At a Glance

Hours: April through September: 7 am to sunset; October through March: 8 am to sunset.

Cost: Year-round: $3/vehicle in-state residents;  $5/vehicle​ out-of-state residents. Annual state park and senior passes may be used.

Tips: Bring a spotting scope. ■ Dress warmly in the winter; the winds whip off the river. ■ Public hunting is permitted in a designated area at Greenwell (marked on the trail map at the link below. Be aware of hunting seasons and plan your visit accordingly. It is a good practice to wear blaze orange on the trails during hunting season. ■ Restrooms are located near the parking areas. See the trail map at the link below.

Best Seasons: Year-round.

Breeding Bird Atlas Blocks: Hollywood NE, Broomes Island SE

Greenwell State Park

25420 Rosedale Manor Lane, Hollywood, MD 20636
(301) 872-5688

Greenwell is a 596-acre State Park located on the lower Patuxent River in St. Mary’s County. In 1971, Phillip Greenwell, Jr. and his sister, Mary Wallace Greenwell, donated their 166-acre farm to the State of Maryland for use as a public park for everyone. The state subsequently purchased the adjacent 430-acre property and joined the two to form the existing park. The park is managed in partnership with the Greenwell Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing accessible outdoor recreation.

Habitats at the park include deciduous woodlands, fields, wetlands, a sandy beach, and the open waters of the Patuxent River. There are ten miles of well-marked trails open to the public year-round.The park includes a mansion house, outbuildings, and a horse barn with corrals, as well as agricultural fields and hardwood forests. Hunting is allowed in designated areas; there is also fishing, canoeing and kayaking, picnicking and swimming.

Note: As of July 2018, the park’s Green Trail is closed until further notice because of severe erosion caused by extreme weather events. All use of this trail is suspended.

Birdlife:

Over 120 species have been reported on eBird from this state park. Greenwell provides wide-open views of the Patuxent River and its bird life, including Ospreys and Bald Eagles.

In winter, look for Common Loon, Goldeneye, Ruddy Ducks, and Bufflehead.

In summer, Forster’s Terns are present over the water, and on the trails, passerines are plentiful. Prairie Warblers and Yellow-breasted Chats nest in the scrub near the Aeromodelers Field, and Summer Tanager, Orchard Oriole, and Blue Grosbeak can usually be found.

Wheelchair Access:

The trails at Greenwell State Park are not wheelchair-accessible. Some birding is possible by driving the roads within the park. The parking lot adjacent to the picnic area is a good spot. There are handicapped-accessible portable restrooms in the parking area at the end of Rosedale Manor Lane.

Pet Policy:

Pets are permitted; must be on leash at all times and you must pick up after your pet.

Special Designatios:

Greenwell State Park is a part of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network of the National Park Service.

Special Features:

Greenwell State Park is one of the sites on the 80-mile-long Patuxent Water Trail.

The Greenwell Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with the Maryland Park Service to provide accessible and inclusive programs, services and facilities for all community members, with and without disabilities, in Southern Maryland. The Foundation’s headquarters are in Greenwell State Park. The Greenwell Foundation offers therapeutic and recreational riding lessons, summer camp and nature camps, kayaking, accessible site rentals and is regularly developing new programs to meet community needs.

There is no chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society in Calvert County, but many birders participate in MOS through the Anne Arundel Bird Club or the Patuxent Bird Club; both of these MOS chapters offer field trips and meetings with informative programs, all free and open to the public. In addition, the Southern MD Audubon Society serves birders in Charles, Calvert, St.Mary’s and Prince George’s Counties.

Parking:

Ample parking in designated lots. See trail map at the link at left.

Directions:

From points north in Prince George’s or Charles Counties: Take US Route 301 south to MD Route 5/Mattawoman-Beantown Road. Turn south onto MD Route 5. In 3.2 miles, MD Route 5 makes a left to go south on Leonardtown Road. Follow Leonardtown Road for 18 miles and continue straight ahead to go south on MD Route 235/Three Notch Road toward Hollywood. In 9.9 miles, turn left (northeast) onto MD Route 245/Sotterley Road and travel 2.3 miles. Turn right (east) onto Steerhorn Neck Road. The park entrance is the second drive on the left (north side of the road) in approximately 0.4 miles.

If coming from points north in Anne Arundel or Calvert Counties: Take MD Route 4 south to Solomon’s Island. Continue on MD Route 4 over the Solomon’s Island Bridge over the Patuxent River. At the first traffic light after the bridge, turn right (north) onto MD 235/Three Notch Road and go 4.1 miles. Turn right (northeast) onto MD Route 245/Sotterley Road. In 2.3 miles, turn right (east) onto Steerhorn Neck Road. The park entrance is the second drive on the left (north side of the road) in approximately 0.4 miles.

Nearby Sites:

St. Mary’s County: Beauvue Ponds & Abell’s Wharf ■ Myrtle Point Park  ■ Newtowne Neck State ParkPoint Lookout State Park ■ Historic SotterleySt. Mary’s River State Park & Salem State Forest

Habitats:

Bottomland DeciduousHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Lawn, Ballfields, Golf Course Agricultural Crop Fields or Fallow FieldsOld Fields, Shrubby MeadowsSandy Beach or Dunes Forested SwampFreshwater Marsh or FloodplainJetties & SeawallsMud Flats (Tidal or Non-Tidal)Open Ocean, Bay, or EstuaryRivers & StreamsSalt or Brackish Marsh

Features:

Boat or Canoe/Kayak LaunchHiking/Walking TrailsHistorical FeaturesHuntingObservation Platform or TowerParkingPets AllowedPicnic AreaRestroomsSwimmingWater View

Type:

Chesapeake Bay Gateways NetworkState ParksThe Rivers of the Western ShoreWater Trails