Gunpowder Falls State Park – Hammerman Area & Dundee Creek Marina

Gunpowder Falls State Park – Hammerman Area and Dundee Creek Marina

Hammerman Area: 7200 Graces Quarters Road, Chase, MD 20127
Dundee Creek Marina:7400 Graces Quarters Road, Chase, MD 20127
(410) 592-2897 (both areas)

The Hammerman Area of Gunpowder Falls State Park and the adjacent Dundee Creek Marina cover about 800 acres and are located in the southeast portion of Baltimore County, near where the Gunpowder River empties into the Chesapeake Bay. The location provides for excellent birding year-round.

The Hammerman Area offers a trail network, picnic pavilions, a swimming beach with a bath house, food concessions, and a shallow-water boat launch suitable for canoes and kayaks. Shoreline fishing is allowed north and south of the swimming beach. The picnic pavilions are set into a wooded area comprised of deciduous bottomland trees such as Sweet Gum. A paved road circles most of the picnic pavilions, with short spurs to a couple of the other pavilions, and inside the paved loop is a natural surface loop trail connecting the pavilions. There are also two short side trails:

• The horseshoe-shapedDogwood Nature Trail (0.9 miles) goes through a wooded area surrounded by wetlands to the west, north, and east.
• The Muskrat Trail (0.6 miles) has a loop section at its southwest end that provides a marsh overlook.

There are modern restrooms near the parking areas for the picnic pavilions. During the winter season (i.e., after the busy swimming season is over), the raised patio at the bathhouse on the beachfront provides a great vantage point from which to scope the Gunpowder River for waterfowl.

The park includes a public archery range just south of the Hammerman recreation area.

The adjacent Dundee Creek Marina is a full-service marina and has a launch for trailered boats as well as a soft launch area for car-top boats (rowboats, kayaks, canoes, paddle boards). For those who wish to bird the area from the water, boat and canoe/kayak rentals are available at the Marina. Habitat near the Marina includes beach front, tidal wetlands, open fields, shrub-scrub, and deciduous and pine forests with interspersed wet areas.

South of the Dundee Creek Marina, there is a quiet fishing area on a peninsula at the end of Grace’s Quarters Road. Graces Quarters Road runs south from the Archery Range for about 0.6 miles to the fishing area, passing through wet woods. This part of the road provides good birding right from the car. The road to the fishing area is closed in winter but can still be walked.

In the vicinity of the Archery Range, Marina and fishing area, several short hiking trails offer good birding in both wetland and forest environments:

• The Whitetail Trail is a figure-8 loop trail accessed from the parking area for the Archery Range; total round-trip distance is about 1 mile or could be more, if you choose to take any of the side-trails and mini-loops that branch off the main trail. The trail goes through woods and is adjacent to extensive tidal wetlands.
• Located east of the Marina, the White Trail runs roughly north-south down the peninsula from the Marina entrance road to the parking lot for the fishing area at the south end of Graces Quarters Road, going through wet woods and passing a pond/wetland near its south end. One-way distance is about 0.9 miles.
• The Red Trail, a side trail off the White Trail, starts near the north end of the White Trail and ends at Graces Quarters Road, running through woodlands, with a wet patch near its south end. One-way distance is about 0.4 miles.
• The Orange Trail is a short spur off the White Trail, leading to Graces Quarters Road in 0.15 miles.
• Past the parking lot for the peninsula fishing area, Graces Quarters Road continues as a pedestrian-only trail, with two side-branches on old paved roads, one leading east and one leading west. All three branches lead to shoreline fishing spots with good water views. There are also numerous small fisherman’s foot-trails in this area.

Important note: Southeast of the Archery Range, there is a large area housing a research facility of the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (US Army). Part of the Whitetail Trail skirts the research facility. This research facility is fenced and is strictly off-limits to the public. Do not attempt to enter.

The Hammerman Area and Dundee Creek Marina are just two of the six distinct visitor areas that make up Gunpowder Falls State Park, one of Maryland’s largest state parks, with 15,000 acres in Baltimore and Harford Counties. Established in 1959 to protect the valleys of the Gunpowder River and the Big and Little Gunpowder Falls, Gunpowder State Park forms a narrow corridor along the river valley, yet hosts varied topography ranging from tidal wetlands to steep and rugged slopes. Gunpowder State Park as a whole features more than 120 miles of trails; protected State Wildlands; historic sites; and many visitor amenities and recreational opportunities. There is a lot to explore here.

Birdlife:

There are three eBird hotspots that cover these two areas of Gunpowder Falls State Park:

• Gunpowder Falls SP–Hammerman Area (183+ species)
• Gunpowder Falls SP–Dundee Creek Marina (141++ species)
• Gunpowder Falls SP–Dundee Creek Fishing Area (124+ species)

The cumulative total seen at these three hotspots is 191 species.

The Hammerman Area and Dundee Creek offer good birding year round, but especially during spring and fall migration. The park attracts a variety of seasonal migrants (warblers and vireos and other passerines).

The park is known for waterfowl, with 24 species reported, mostly during winter, except for Wood Ducks, which breed locally and are present through the warmer months. Look for scaup, mergansers, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, and Ruddy Ducks on the open waters of the Gunpowder River as well as in the smaller coves around Dundee Creek.

