At a Glance

Hours:

  • Greenbury Point Nature Trails: Unless gates, lights and/or signage indicate access is closed, marked trails are open to the general public between 6 am – 6 pm (Nov. 1 – Feb 28) and 6 am – 8 pm (March 1 – October 31).
  • East and West Greenbury Point Tower Access Roads: Unless gates, lights and/or signage indicate access is closed, the gravel roads are open to the general public between 6 am – 6 pm (Nov. 1 – Feb 28) and 6 am – 8 pm (March 1 – October 31). Access is prohibited when the range is in use and security gates are closed. If gates are closed, do not enter.
  • Nature Center: The Greenbury Point Nature Center is open to the general public on Thursdays, 11 am – 3 pm, unless otherwise posted. Closed on holidays or when the building is scheduled for other use.
  • Greenbury Point is frequently closed to the public because of Navy firing range operations. Before you go, call 410-293-9304 or check twitter.com/nsaannapolis, which the Navy uses to post the open/closed trail status.
  • Greenbury Point is subject to closure at any time without prior notification.

Grounds open daily dawn to dusk, except when firing range is in use. Firing range closures are announced through twitter.com/nsaannapolis. Nature Center is open on Thursdays, 11 am – 3 pm.

Cost: Free.

Tips: Bring a scope in the winter for waterfowl. ◾ The smaller foot-trails can be brushy – use tick and chigger precautions. ◾ Although there are no public restroom on the grounds, restrooms at the Nature Center are accessible through the door in the front of the building, which might be unlocked even when the Nature Center is closed. ◾ Greenbury Point is a facility of the US Navy and when you visit, you are a guest of the Navy. Please be on your best behavior and obey the regulations listed below.

Regulations:

  • Follow all posted rules and directions as given by security personnel.
  • Park in designated spaces only. Do not park on the grass. If you park illegally, you may be ticketed or towed.
  • Because this is a military installation, taking photographs of buildings is not permitted.
  • No unauthorized access beyond closed gates is permitted.
  • Pedestrian and bicycle travel is allowed on designated Walking Trails and the East and West Tower Access Roads, unless otherwise posted.
  • All dogs must be on a leash at ALL times. The leash should not be more than 10 feet in length with one end secured to restrict the movement of the animal. Non-compliant dog walkers may be asked to leave.
  • Pet owners shall pick up and remove all pet waste.
  • Leave wildlife, plants, and artifacts undisturbed so that others may enjoy them.
  • Take litter home, or place in trash containers where provided. This includes pet waste.
  • Do not walk near the shoreline bulkhead or dock boats along the shoreline.
  • Be aware of hazards on the property such as ticks, stinging insects, and poisonous plants.
  • Mill Creek Marina is for the use of NSA Annapolis Moral Welfare and Recreation slip-holders and guests only. In addition, the picnic grounds and guest cottages currently being built are for military and DoD civilian personnel use only.
  • The flying of drones is prohibited at all times.
  • Weapons are prohibited. Federal law prohibits the possession of firearms or other dangerous weapons on installation property.
  • All persons and any property under their control are subject to administrative inspection.
  • No public restrooms are available at Greenbury Point.

Best Seasons: Winter for waterfowl; all other seasons for woodland and field species.

Breeding Bird Atlas Block: Annapolis NW

Local MOS Chapter: Anne Arundel Bird Club
Official Website
Trail Map
Nature Trails Map
eBird Hotspot

Greenbury Point

357 Bullard Boulevard, Annapolis, Maryland 21402
Community Planning Liaison Officer: 410-293-1084

Greenbury Point is located on a 231-acre peninsula, managed by the US Navy, at the mouth of the Severn River in Anne Arundel County. The peninsula is a conservation area and is open to the public for hiking and nature observation. Habitats here include wooded coves, shallow wetland ponds, forests, and old fields that are now transitioning to scrub/shrub areas. The peninsula offers excellent views of the Chesapeake Bay and contains one of the largest scrub-shrub habitats in the county. The entire peninsula is relatively flat. A prominent feature is the set of three massive WW II-era radio communication towers, all that remain from what was once a cluster of 19 towers. The towers, which can be seen for miles and are used by boaters as landmarks, may hold active Osprey nests in season, so be sure to take a good look.

A dirt and gravel road (West Road/East Road) loops around the peninsula; see Trail Map at link at left. The entire loop (pedestrians and bicycles only, no cars) is just over 2.1 miles, not including any of the natural-surfaced side trails. There are benches scattered along the trail where there are good views of the water. A tip: on maps, it looks like the north end of East Road connects directly with Bullard Boulevard (the main road into Greenbury Point), but at present, the north end of East Road is fenced off and it is necessary to take a foot-path that detours to the west in order to return to the paved road at Hooper High Road.

