At a Glance

Hours:

Grounds open sunrise to sunset, daily.
Headquarters Office Hours: 9 am – 4 pm Monday – Saturday.
Overnight camping is available April – October.

Cost: Day-use: Maryland residents $3/vehicle; out-of-state residents $5/vehicle. Overnight camping is available at an additional charge; see website for State Park Fees.

Tips: Trails may be wet or muddy. Wear sturdy waterproof hiking boots or shoes. ■ Hunting is allowed on a portion of Cedarville State Forest (area shown in green on the trail map at link below). Be aware of hunting seasons and plan your visit accordingly. Consider wearing blaze orange during hunting season, or visit only on Sundays during deer and turkey season. ■ Portable restrooms are at located at the office, the playground, and the charcoal kiln on Forest Road; see trail map at link below.

Best Seasons: Best during spring and fall migration and during early summer for local breeders.

Breeding Bird Atlas Blocks: Brandywine SW, Brandywine SE, Hughesville NW, Hughesville NE

Local MOS Chapter: Patuxent Bird Club

Official Website

Trail Map

eBird Hotspot - Charles County

eBird Hotspot - Prince George’s County

Google Photo Gallery

Cedarville State Forest

D10201 Bee Oak Road, Brandywine, MD 20613
GPS Coordinates: 38.646931, -76.829970
301-888-1410

When you arrive at Cedarville State Forest, you’ll know that you’re in the south. The lush forest, with its rich wetlands and mature hardwoods and loblolly pine plantations, has a certain noticeable difference from forests in more northern parts of Maryland. It may be the pine-needle strewn trails, or the slow-flowing creeks, or the humid air, but you’ll know that you are definitely south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Cedarville State Forest offers exceptional habitat for birds and other wildlife, but among birders it is little known and seldom visited. This is a place that deserves more attention.

Cedarville State Forest spans the county line between Prince George’s County and Charles County, with about two-thirds in Charles and the remaining one-third in Prince George’s. However, the only public entrance to the State Forest is from the north, through Prince George’s County. For orientation as to the location of the county line, see a map of the State Forest with the county line superimposed.

The State Forest consists of over 3,700 acres of land, almost all wooded, with numerous freshwater streams. The headwaters of Zekiah Swamp, Maryland’s largest freshwater swamp, are located within the forest. See the separate listing in this Birder’s Guide for Allen’s Fresh Natural Area and Zekiah Swamp Natural Environmental Area.

The forest contains mixed hardwoods, bottomland hardwoods, loblolly pine, and Virginia pine. The loblolly pine plantations were planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and so most of the trees are now mature. The forest sits on rolling terrain with some moderate slopes and some flat areas. Sections of the streams flow through picturesque wooded ravines.

Cedarville State Forest is co-managed by the Maryland Forest Service, which is in charge of the timber resources, and the Maryland Park Service, which manages the recreational facilities and hunting. The Maryland Fisheries Service manages the 39.2-acre Manning Fish Hatchery (not open to the public) in the southwest part of the property.

The forest is managed under a sustainable, multiple-use concept; the management goals for the forest include timber production, forest health, public recreation, wildlife habitat, soil erosion control, water quality improvement, and natural heritage. Under the published Forest Stewardship Plan, the overall goal is to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of the forest. The Forest Stewardship Plan for Cedarville is recommended reading for all naturalists, as it contains details on the rare plant communities and rare, threatened and endangered animals that dwell in the forest. In particular, the wetlands of Cedarville are support rare and threatened fish and dragonflies.

The large size of the contiguous forest provides habitat for a great diversity of forest interior breeding birds (FIDS), many of which are declining in the region. These declines have been attributed largely to the loss and fragmentation of forests due to urbanization, agriculture, and some forest management practices. The Forest Stewardship Plan for Cedarville emphasizes protection of FIDS habitat by avoiding forest loss and fragmentation.