This area hosts nesting Bald Eagles, present year-round, and nesting Ospreys are also present during the summer months.

Along with other gulls, Bonaparte’s Gulls can be seen in late March/early April. Least, Caspian, and Forster’s Terns may be found in spring and in fall migration (August-September).

A good selection of sparrows, including Dark-eyed Junco, Eastern Towhee, American Tree, Chipping, Field, Fox, White-throated, Savannah, Song, and Swamp Sparrows, can be found in the fields and brushy areas in late fall through early spring.

Wheelchair Access:
The foot-trails in the park are not wheelchair accessible, but there is fairly good birding along the entrance roads, the picnic area loop, and at parking areas near the Hammerman picnic pavilions, the Archery Range, the Dundee Creek Marina, and the fishing area. Grace’s Quarters Road between the Archery Range and the fishing area offers excellent birding from or near the car, but is closed in winter. There are accessible restrooms near the picnic pavilions and at the swimming beach, but some of the picnic area restrooms may not be open during the winter. The seasonal food concession at the swimming beach is also accessible, as are the docks and store at the Marina.

Pet Policy:

Pets are allowed in most areas except for the sandy swimming beach from Memorial Day to Labor Day, as well as the food concessions, restrooms, and playgrounds. Pets must be on a leash at all times; pick up after your pet and take the bagged waste with you when you leave.

Special Designations:

• Gunpowder Falls State Park is a part of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network of the National Park Service.
• A large portion of Gunpowder Falls State Park, totaling 3,872 acres in four different parcels (but not including Hammerman or Dundee Creek), has been designated as State Wildlands, with special protections that limit usage to passive recreation.

Special Features:

• There are extensive visitor facilities at the Hammerman area, focused on the swimming beach.
• Canoe and kayak rentals are offered seasonally at Dundee Creek Marina.

Local MOS Chapter:

The local chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society is the Baltimore Bird Club. The Baltimore Bird Club is the founding chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society, and remains an important hub of birding activity in the state. The club offers monthly meetings with informative presentations and a full schedule of field trips and bird walks, all free and open to the public.

Lights Out Baltimore is a project of the Baltimore Bird Club and the Maryland Ornithological Society that works toward making Baltimore safe for migratory birds by advocating for turning out decorative nighttime lighting in the city during peak migration seasons, as well as advocating for bird-safe building design that makes glass and windows visible to birds. Volunteers are needed to scout for birds killed or injured by hitting buildings during migration. See the Lights Out Baltimore website for ways you can help.

For a whimsical look at birding activities in Baltimore, check out the graphic arts booklet, “Birdland,” created by local artist Book Karnjanakit.

Multimedia:

Episode 3202 – Blue Ribbon River: This special episode of Outdoors Maryland from Maryland Public Television explores the rich beauty and natural diversity of the Gunpowder Falls watershed in Baltimore County.

Parking:

In the Hammerman Area, there are multiple parking areas located near the swimming beach and near the picnic pavilions.  Parking is also available at the Archery Range, at Dundee Creek Marina, and at the Dundee Creek fishing area at the end of Grace’s Quarters Road (closed in winter).

Directions:

From I-95 north of Baltimore: Take exit 67A for MD Route 43 east (White Marsh Boulevard). Follow MD Route 43 to US Route 40 and take the ramp to go east on US Route 40. At the first traffic light on US Route 40, turn right (east) onto Ebenezer Road and follow it for 4.5 miles. The park entrance will be on your left. The Dundee Creek Marina is located 0.5 miles past the park entrance on the right, at 7400 Graces Quarters Road, Chase, MD 21027.

Nearby Sites:

Baltimore City: Cylburn Arboretum ■ Druid Hill Park ■ Fort McHenry National Monument ■ Masonville Cove Environmental Education Center ■ Patterson Park

Baltimore County: Cromwell Valley Park ■ Fort Howard Park ■ Hart-Miller Island State Park ■ Holt Park ■ Irvine Nature Center ■ Lake Roland ■ Liberty Reservoir – Baltimore County ■ Loch Raven Reservoir ■ Marshy Point Nature Center ■ Milford Mill aka Villa Nova Park ■ North Point State Park ■ Northern Central Rail Trail (NCRT) ■ Oregon Ridge Park ■ Soldiers Delight Natural Environmental Area

Habitats:

Bottomland DeciduousConifersHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Garden or ArboretumLawn, Ballfields, Golf CourseSuburban Neighborhood Sandy Beach or Dunes Forested SwampFreshwater Marsh or FloodplainMud Flats (Tidal or Non-Tidal)Open Ocean, Bay, or EstuaryRivers & Streams

Features:

BeginnersBicycle Trails (Bikes may be prohibited on some trails)Boat or Canoe/Kayak LaunchBoat RentalsEntry Fee (for Some Areas, Other Areas Free)FishingHiking/Walking TrailsHuntingObservation Platform or TowerParkingPets AllowedPicnic AreaPlaygroundRestroomsSnack Bar, Camp Store, Food ConcessionsSwimmingWater ViewYoung People / Families

Type:

Chesapeake Bay Gateways NetworkChesapeake Bay Western ShoreState Natural Areas & WildlandsState ParksThe Rivers of the Western Shore