At a Glance
Hours: Dawn to dusk.
Cost: Free.
Tips: Wear waterproof boots if you plan to venture off the paved trail. ◾ Restroom open seasonally. ◾ Try to visit on weekdays and early mornings because the park can become very busy with athletic activities on weekends and after school.
Best Seasons: Winter for sparrows and waterfowl, spring for warblers and other migrants.
Breeding Bird Atlas Block: Bowie CE
Davidsonville Park
3042 Patuxent River Road, Davidsonville, MD 21035
(410) 222-7317
Davidsonville Park is a mixed-use county park located in western Anne Arundel County. The park’s southwest boundary is the Patuxent River. Habitats include manicured sports fields, open meadows, two ponds, shady wooded trails, and the wooded stream valleys of the Patuxent River and some small tributary streams. There is a 1.5-mile paved trail around the perimeter of park; the trail is wheelchair accessible but has a few slopes. Be sure to walk the trails that border the small ponds and the wooded fringe along the Patuxent River, where the habitat is good for migrants and breeding birds.
A spur off the paved trail in the south corner of the park leads to the river bank (see park map at link at left), where there is a car-top boat launch. Be forewarned that this canoe/kayak put-in site is about 400-yards from the nearest parking lot and involves a steep slope right before the put-in. You cannot bring your car closer.
The park also provides sports fields, a seasonal food concession, fishing, a pavilion (fee/permit only), a picnic area, a playground, and restrooms (open seasonally).
Birdlife:
Over 185 species have been reported on eBird from Davidsonville Park, attesting to the rich habitat despite the presence of ball fields and short grass.
Winter: Canada Goose, Gadwall, American Black Duck, Hooded Merganser, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Golden Crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Savannah Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco.
Spring: Wood Duck, Killdeer, Solitary Sandpiper, Eastern Wood-peewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Tree Swallow, Yellow Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole.
Summer: Osprey, Laughing Gull, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Acadian Flycatcher, Barn Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Common Yellowthroat, Scarlet Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting.
Fall: Sharp-shinned Hawk, Barred Owl, Eastern Phoebe, Magnolia Warbler.
Year-round: Great Blue Heron, Black Vulture, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, Field Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch.
Wheelchair Access:
The paved trail that loops around the park is wheelchair- accessible. The canoe-kayak launch is not accessible.
Special Features:
Davidsonville Park is one of the sites on the Patuxent Water Trail. ◾ The local chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society is the Anne Arundel Bird Club, which offers field trips and meetings with informative programs, all free and open to the public.
Parking:
Paved parking lots as shown on park map at left.
Directions:
From US Route 50 west of Annapolis: Take Exit 16 to MD-424/Davidsonville Road. Turn left (south) onto MD-424/Davidsonville Road. In approximately 1.9 miles, turn right (west) onto Double Gate Road. Follow Double Gate Road until the road ends in about 1.7 miles at a T-intersection with Patuxent River Road. Turn right (north) onto Patuxent River Road. The park entrance is on the left (west side of road) in approximately 0.3 miles.
Nearby Sites:
Anne Arundel County: Downs Memorial Park ◾ Fort Smallwood Park ◾ Greenbury Point◾ Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary ◾ Kinder Farm Park ◾ Lake Waterford Park ◾ Mandares Creek MOS Sanctuary ◾ Oxbow Natural Area ◾ Patuxent Research Refuge – North Tract ◾ Piney Orchard Nature Preserve◾ Quiet Waters Park ◾ Sandy Point State Park ◾ Smithsonian Environmental Research Center ◾ Swan Creek Wetlands | Cox Creek Dredged Material Containment Facility
Habitats:
Bottomland DeciduousConifersHedgerows Garden or ArboretumLawn, Ballfields, Golf CourseSuburban Neighborhood Forested SwampFreshwater Marsh or FloodplainRivers & Streams
Features:
Ball Fields or Other SportsBeginnersBoat or Canoe/Kayak LaunchFishingFree - No Entry Fee at Any TimeHiking/Walking TrailsNative Plant Garden or Meadow/Pollinator PlantsParkingPets AllowedPicnic AreaPlaygroundRestroomsSnack Bar, Camp Store, Food ConcessionsWater ViewWheelchair Accessible FeaturesYoung People / FamiliesType:
Community and Urban ParksThe Rivers of the Western ShoreWater Trails