At a Glance
Hours: Grounds open sunrise to sunset. The Holt Center and offices may be open from 9 am to 5 pm, as staff is available.
Cost: Grounds are free. Some programs have a fee.
Tips: Be sure to check the pond and along the stream by the nature paths.
Best Seasons: Spring and fall.
Breeding Bird Atlas Block: Baltimore East NE
Local MOS Chapter: Baltimore Bird Club
Holt Park
34 Elmont Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21206
(410) 887-5307
Holt Park is located in the Overlea-Fullerton Community of Baltimore County, east of the City of Baltimore and just inside the Baltimore Beltway near the junction with I-95. Once a private residence and retreat, the property was donated to Baltimore County by Lillian McCormick Holt, a religious educator and amateur painter, upon her death in 1975. She dedicated its use to nature appreciation, quiet contemplation, and art.
This small 16-acre park offers deciduous woodland, wetlands and meadows, a pollinator garden, and a lily pond, with a network of nature trails, an outdoor amphitheater with a gazebo, several log houses, and a labyrinth with a meditation garden path. There is also an indoor art and nature center, which offers a wide variety of art and nature programs throughout the year. It’s a great place where local residents and visitors can enjoy a patch of nature.
Birdlife:
Over 145 bird species have been reported on the eBird hotspot for this small park. A rich diversity of bird life can be found throughout the year.
With over 25 species of warblers, spring and fall migrations are an especially popular time to bird this park.
Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks can be found throughout the year; woodpeckers are also resident year-round. Flycatchers and vireos are present in the warm months.
Sparrows can be found from October through April, and include Chipping, Field, Fox, White-crowned, White-throated, Savannah, Song, Lincoln’s, and Swamp. along with Dark-eyed Junco and Eastern Towhee.
Wheelchair Access:
Some of the traits in the immediate vicinity of the parking lot, house, and lily pond are paved and wheelchair accessible. The nature trails further from the parking lot are natural surface and are not wheelchair accessible. No accessible restroom.
Pet Policy:
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 Features:
The park has a Nature Cabin with activities and exhibits for children and multiple craft programs held through out the year. Call to inquire or see the calendar of events at http://www.overleafrc.com/programs/holtpark.
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.
Parking:
Small paved parking area at 34 Elmont Avenue on the edge of the park. GPS Coordinates 39.352737, -76.516794.
Directions:
From the Baltimore Beltway/I-695, take Exit 32, US Route 1/Belair Road South. Travel 1.5 miles and turn left onto Kenwood Avenue. In 0.6 miles, turn right onto Elmont Avenue. In 0.2 miles, Elmont Road dead ends at the park. The parking lot is on the left.
By Bus: Take the #55 bus (runs from Towson to Franklin Square via Golden Ring) to the stop at Kenwood and Elinor Avenue. Walk northwest along Kenwood Avenue. Turn left on Elmont Avenue. Follow Elmont and park entrance will be on the left. Walk time from bus stop: about 9 minutes (0.4 mile).
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 ■ Gunpowder Falls State Park – Hammerman Area & Dundee Creek Marina ■ Hart-Miller Island State 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:
Upland Deciduous Forests Garden or ArboretumLawn, Ballfields, Golf CourseSuburban Neighborhood Old Fields, Shrubby Meadows Freshwater Pond, Lake, or Reservoir
Features:
BeginnersFree - No Entry Fee at Any TimeHiking/Walking TrailsHistorical FeaturesNative Plant Garden or Meadow/Pollinator PlantsNature Education ProgramsParkingPets AllowedPlaygroundRestroomsVisitor Center, Interpretive Displays, ExhibitsWater ViewWheelchair Accessible FeaturesYoung People / FamiliesType:
County Parks
