tower, a bat house, a Chimney Swift tower, and other nest boxes scattered along the trails. Ruins of old farm buildings dot the landscape; do not enter any of these as they are not maintained and may not be safe.

Birdlife:

Over 170 species have been reported on eBird at the Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary hotspot.

The Sanctuary is excellent for sparrows including Song, Chipping, White-throated, White-crowned, Swamp, and Field. Lincoln’s and Fox Sparrows are regular visitors.

Breeding birds include Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow, Purple Martin, American Woodcock, Yellow-breasted Chat, Willow Flycatcher, and Cooper’s Hawk.

Raptor migration includes all common migrants and the occasional Golden Eagle and Mississippi Kite.

About 35 species of warblers have been documented, including during spring and fall migration. Black-billed Cuckoo is regular during spring migration.

Wheelchair Access:

The trails at Audrey Carroll are not wheelchair-accessible. There may be fairly good birding around the parking area. No restroom.

Pet Policy:

No pets.

Special Designations: 

The sanctuary is protected in perpetuity by a conservation easement with the Maryland Environmental Trust.

Special Features:

  • A number of butterfly species are abundant in the open fields and marshes at Audrey Carroll. The floodplain marsh supports Spotted Turtles.
  • No collecting of any specimens (plant or animal) is allowed.
  • A project page on iNaturalist documents observations of plants and animals at Audrey Carroll Sanctuary. If you visit, you can add your observations to the project.
  • A study of nocturnal insects at Fred Archibald and Audrey Carroll sanctuaries was conducted in summer 2021 by Emilio Concari, an undergraduate student at University of Maryland Baltimore County. His findings are included in the Audrey Carroll project page on iNaturalist as well as on the  iNaturalist project page for Fred Archibald.
  • The Audubon Society of Central Maryland offers guided walks at Audrey Carroll and other locations; see their events schedule for details.

Local MOS Chapter:

The local chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society is the Frederick Bird Club, which hosts fields trips and meetings with informative presentations, all free and open to the public. Of course, the Audubon Society of Central Maryland also provides activities for birders in Frederick County; see their website for details.

Multimedia: 

The Audubon Society of Central Maryland’s YouTube channel features presentations on birds and birding recorded at their monthly meetings and on other occasions. .

Parking:

A small gravel lot just off Old Annapolis Road can accommodate 6-10 vehicles.

Directions:

From I-70, travel north on MD Route 75/Green Valley Road for 3.5 miles to Old Annapolis Road. Turn right (east) onto Old Annapolis Road and continue approximately 3 miles to the Sanctuary entrance and gravel parking lot on the left. Note: the entrance is marked with a sign, but easy to miss. If you reach Charles Drive on the left, you’ve gone too far.

Nearby Sites:

Frederick County: C&O Canal – Mouth of Monocacy to Brunswick ◾ Catoctin Mountain Park ◾ Cunningham Falls State Park ◾ Fred J. Archibald Audubon Sanctuary ◾ Gambrill State Park ◾ Lilypons Water Gardens ◾ Seymour B. Cooper MOS Sanctuary ◾ Sugarloaf Mountain

Habitats:

Bottomland Deciduous ForestsConifersHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Forests Hay Meadows, Pasture, Grass FieldOld Fields, Shrubby Meadows Freshwater Marsh or FloodplainFreshwater Pond, Lake, or ReservoirRivers & Streams

Features:

BeginnersFree - No Entry Fee at Any TimeHiking/Walking TrailsNative Plant Garden or Meadow/Pollinator PlantsParkingWater ViewYoung People / Families

Type:

Private Sanctuaries and Preserves