At a Glance
Hours: Open 24×7, 365 days a year.
Cost: Free.
Tips: Take precautions for ticks and other biting insects. ◾ Trails may be wet or muddy and are rugged. Wear sturdy waterproof hiking boots or shoes. ◾ This is an active hunting area. Be aware of hunting seasons and plan your visit accordingly. Multiple types of game are hunted. Wear safety orange and put a safety orange vest on your dog. ◾ Ongoing restoration of the property and trail development may cause the DNR trail map to be out of date. ◾ Construction equipment may be present; avoid active construction areas. ◾ No restrooms.
Best Seasons: The birds are great year-round, but avoid entering during hunting seasons.
Breeding Bird Atlas Blocks: Four blocks — Ninepin Branch NE (NW corner of the property); Berlin NW (small slice by the parking area); Ninepin Branch CE (the half west of driveway and including the south section); Berlin CW (the half east of the driveway).
Local MOS Chapters: Tri-County Bird Club
Libertytown Branch (Former Bay Club Golf Course)
9122 Libertytown Road, Berlin, MD 21811
GPS Coordinates: 38.334739, -75.249823
Chesapeake Forest Lands Office: 410-632-3732
The former Bay Club Golf Course, more recently known as Libertytown Branch (also the name of the main stream on the property), is providing new birding opportunities in a rural area just west of Berlin, MD in Worcester County. With the assistance of the Lower Shore Land Trust (LSLT), the defunct golf club (440 acres), along with an adjoining former farm (234 acres), was purchased from property developers by the State of Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 2023. The state added another 41 acres in 2025 that will serve as a connector to the Town of Berlin, bringing the total acreage to 715. The property is now part of the vast Chesapeake Forest Lands managed by the Maryland Forest Service.
Let’s get the name of the place out of the way right now. The property is known by many names, reflecting its history and transition from private to public ownership. In addition to “Libertytown Branch” and the “Former Bay Club,” you may see
- Old Bay Club
- Bay Club Complex
- Bay Club West
- Libertytown Branch Tract
- Libertytown Branch Walking Trails
- Old Joseph Farm (harking back to the former owner of the property’s south section)
- Chesapeake Forest Lands Tract WR46-Bay Club
and many variations thereof. Don’t be confused. All the names refer to the same place. Throughout this description we’re going to use the “Libertytown Branch” name.
When we say “former golf course,” there is strong emphasis on the “former” aspect. Since golf operations ceased in 2019, the land has been quickly reclaimed by nature, and now bears little resemblance to the previous meticulously groomed landscape of fairways and greens. Remaining sand traps and water hazards (now wildlife ponds) provide a hint of its former life. Get a glimpse of the current landscape conditions by viewing photos in the Google Maps Photo Gallery or on the Delmarva Trails and Waterways website.
The state has removed the clubhouse, all the other golf course buildings, and the brick walls that used to flank the entrance gate, and the former paved driveway is now a packed stone dust and gravel lane with a gravel parking area at the entrance off Libertytown Road. There are still some small bridges and other infrastructure on the remaining old golf cart paths.
The main tract is on the south side of MD Route 374/Libertytown Road. The old driveway runs in a straight line for about 0.4 miles south from the parking area off Libertytown Road to a large clearing where the clubhouse used to be, and is still the main access to the heart of the property.
You can find remnants of golf cart trails to the left and right of the main driveway. There are about 12 miles of trails available but the trail system is not yet fully developed or marked. DNR calls the trails “unimproved” and “unmaintained.” Use the DNR trail map as a guide to explore the property but recognize that the landscape is undergoing change: when you get there, old trails may be non-existent and new ones may have sprung up. Also be aware that construction equipment may be present; avoid active construction areas.
In addition to the main tract that is immediately adjacent to Libertytown Road, the south section, which was the former Joseph Farm, contains about 234 acres of crop fields and woods. This section is shown in gray on the DNR trail map to designate a “no public hunting zone.” There is no direct access from Cedar Lane Road, which forms the south boundary of Libertytown Branch – obey the “no parking” signs there.