Cedarville is a place to visit multiple times – you can’t possibly see it all in one trip. The extensive foot-trail system has over 19 miles of marked trails. The natural surface trails are mixed use, serving hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians (bring your own horse). There are five main trails and many smaller ones:

Orange Trail– 7 miles. The Orange Trail is the Forest’s most popular loop. This trail is relatively flat and mostly single track with an easy rating. Along this trail you will see semi-mature forest stands and areas dominated by pine trees interspersed with holly, magnolia, marsh plants, and native wildflowers. The Orange Trail crosses Hidden Springs, Bee Oak and Forest Roads, making it easy to shorten your hike. It also intersects with White and Blue Trails, so you can extend your hike along these trails if you like. The trailhead for the Orange Trail is by the Park Headquarters/Entrance Station parking lot.
Blue Trail– 4 miles. The Blue Trail features short hills and passes several streams and springs. Additionally, you will pass by abandoned farmland on this easy loop. The Blue Trail intersects Cross Road and Forest Road, so you may easily extend or shorten your hike. The trailhead for the Blue Trail is by the charcoal kiln parking lot on Forest Road.
White Trail– 3.5 miles. The White Trail is an easy loop trail that passes through hardwood forest and pine plantations. It is a popular trail for birding. The White Trail follows the Orange and Blue Trails for some time, allowing you to easily extend or shorten your hike. The trailhead for the White Trail is by the charcoal kiln parking lot on Forest Road.
Brown Trail– 2.5 miles. The Brown Trail is an easy loop as it is generally level and dry. This trail passes an abandoned pine plantation and a four-acre freshwater pond. The trailhead for the Brown Trail is by the pond parking lot at the south end of Forest Road.
Green Trail– 2 miles. The Green Trail passes through the headwaters of the Zekiah Swamp. At times, this easy, loop trail can be wet, so wear waterproof footwear. The trailhead for the Green Trail is by the pond parking lot.

In addition to the system of foot-trails, there is an extensive network of paved and gravel roads within the forest. You can drive the roads in your car but they also provide good walking or biking.

As an alternative to using a printed trail map when exploring Cedarville, you might wish to use a GPS app such as AllTrails, which has coverage of Cedarville’s trails. AllTrails will show your location in real time as you move along the trails; the basic app for Android or Apple phones is free to download.

Although most of Cedarville State Forest remains in a natural state, it offers visitor amenities including camping, including a unique equestrian camping area; a picnic area; a playground; an archery range; a freshwater fishing pond; and public hunting.

Historical Notes: In pre-colonial and colonial times, the Piscataway Tribe of Native Americans used what is now Cedarville Stae Forest as their winter camping and hunting grounds because of the mild climate and abundance of game. Members of the Piscataway people still live in the area and are known as the Cedarville Band of the Piscataway Indians.

During the Prohibition era, the area was known to support moonshine production. In 1930, the State began to purchased land in order to create Cedarville as a forest demonstration area. Under the direction of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) developed Cedarville’s roads and trails for fire protection and future recreation development. From 1933 to 1935, approximately 160 men of the CCC, mostly African Americans from Baltimore and Washington, DC, worked at Cedarville, and we have them to thank for the present infrastructure.

In the 1950’s, Cedarville State Forest operated three charcoal kilns, burning wood from the forest to produce up to 3,600 pounds of charcoal each week. The charcoal was used in state parks throughout Maryland to heat their buildings. One kiln, located at the Blue and White Trailhead, remains as an example of the historic method of producing wood charcoal.

Birdlife:

An aggregate of over 112 species have been reported on eBird at Cedarville State Forest.

There are two established eBird hotspots:

Cedarville State Forest (Charles County) – 101+ species
Cedarville State Forest (Prince George’s County) – 94+ species

If atlasing in Cedarville State Forest, be aware that the forest spans four atlas blocks: Brandywine SW, Brandywine SE, Hughesville NW, Hughesville NE. You should submit a separate checklist for each block you visit, using a personal location for each, since the blocks do not align with the two established eBird hotspots. When atlasing, we recommend that you use eBird Mobile on your smartphone, and be sure to set the app to submit through the BBA3 portal for the Maryland-DC Breeding Bird Atlas. You should also turn on eBird tracking. The tracking map on the app will show the boundaries of the atlas blocks and will alert you when you are approaching a boundary so that you can start a new checklist when you cross a block boundary. If not atlasing, you can simply use the two public eBird hotspots; be sure to know which county you are in to choose the appropriate hotspot. Click here for a map of the park that shows the location of the county boundary.

Year-round residents (all of these are likely to breed in Cedarville or locally): Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Mourning Dove, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle (likely present year-round but unobserved because of low birding frequency), Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Eastern Screech-Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow (sporadic), Common Raven (sporadic, becoming established), Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Northern Cardinal.

Migratory breeding birds (these spend the winter elsewhere and migrate in for breeding season): Wild Turkey, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Whip-poor-wills*, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Killdeer, Great Blue Heron (? Not known if they breed here but present at the right time), Green Heron, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-headed Woodpecker (not a confirmed breeder but present in breeding season), Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Wood Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Field Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Yellow-breasted Chat, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Brown-headed Cowbird, Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Yellow Warbler (questionable as breeder), Pine Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting.

