At a Glance

Hours: Grounds: open 7 days a week 7 am to dusk. Visitor Center: 9 am – 4 pm, Monday through Friday; 10 am – 3 pm, Saturday and Sunday.

Cost: Daily fee: $6/vehicle; annual and senior citizen lifetime passes available from the County Recreation & Parks Department. Park fees must be paid in cash or check. Credit/debit cards are not accepted at the park.

Tips: Tick protection is advisable. ◾ Stop in at the Visitor Center for a park bird checklist. ◾ Try to visit in early morning on weekdays to avoid crowds and athletic events. ◾ Restrooms are located at the Visitor Center, at the Concession Stand in the sports area, and near the Blacksmith Shop in the farm area.

Best Seasons: Spring and fall are best, but there is good habitat in all seasons.

Breeding Bird Atlas Block: Round Bay NW

Local MOS Chapter: Anne Arundel Bird Club

Official Website

Trail Map

eBird Hotspot

Kinder Farm Park

1001 Kinder Farm Park Road, Millersville, MD 21108
(410) 222-6115

The 288-acre Kinder Farm Park in northern Anne Arundel County is an open space oasis amid an area of residential neighborhoods. Formerly a farm where cattle and crops were raised, this county park has a mix of mature forest, managed warm-season grass meadows, and several ponds and streams. The park features a 2.4-mile paved perimeter trail and a well-developed network of natural surface trails, all with minor elevation gain.

The farm was originally owned by Gustave and Henry Kinder and their descendants, a family of German immigrants. Their farmhouse and other farm buildings have now been restored as a working farm with exhibits to illustrate how the farmers lived.

This is a multi-use park, much valued by the local residents and always a busy place. Other amenities at the park include a visitor center, athletic fields, a playground, disc golf, picnic areas, and a large community vegetable garden.

Birdlife:

Over 185 species have been reported on eBird at Kinder Farm Park.

Winter: Winter Wren, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Fox Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco.

Spring: Wood Duck, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Cedar Waxwing, Magnolia Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting.

Summer: Cattle Egret, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Barn Swallow.

Fall: Yellow-billed Cuckoo, American Kestrel, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Thrasher, Black-and-White Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Yellow-breasted Chat.

Year-round: Red-shouldered Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Towhee.

Special Features:

Kinder Farm Park has a youth campground available to organized groups by prior arrangement. ◾ 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.

Multimedia:

Anne Arundel County has a brief video tour on Kinder Farm Park available on YouTube.

Parking:

Ample paved parking lots throughout the park; see the trail map at the link at left.

Directions:

From I-97 south of the Baltimore Beltway: Take Exit 10 to go east on Benfield Boulevard. Follow Benfield Boulevard for 2.4 miles and then turn left (north) onto Jumpers Hole Road. The park is entrance is located on the left (west) side of Jumpers Hole Road in about 1.2 miles. Turn into the entrance road and follow signs to parking after paying at the entrance station.

From the Annapolis area or from the Eastern Shore via the Bay Bridge: Take US Route 50 to Exit 27 for MD Route 2 North. Go north on MD Route 2 for 7.3 miles, then turn left (west) onto West Earliegh Heights Road. After 0.8 miles, turn right (north) onto Jumpers Hole Road. The park will be on your left (west) side of Jumpers Hole Road in just 0.3 miles.

Nearby Sites:

Anne Arundel County: Davidsonville Park ◾ Downs Memorial Park ◾ Fort Smallwood Park ◾ Greenbury Point◾ Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary ◾ 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