To get to the south section, you must walk in from the main tract on Libertytown Road, going south on the old driveway and continuing south past the clearing where the clubhouse used to be, with a very large pond on your right (west side of the driveway). The driveway will dwindle down to a trail and start to curve; follow the trail to keep heading south to a hedgerow that runs east-west. Go through the hedgerow to arrive at the south section, which still looks like a farm, with a patchwork of fields and a large woodlot on the west. Explore the south section’s fields and woods with caution until marked trails are laid out. There are private residences along Cedar Lane Road; do not trespass and have respect for residents’ privacy.
What we have at present at Libertytown Branch is a landscape consisting of rough grass fields and scrub-shrub interspersed with stands of trees, hedgerows, and remnants of natural wooded (palustrine) wetlands, and with scattered small ponds, streams, and manmade ditches. The larger wooded sections provide habitat for Forest Interior Dwelling Species. The forested areas are a mix of hardwoods and conifers, mostly Loblolly Pine.
The diverse habitats are attracting a good selection of birds as well as other wildlife. Notable birds observed at Libertytown Branch include many swallows; sparrows and other field birds such as pipits; warblers; hawks and falcons; Bald Eagles; and some wetland birds such as Wilson’s Snipe and herons.
The area is popular with local residents for hiking and dog-walking. The Town of Berlin is eagerly awaiting future trail connections to the town. Naturalists of all kinds are visiting with their iNaturalist apps open and are documenting plants, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and more.
The habitat and bird and wildlife populations will be getting even better. The Lower Shore Land Trust (LSLT) has secured substantial grant funding and is partnering with DNR and the US Fish and Wildlife Service on restoration efforts. LSLT volunteers are pitching in on restoration projects and tasks such as sign installation and plantings.
The property is situated in the headwaters of the Pocomoke River; Libertytown Branch flows through the south part of the site and is part of a complex system of small streams and manmade ditches whose waters drain into the Pocomoke. Actually, Libertytown Branch has been ditched and drained so much that its original course is hard to follow. The ditches were installed, not just here, but all across the lower Delmarva Peninsula, with the purpose of draining water from wetlands to make them suitable for farming and other uses. Some ditches were also installed in an attempt to control mosquito populations (that didn’t work!).
Now, a focus of the restoration work at Libertytown Branch will be plugging existing ditches to reestablish normal water flow and hydrology, in the interests of improving wetland habitat as well as water quality in the watershed. According to DNR, “The wetlands project will ultimately include the restoration of 15 acres of ephemeral wetlands, 13 acres of semi-permanent forested wetlands, and 100 acres of restored forested wetland hydrology.”
Habitat restoration also includes creation of pollinator meadows on 18 acres near the parking area, and planting of 62 acres with native trees such as Loblolly and Shortleaf Pines, Bald Cypress, Yellow Poplar, and oaks such as Black, Southern Red, White, and Willow. Some of this work has already been completed and more is yet to come, including refinements to the parking area, additional signage, cleanup of all the golf balls on the ground and in the ponds, and checking that footbridges and other infrastructure are in safe condition.
Hint: Take a bag with you, and pick up and carry out any golf balls that you find.
Birdlife:
There is one eBird hotspot for Libertyville Branch:
– Old Bay Club Golf Course/Libertytown Branch – 99+ species.
The first checklists were submitted to eBird when the property was opened to the public in late fall 2023, and as of summer 2026, the bird list is still relatively short but includes an impressive array of species. We encourage all who visit to submit checklists to eBird, recognizing that birding during hunting season is not recommended.
eBird’s list of “Iconic Birds” for Libertytown Branch includes Bald Eagle; Wilson’s Snipe; American Kestrel; Summer Tanager; waders such as Green Heron and Great Blue; sparrows including Lincoln’s, Field, Swamp, Chipping, Song, Eastern Towhee; other field birds such as American Pipit, Eastern Meadowlark; scrub-shrub habitat birds such as Orchard Oriole, Yellow-breasted Chat, Prairie Warbler, Blue Grosbeak, White-eyed Vireo; and warblers including Palm, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Pine.