*Cedarville is one of the last places in Southern Maryland that still supports breeding Eastern Whip-poor-wills; listen for them near the campground in May or June, after dusk or around dawn, preferably on moonlit nights.

Wintering birds (these breed elsewhere and migrate in for the winter): Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, American Tree Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Migration season birds (also called “birds of passage” – they don’t stick around, just pass through in fall and/or spring on their way between wintering grounds and breeding grounds): Ring-billed Gull, Laughing Gull, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Least Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Veery, Swainson’s Thrush, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Canada Warbler.

Historical species (may not be present any longer): Northern Bobwhite, Ring-necked Pheasant, King Rail, Least Bittern, American Kestrel, Warbling Vireo, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Blue-winged Warbler.

Rarities (not regularly occurring, may have only occurred once or a few times): Grasshopper Sparrow.

Wheelchair Access:

Cedarville State Forest has an extensive network of paved and gravel roads that are open to vehicles, so this is an excellent spot for roadside birding or birding from the car, for those who are mobility-impaired. There are accessible picnic pavilions and portable restrooms. The foot-trails are not wheelchair-accessible.

Pet Policy:

Pets are allowed on leash; you must pick up after your pet.

Special Designations:

Cedarville State Forest is adjacent to the Zekiah Swamp Important Bird Area (IBA), as designated by the National Audubon Society.

Most of Cedarville State Forest is located in an area classified by MD DNR as Tier 1 – Critically Significant for Biodiversity Conservation under their Bionet – Biological Diversity Conservation Network initiative. Read the Forest Stewardship Plan for Cedarville to learn about the rare plants and animals found here.

Special Features:

Cedarville State Forest offers camping, including a unique equestrian camping area; a picnic area; a playground; an archery range; a freshwater fishing pond; and public hunting.
Cedarville State Forest offers many opportunities for volunteer involvement.

The local chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society is the Patuxent Bird Club, offering field trips and meetings with informative programs, all free and open to the public. In addition, the Southern Maryland Audubon Society serves birders in Charles, Calvert, St. Mary’s and Prince George’s Counties.

Parking:

Designated parking areas throughout the State Forest; see trail map at link at left for locations. Some are gravel, some are paved.

Directions:

Cedarville State Forest is located in Prince George’s and Charles Counties, MD, between Brandywine to the north and Waldorf to the south. There is only entrance and that is through Prince George’s County.
Street address is: 10201 Bee Oak Road, Brandywine, MD 20613
GPS Coordinates at the entry station: 38.646931, -76.829970

From the Baltimore area: From the Baltimore Beltway/I-695, take Exit 4 for I-97 South for 9.8 miles. From I-97, take Exit 7 for MD Route 3/Crain Highway southbound toward Bowie. In 18 miles, stay straight at US Route 50; Crain Highway will continue south as US Route 301. In another 15 17.7 miles, from US Route 301, turn left onto Cedarville Road eastbound. In 0.3 miles, at a slight fork, bear right to stay on Cedarville Road eastbound. In 2 miles, turn left (south) onto Bee Oak Road, which becomes the entrance road for Cedarville State Forest. You will reach the entrance station in about 1 mile, after crossing Dent Road and then a power line cut. There is good birding all along the entrance road.

From the Washington, DC area: From the DC Beltway/I-495, take Exit 7 to MD Route 5/Branch Avenue southbound. Drive south on MD Route 5 for 11.2 miles. As you drive, Route 5 will merge with US Route 301 southbound; don’t let that worry and keep driving south. Turn left to go east on Cedarville Road. In 0.3 miles, at a slight fork, bear right to stay on Cedarville Road eastbound. In 2 miles, turn left (south) onto Bee Oak Road, which becomes the entrance road for Cedarville State Forest. You will reach the entrance station in about 1 mile, after crossing Dent Road and then a power line cut. There is good birding all along the entrance road.

From Annapolis or northern Anne Arundel County: Use US Route 50 westbound. Take Exit 13 for US Route 301 south toward Richmond. About 24 miles, turn left to go east on Cedarville Road. In 0.3 miles, at a slight fork, bear right to stay on Cedarville Road eastbound. In 2 miles, turn left (south) onto Bee Oak Road, which becomes the entrance road for Cedarville State Forest. You will reach the entrance station in about 1 mile, after crossing Dent Road and then a power line cut. There is good birding all along the entrance road.