A small Nature Center, open on Thursdays, offers a collection of field guides for reference and activities and exhibits, mostly aimed at children. Several foot-trails begin near the Nature Center; see Nature Trails map at link at left. The Poet’s Nature Trail (about 1.3 miles) is a loop that meanders through scrubby woodland and meadows, with views of Carr Creek. The adjoining Bobwhite Circuit Trail is a shorter loop, partially paved, that offers a spur trail connecting it with West Road.

On the north side of Bullard Boulevard, the Pipsissewa Trail wanders east-west through an open woodland, then crosses Hooper High Road to become the Timberdoodle Trail, which loops through wet woods, a good place for herps in the springtime.

At the northeast corner of the peninsula is Possum Point, a long finger of land pointing north, separating Brown’s Cove and Mill Creek from Whitehall Bay to the east. The Cmdr. John L. Dunning Memorial Pier at the base of Possum Point is a recreational marina for Navy personnel. You can drive to the marina for a quick look but do not linger as parking is reserved for Navy personnel and their guests. You can also drive to the adjacent Possum Point Fishing Area. The fishing area is located on the east side of Possum Point; note that fishing is restricted to military personnel, but it is OK to bird here. Park at the small gravel lot at the end of Beach Circle (aka Courtney Circle) and then walk with your scope through the metal gate and down a slope onto the broad grassy fishing area that provides an excellent view of Whitehall Bay. Here, some offshore pound nets may attract waterfowl, gulls, and terns.

Birdlife:

Over 215 species have been reported on eBird from Greenbury Point. There are three separate eBird hotspots:

  • Greenbury Pt.– 217+ species; covers the peninsula overall.
  • Greenbury Point Nature Center – 165+ species; covers the Nature Trails in the vicinity of the Nature Center.
  • Possum Point – 79+ species; covers the fishing area and adjacent waters at the northeast corner of the peninsula.

Winter: Tundra Swan, Canvasback, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Horned Grebe, American Woodcock, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Fox Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco.

Spring: Common Loon, Northern Gannett, American Coot, Forster’s Tern, Tree Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Prairie Warbler.

Summer: Wood Duck, Green Heron, Glossy Ibis, Solitary Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Royal Tern, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Willow Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Barn Swallow, Cedar Waxwing, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole.

Fall: Red-tailed Hawk, Eastern Phoebe, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Palm Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Canada Warbler.

Year-round: Canada Goose, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Black-backed Gull, Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, American Goldfinch.

Wheelchair Access:

The trails and dirt roads at Greenbury Point are not wheelchair-accessible, with the exception of a  paved portion of the Bobwhite Trail.

Special Features:

There is active munitions testing in the area. Before you go, call
410-293-9304 or check twitter.com/nsaannapolis which the Navy  uses to post the open/closed trail status. ◾ There is a cluster of picnic tables just outside the Nature Center, including a few that on a covered patio on the left side of the building. ◾ Note that the Nature Center has limited hours on Thursdays only. ◾ 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 lot next to the Nature Center on Bullard Boulevard. Also a small paved lot near a basketball court at the corner of Bullard Boulevard and Hooper High Road.

Directions:

From US Route 50 near Annapolis: Take Exit 27 onto MD Route 450 southbound toward the Naval Academy. After 1.4 miles, turn left (southeast) onto MD Route 648/Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard. In half-a-mile, continue straight (eastbound) onto Edgewood Road, which becomes Greenbury Point Road. Greenbury Point Road will make a sharp turn to the right and become Bullard Boulevard. Continue straight ahead to a paved parking lot near the Nature Center on the right (south) side of the road, where McLeans Road intersects on the left. This will put you at the top of the Greenbury peninsula, with access to the trails.

To reach Possum Point, turn left onto McLeans Road and then left again onto Hooper High Road. Go straight to the end of Hooper High Road for the marina, or turn right onto Beach Circle (aka Courtne Circle) for the Possum Point Fishing Area.

Nearby Sites:

Anne Arundel County: Davidsonville Park ◾ Downs Memorial Park ◾ Fort Smallwood Park ◾ 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 Hay Meadows, Pasture, Grass FieldOld Fields, Shrubby Meadows Forested SwampFreshwater Marsh or FloodplainFreshwater Pond, Lake, or ReservoirJetties & SeawallsMud Flats (Tidal or Non-Tidal)Open Ocean, Bay, or Estuary

Features:

BeginnersBicycle Trails (Bikes may be prohibited on some trails)Free - No Entry Fee at Any TimeHiking/Walking TrailsHuntingNative Plant Garden or Meadow/Pollinator PlantsParkingPets AllowedWater ViewYoung People / Families

Type:

Chesapeake Bay Western ShoreCommunity and Urban ParksNature Centers