The eBird bar charts for Libertytown Branch appear incomplete in that there haven’t been enough visits to fill them out over the full span of 12 months. We will update this section at a later date when more checklists have been submitted. For now, here’s a preliminary run-down of expected species by time of year, based on current data.
Year-round or nearly so (including resident breeders): Canada Goose (?), Mallard (?), Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks, Carolina Wren, various woodpeckers, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Northern Cardinal.
Breeding Season: Northern Bobwhite (scarce, may be released birds), Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Killdeer, Great Blue Heron, maybe Red-headed Woodpecker (scarce), Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Red-Eyed Vireo, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, maybe Wood Thrush, Yellow-breasted Chat, Eastern Meadowlark, Orchard Oriole, Black-and-white Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Pine Warbler, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting.
Wintering: Tundra Swan, Eastern Screech-Owl, Belted Kingfisher, American Kestrel, Eastern Phoebe, Brown Creeper, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Pine Siskin, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Migrating birds of passage (spring and fall): Wilson’s Snipe, Great Egret, Osprey, Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Pipit, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Boat-tailed Grackle, Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Northern Waterthrush, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Palm Warbler. Some of these may be promoted to breeders as more data accumulates.
Wheelchair Access:
Off-road types of wheelchair, motorized or push scooters, and walkers/rollators can probably negotiate the long entrance driveway that extends south from the parking area, but there may be wet or muddy and soft sections. Foot-trails are not handicapped accessible. No restrooms.
Pet Policy:
Apart from hunting dogs accompanying licensed hunters, pets should be on leash; pick up after your pet.
Special Features:
- The Friends of Libertytown Branch conduct volunteer activities; see their Facebook group.
- Observations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, plants, and more can be viewed on the iNaturalist website.
- The Lower Shore Land Trust (LSLT) is partnering with MD DNR and US Fish and Wildlife Service on restoration of Libertytown Branch. Donations to LSLT would be welcome.
- LSLT has published a handy pamphlet on places to go birding on the Lower Eastern Shore. Download a copy for free.
Local MOS Chapter:
The local chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society is the Tri-County Bird Club, offering field trips and meetings with informative programs, all free and open to the public. Consult the online calendar on the MOS website for details on meetings, field trips, and other events. Or check the club’s Facebook page.
Multimedia:
WMDT-Local ABC News has a brief video clip from February 2025 that discusses the habitat restoration and trail system work occurring at Libertytown Branch, with a spokesperson from Lower Shore Land Trust. There are good images of the habitat.
Parking:
Large gravel lot just off Libertytown Road.
Directions:
- Libertytown Branch is located just west of the town of Berlin in Worcester County, MD.
- Street address: 9122 Libertytown Rd., Berlin, MD 21811
- GPS Coordinates: 38.334739, -75.249823
From the Western Shore: Use your favorite route to reach the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. After crossing the bridge, continue east on US Route 301/US Route 50, then use the right two lanes to take the exit for US Route 50/Ocean Gateway east toward Salisbury and Ocean City. Upon reaching the Salisbury vicinity (about 75 miles from the Bay Bridge), continue to follow signs to take the Salisbury Bypass around the east edge of Salisbury. From the Bypass, follow signs and use the cloverleaf to merge onto US Route 50/Ocean Gateway toward Ocean City. In just a few hundred feet after the cloverleaf, make a right to go south on Hobbs Road; drive 1.5 miles on Hobbs Road, which has a couple of sharp S-curves. Hobbs Road will end at MD Route 350/Hebron Road; turn left to go east on Hebron Road. In 8.6 miles, in the town of Powellville, turn right to go south on MD Route 350/Willards/Whiton Road. In 0.4 miles, at a fork in the road, bear left onto MD Route 374/Libertytown Road. The entrance to Libertytown Branch will be on your right (south side of road) in about 8.0 miles. Look for a red steel gate set back from the road by a parking area.
From the Eastern Shore:
From Cecil, Kent, or Queen Anne’s Counties: Use US Route 301 or MD Route 213 southbound to reach US Route 50 Ocean Gateway, and then follow directions as above from the Western Shore, picking up the directions at Salisbury.
From points north in Delaware: Use US Route 113 southbound toward Berlin and Ocean City. The follow directions as above from the Western Shore, picking up the directions at Salisbury.