From Prince George’s County: Use US Route 301 southbound to Brandywine. Continue to Cedarville Road. Turn left to go east on Cedarville Road. In 0.3 miles, at a slight fork, bear right to stay on Cedarville Road eastbound. In 2 miles, turn left (south) onto Bee Oak Road, which becomes the entrance road for Cedarville State Forest. You will reach the entrance station in about 1 mile, after crossing Dent Road and then a power line cut. There is good birding all along the entrance road.

From points south in Charles County or from St. Mary’s County:

Option 1. Use US Route 301 northbound to Waldorf. Continue on Route 301 past Waldorf for approximately 3.3 miles to Cedarville Road. Turn right to go east on Cedarville Road. In 0.3 miles, at a slight fork, bear right to stay on Cedarville Road eastbound. In 2 miles, turn left (south) onto Bee Oak Road, which becomes the entrance road for Cedarville State Forest. You will reach the entrance station in about 1 mile, after crossing Dent Road and then a power line cut. There is good birding all along the entrance road.
Option 2. Use MD Route 5 northbound to reach US Route 301 just above Waldorf. Turn right to go north on Route 301, In just under a half-mile, turn right to go east on Cedarville Road. In 0.3 miles, at a slight fork, bear right to stay on Cedarville Road eastbound. In 2 miles, turn left (south) onto Bee Oak Road, which becomes the entrance road for Cedarville State Forest. You will reach the entrance station in about 1 mile, after crossing Dent Road and then a power line cut. There is good birding all along the entrance road.

From Calvert County: Use MD Route 4 northbound to reach Upper Marlboro. At Upper Marlboro, follow signs to merge onto US 301 southbound. Stay on Route 301 for approximately 13.8 miles. Turn left to go east on Cedarville Road. In 0.3 miles, at a slight fork, bear right to stay on Cedarville Road eastbound. In 2 miles, turn left (south) onto Bee Oak Road, which becomes the entrance road for Cedarville State Forest. You will reach the entrance station in about 1 mile, after crossing Dent Road and then a power line cut. There is good birding all along the entrance road.

From the Eastern Shore: Use US Route 50 or US Route 301 to reach the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Follow US Route 50 from the bridge to Annapolis, and then follow directions from Annapolis as above.

From Western Maryland: Use I-70 to reach I-270 at Frederick. Take I-270 south to the DC Beltway/I-495. Take the Inner Loop of the Beltway to go east and then south (clockwise). From the DC Beltway/I-495, take Exit 7 to MD Route 5/Branch Avenue southbound. Drive south on MD Route 5 for 11.2 miles. As you drive, Route 5 will merge with US Route 301 southbound; don’t let that worry and keep driving south. Turn left to go east on Cedarville Road. In 0.3 miles, at a slight fork, bear right to stay on Cedarville Road eastbound. In 2 miles, turn left (south) onto Bee Oak Road, which becomes the entrance road for Cedarville State Forest. You will reach the entrance station in about 1 mile, after crossing Dent Road and then a power line cut. There is good birding all along the entrance road.From

Washington, D.C.:
Follow either Branch Avenue (Route 5) or Pennsylvania Avenue (Route 4). If using Route 5, follow Route 5 for directions from Prince George’s County above. If using Pennsylvania Avenue (Route 4), follow Route 301 south from Prince George’s County. At the end of Prince George’s County and before you enter Charles County, turn left onto Cedarville Road. Follow Cedarville Road to Bee Oak Road (on your right) which is the entrance to the forest.

Nearby Sites:

Charles County: Allen’s Fresh Natural Area / Zekiah Swamp Natural Environmental Area ■ Chapman State Park & Chapman Residual Wildlife Management Area ■ Indian Creek Natural Resources Management Area ■ Indian Head Rail Trail ■ Mattawoman Natural Environmental Area ■ Maxwell Hall Park ■ Myrtle Grove Wildlife Management Area ■ Smallwood State Park

Prince George’s County: Merkle Natural Resources Management Area ■ Milltown Landing Natural Resources Management Area ■ Patuxent River Park – Jug Bay Natural Area ■ Patuxent River Park – Mount Calvert Historical & Archaeological Park ■ Piscataway MOS Sanctuary ■ Piscataway (National) Park: National Colonial Farm, Boardwalk, Wharf Road/Farmington Landing & Marshall Hall ■ Rosaryville State Park ■ Schoolhouse Pond

Habitats:

Bottomland DeciduousConifersHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Old Fields, Shrubby Meadows Forested SwampFreshwater Marsh or FloodplainFreshwater Pond, Lake, or ReservoirRivers & Streams

Features and Amenities: