Fort Frederick State Park/Big Pool – Birders Guide to Maryland and DC

At a Glance

Hours:

April through October: 8 am to sunset
November through March: 10 am to sunset

Cost: Year-round day-use fee is $3/vehicle for MD residents and $5/vehicle for out-of-state residents. There are additional fees for camping and use of picnic shelters.

Tips: Managed hunting occurs on a portion of the park. Be aware of hunting seasons and plan your visit accordingly. ◾ Black bears may be present in the park.

Best Seasons: Spring and fall.

Breeding Bird Atlas Blocks: Big Pool NE, Hedgesville NW

Local MOS Chapter: Washington County Bird Club

Fort Frederick State Park / Big Pool

11100 Fort Frederick Road, Big Pool, MD 21711
(301) 842-2155

Fort Frederick State Park, with 722 acres, is also known among birders as Big Pool on account of one of its prominent features. A portion of the C&O Canal (National Park Service) and the Canal Towpath skirt the State Park to the south and west. The State Park also provides access to the Western Maryland Rail Trail, which starts near the north end of Big Pool and goes north and west for 28 miles, ending at the town of Little Orleans in Allegany County. The Western Maryland Rail Trail is a paved hiker-biker trail running along a former railroad bed.

Fort Frederick is the #1 eBird hotspot in Washington County in terms of number of species reported. The park’s diverse habitats includes open mowed areas, the wooded shoreline of the Potomac River, deciduous forest and a couple of coniferous plantations, a small beaver pond, and Big Pool itself, a natural depression that was filled with water when the C&O Canal was created.

Fort Frederick State Park has a good, easy to use hiking trail system.

The Plantation Nature Trail (1.2 mile loop) is near the north end of the park, originating at the day-use picnic area, and goes through natural forest as well as a tree plantation that dates back to the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The trail has little change in elevation and is easy to walk. The trail features interpretive panels on the theme of “Women in Conservation” and a downloadable booklet created for Women’s History Month will guide you along the trail.
The Green Trail (0.8 miles, one-way) cuts an arc through the forested eastern section of the park, starting near the day-use picnic area and then heading south and then turning southwest and west to emerge onto the park road south of the historic fort. There are some elevation changes and wet stream crossings. Parts of this trail run along old farm or logging roads and the trail may be difficult to follow. This is not a trail that birders typically take.
The Beaver Pond Trail (0.3 miles), passes a wetlands on its way to the camping area and presents easy walking on level ground.
The C&O Canal Towpath – the gravel and stone dust surface of the Towpath is hard-packed and provides easy walking. The Towpath is open to bicycles and wheelchairs.
Old Trace Road – (0.4 miles) – the gravel and grass surface of this old road runs wide and straight from the lower loop of the Plantation Trail to the historic fort area.

There are paved walkways between the main day-use parking area, the Visitor Center, and the historic Fort. There is also an internal paved road that offers vehicle access to parking areas by the picnic area/Plantation Trail and the camping area and Canal Towpath.

Historical Note: Fort Frederick has significant historical interest, the fort having played a role in the French and Indian War (1754-1763), in the American Revolution, and in the Civil War. Although the fort was in existence from 1754 on, it was, surprisingly, located on privately-owned farm land for most of the time. From 1857 until 1911, the fort and 215 acres of surrounding farmland were owned by Nathan Williams and his family; they were African-Americans, originally slaves, who had bought their own freedom prior to the Civil War. The fort passed into other hands in 1911 and was purchased by the state in 1922. The fort, which had undergone much deterioration during its long history, was rebuilt by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. You can read more about the history of Fort Frederick on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website; don’t miss the separate booklet on the Williams Family.

Birdlife:

Over 215 species have been reported for the eBird hotspots in Fort Frederick State Park as a whole. There are three eBird hotspots that cover the park itself, plus a fourth hotspot is at the start of the Western Maryland Rail Trail:

Fort Frederick State Park overall – 140+ species
Fort Frederick SP–Big Pool – 210+ species
Fort Frederick SP–Beaver Pond – 149+ species
Western Maryland Rail Trail – 40+ species (daily new hotspot)

This park is known primarily for songbirds. The park hosts nesting Baltimore Orioles during the summer and migrating warblers in the spring and fall. Louisiana Waterthrush, Cerulean Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, and American Redstart can be found here. Many Eastern Bluebirds can be seen in the open areas of the park. There is also somewhat of a waterfowl show in the fall, winter, and spring, when Big Pool and the Potomac River offer a good place to observe migrating and overwintering ducks, including Common Merganser, Wood Duck, and Lesser Scaup.