From points south on Delmarva, such as Pocomoke City, MD or the Eastern Shore of Virginia: Use US Route 13/113 northbound to reach Pocomoke City. At the Route 13/113 split, bear right to continue north on US Route 113. In about 27.1 miles, in the Town of Berlin, turn left onto Main Street. In less than a mile about 4 blocks, just past the Mermaid Museum (really!), turn left to go west on MD Route 374/West Broad Street, which will become Libertytown Road as you drive out of town. The entrance to Libertytown Branch will be on your left (south side of road) in about 1.8 miles. Look for a red steel gate set back from the road by a parking area.
From Ocean City: Two options to leave Ocean City: the Route 90 bridge or the Route 50 bridge.
- From the Route 90 bridge: Take MD Route 90 west for about 7.8 miles, to the interchange with US Route 113, and follow signs to take 113 south toward Berlin. Follow signs and use to the cloverleaf to get onto US Route 113 south toward Berlin. In 2.5 miles, at the interchange with US Route 50/Ocean Gateway, follow signs and use the cloverleaf to get onto Route 50 heading west. From Route 50, make the first left turn in just a few hundred feet turn to go south on Main Street toward the Town of Berlin. In 0.9 miles, bear right onto Harrison Ave. Drive south on Harrison about 3 blocks (0.3 mile) and turn right to go west on MD Route 374/West Broad Street, which will become Libertytown Road as you drive out of town. The entrance to Libertytown Branch will be on your left (south side of road) in about 1.6 miles. Look for a red steel gate set back from the road by a parking area.
- From the Route 50 bridge: Drive west on Route 50 and continue PAST the interchange with US Route 113. Immediately after the 113 cloverleaf, turn left to go south on Main Street toward the Town of Berlin. In 0.9 miles, bear right onto Harrison Ave. Drive south on Harrison about 3 blocks (0.3 mile) and turn right to go west on MD Route 374/West Broad Street, which will become Libertytown Road as you drive out of town. The entrance to Libertytown Branch will be on your left (south side of road) in about 1.6 miles. Look for a red steel gate set back from the road by a parking area.
Nearby Sites:
Worcester County: Assateague Island National Seashore & Assateague Island State Park ■ E.A. Vaughn Wildlife Management Area ■ Heron Park (formerly Berlin Falls Park) ■ Isle of Wight Park & Wildlife Management Area ■ Nassawango Creek Preserve and Furnace Town ■ Ocean City Inlet & Sunset Park ■ Ocean City: Skimmer Island (4th Street Mudflats) ■ Pocomoke River State Park – Shad Landing & Milburn Landing ■ Pocomoke State Forest – Hickory Point Cypress Swamp Natural Area ■ South Point ■ Sun Outdoors Ocean City (formerly Castaways Campground) ■ Truitts Landing & Other Bayside Landings ■ West Ocean City Park-n-Ride & Homer Gudelsky Park ■ West Ocean City Pond
Wicomico County: Cedar Hill Marina & Park ■ Ellis Bay Wildlife Management Area ■ Nanticoke River Wildlife Management Area – Nutter’s Neck ■ Nassawango Creek Preserve and Furnace Town ■Pemberton Historical Park ■ Pirate’s Wharf Park ■ Roaring Point & Nanticoke Harbor ■ Tyaskin Park & Wetipquin Park ■ Salisbury Landfill & Naylor Mill Road Pond ■ Schumaker Pond & Salisbury City Park
Habitats:
Bottomland Deciduous ForestsConifersHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Forests Former Golf Course Agricultural Crop Fields or Fallow FieldsHay Meadows, Pasture, Grass FieldOld Fields, Shrubby Meadows Forested SwampFreshwater Marsh or FloodplainFreshwater Pond, Lake, or ReservoirRivers & Streams
Features and Amenities:
BeginnersFishingFree - No Entry Fee at Any TimeHabitat Restoration ProjectHiking/Walking TrailsHistorical FeaturesHuntingNative Plant Garden or Meadow/Pollinator PlantsParkingPets AllowedWater ViewType:
Hunting AreasState Forests