Hashawha Environmental Center / Bear Branch Nature Center

Hashawha Environmental Center / Bear Branch Nature Center

300 John Owings Rd., Westminster, MD 21158
(410) 386-3580 | Email: bearbranch@carrollcountymd.gov

Hashawha Environmental Center and Bear Branch Nature Center are operated by the Carroll County Department of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the county Board of Education. “Hashawha” is a Native American word meaning “old fields,” an apt name for this site. Hashawha Environmental Center and Bear Branch Nature Center are located on 320 acres with forests, swamps, and meadows. Bear Branch and Big Pipe Creeks flow through the property. More than five miles of multi-use trails traverse the park and provide access to all the different habitats.

There are three main trails. See the trail map at the link in the At a Glance section of this webpage. Important: if you hold the trail map in “landscape” layout so that you can read the labels, North will be toward the left edge of the page, not toward the top of the page.

• The Vista Trail (marked by white triangles, 1.2 mile loop) – goes around the Bear Branch Nature Center; easy to moderate. The Vista Trail passes through wooded areas, skirts farm fields, and goes past the Raptor Mews, where captive birds of prey are housed.
• The Stream Trail (marked by green triangles, 1.8 miles long, semi-loop (U-shaped) – begins at Lake Hashawha, then follows Bear Branch before cutting through fields and meadows. The historic Martin Log Cabin can be found along the Stream Trail. The trail is U-shaped; if you start at the lake, you will end at the southwest corner of the Vista Trail, which you can use to return to the parking area. There is a boardwalk around the lake.
• The Wilderness Trail (marked by yellow triangles, 2 miles long) – consists of three loops totaling approximately 2 miles; for a shorter walk, you can skip one or two of the loops. The Wilderness Trail starts and ends along the Stream Trail just north of the residential camp area (no public entry); the trail connections  are just west and east of the historic log cabin. The Wilderness Trail provides views of Big Pipe Creek and the Carroll County countryside.

The Environmental Center features outdoor enclosures with captive birds of prey; a restored 19th century log cabin; picnic areas and pavilions; a lake (fishing permitted); and several small ponds. There are bird feeders near the Nature Center, which has hands-on educational exhibits; live animals; a Discovery Room with games, puzzles, and puppets for young children; a library; an observation beehive, and a planetarium and observatory.

Birdlife:

More than 1605 species have been reported on eBird at the hotspot for the Hashawha Environmental Center.

In the warmer months, the common birds in the trees and shrubs around the ponds and the lake are Red-winged Blackbirds; Blue-gray Gnatcatchers; Chipping, Swamp, and Song Sparrows; Eastern Towhees; and American Goldfinches. In the large field adjacent to the pond, listen for singing Grasshopper and Field Sparrows.

The large wetland area produces Swamp Sparrows and you may see a Red-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfishers, American Bitterns and Great-blue Herons. In the area around the lake and boardwalk in late spring and summer, you can easily find Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Yellow Warblers, Eastern Kingbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Green Herons, Eastern Phoebe and Gray Catbirds.

Follow the Stream Trail behind the trees which will lead you down to an area that is very productive for migrating warblers in spring. You may also find Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Scarlet Tanagers, Red- and White-eyed Vireos, Catbirds, Veeries, Wood Thrushes, and both waterthrushes. In spring and fall you may find both kinglets and possibly a Fox or Lincoln’s Sparrows.

Eastern Screec-Owl (fall), Barred Owl (year-round), and Great Horned Owl (sporadic late spring and fall) all occur in the park.

Bird boxes along the Vista Trail are usually occupied by House Wrens. You will hear Acadian, Great-Crested, and Willow Flycatchers along the trail in warmer months. Some of the wooded ponds along the trail may also have Wood Duck.

Make sure to check the feeders around the Bear Branch Nature Center at any time of year. Mostly you will see the common feeder birds;  however, you may also see a migrant seed-eater such as an Evening or Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The hill in front of the Nature Center is filled with Tree Swallows in spring and summer, and Eastern Bluebirds are common.

Hashawha has many woodpeckers: throughout the year, you can find Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, Pileated Woodpeckers and Northern Flicker, and in fall and winter, there are Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.

Wheelchair Access:

The natural surface trails at Hashawha are not wheelchair accessible. Call to inquire about available accommodations.

Pet Policy:

Pets are allowed on leash; pick up after your pet and take the bagged waste with you.

Special Features:

• Hashawha Environmental Center includes a residential camping facility that can be reserved by groups on weekends and during the summer
• Hashawha serves as the home for the County Board of Education’s Outdoor School, where each sixth-grader in the county experiences a week of environmental education on-site.
• Hashawha is a Master Naturalist training site, in cooperation with Maryland Cooperative Extension.
• There are several options for group recreation programs at Hashawha. Pool reservations, canoeing, team-building activities, and nature programs are available. Please inquire about what staff-led programs would be appropriate for your group.

Local MOS Chapter:

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

Multimedia:

• Audio recordings of interviews with people who grew up on the land that became Hashawha Environmental Center.
• The history of Hashawha Environmental Center is available in a YouTube video from Carroll County government.
• A park video tour is also available on YouTube, courtesy of the Carroll County government.

Parking:

Free. Parking is available at the Nature Center and near the lake.

Directions:

From the Baltimore Beltway/I-695: Take Exit 19 for I-795 Northbound. Stay on I-795 for 9.1 miles, then take Exit 9B for MD Route 140/Westminster Pike Westbound. Go 13 miles west on MD Route 140 to the town of Westminster. On the north side of Westminster, take the ramp to go north on MD Route 97/Littlestown Pike. Travel north for ~3 miles, then turn right (east) onto John Owings Road. Travel ~1.5 miles to Hashawha Road. Turn left (north) onto Hashawha Road. Travel ~.25 miles to Bear Branch Nature Center’s driveway on the right. Turn right and proceed up the driveway to the parking lot.

Nearby Sites:

Carroll County: Avondale Wildlife Management Area ◾ Krimgold Park ◾ Liberty Reservoir Cooperative Wildlife Management Area – Bollinger Mill Road ◾Morgan Run Natural Environmental Area ◾ Patapsco Valley State Park – McKeldin Area ◾ Piney Run Park & Nature Center ◾ Wakefield Valley Park

Habitats:

ConifersHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Forests Garden or ArboretumLawn, Ballfields, Golf Course Agricultural Crop Fields or Fallow FieldsHay Meadows, Pasture, Grass FieldOld Fields, Shrubby Meadows Freshwater Marsh or FloodplainFreshwater Pond, Lake, or ReservoirRivers & Streams

Features:

BeginnersBicycle Trails (Bikes may be prohibited on some trails)Bird Feeding StationBoardwalkFishingFree - No Entry Fee at Any TimeHabitat Restoration ProjectHiking/Walking TrailsHistorical FeaturesNative Plant Garden or Meadow/Pollinator PlantsNature Education ProgramsParkingPets AllowedPicnic AreaPlaygroundRestroomsVisitor Center, Interpretive Displays, ExhibitsWater ViewYoung People / Families

Type:

County ParksNature Centers