Wheelchair Access:

Paved parking areas have handicapped spaces. Some restrooms are handicapped-accessible – see the trail map link in the At a Glance section of this webpage, and look for the blue restroom icons. Foot-trails are not wheelchair-accessible, but some birding is possible from the car using the paved road system within the park, including the road to and within the campground. The C&O Canal Towpath runs past the Beaver Pond and Big Pool and has a crushed gravel surface that may accommodate wheelchairs, but may be bumpy or have puddles. There is a short paved walkway around the Visitor Center and to the Fort. The nearby Western Maryland Rail Trail is paved and wheelchair-accessible. See map of the Western Maryland Rail Trail here. Be aware of fast-moving bikes.

Pet Policy:

Pets are allowed in all day use areas except the historic Fort. Pets are also allowed in the campground and in picnic areas. All pets much be on a leash. Pick up after your pet and take the pet waste with you, as all MD state parks operate on a trash-free basis.

Special Features:

The park has produced an interesting series of booklets, downloadable from the website, that provide background and interpretation of the Fort’s history and natural history; couple of these are aimed at children. The booklets are:

American Indian Activity Booklet ■ Nathan Williams African American Heritage Walking Tour ■ Green Picnic ■Women’s History Month Hike ■ Fort Frederick State Park Activity Booklet ■ Fort Frederick State Park Tree Guide: Common Broadleaf ■ Fort Frederick State Park Tree Guide: Conifers ■ One Fort Three Centuries – Old Fort Frederick Continues to Serve ■ Fort Frederick – Maryland’s Frontier Defense ■ For the Defense of this Province
Fishing and boating are permitted on Big Pool as well as on the Potomac River. A boat ramp (no gasoline motors) is located on Big Pool, and there are soft launches for paddlers on both Big Pool and the Potomac River. Bring your own boat – there are no rentals.
The park features a Visitor Center, campsites, a camp store, interpretive and educational programs, picnicking, a playground, and a picnic shelter.
During the summer months, there are tours of the restored fort, military reenactments, and other special events.
The Indigo Tunnel on the Western Maryland Rail Trail is home to eight different bat species. The tunnel is closed to entry to protect the bats, but they can be seen at dusk and dawn, when they leave and enter the tunnel.
The Canal Trust has produced a mobile app, the C&O Canal Explorer, with over 600 points of interest mapped in a searchable format, allowing you to find hiking trails, campgrounds, history, trailheads, parking, and more at a glance, along the entire length of the Canal. The app is available to download for 99 cents and runs on Android and IOS devices.
Wake up with the birds along the Canal: through the Canal Quarters Program, visitors may arrange for overnight stays at seven historic lockhouses along the Canal: five in Montgomery County, one in Frederick County, and one in Washington County.
The Friends of Fort Frederick State Park provide volunteers and financial support to the park.

Local MOS Chapter:

The local chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society is the Washington County Bird Club, which offers field trips and meetings with information presentations, all free and open to the public.

Multimedia:

A photographic tour of the Fort Frederick’s barracks is available online.

Parking:

Paved and unpaved roadside lots, as designated on the Trail Map at the link in the At a Glance section of this webpage..

Directions:

From I-70, take Exit 12 (Big Pool). Travel one mile east on MD Route 56 to the park’s entrance.

Nearby Sites:

Washington County: Antietam National Battlefield ■ Greenbrier State Park ■ Indian Springs Wildlife Management Area ■ Sideling Hill Wildlife Management Area & Woodmont Natural Resources Management Area

Habitats:

Bottomland Deciduous ForestsConifersHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Forests Lawn, Ballfields, Golf Course Hay Meadows, Pasture, Grass FieldOld Fields, Shrubby Meadows Forested SwampFreshwater Marsh or FloodplainFreshwater Pond, Lake, or ReservoirRivers & Streams