Marshy Point Nature Center

Marshy Point Nature Center

7130 Marshy Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21220
(410) 887-2817

Marshy Point Nature Center is situated within the 400-acre Marshy Point Park, operated by Baltimore County. The park is part of a natural preserve that includes adjacent state and federal land encompassing more than 3,000 acres. Marshy Point is situated on the Upper Chesapeake Bay along Dundee and Saltpeter Creeks. Marshy Point offers varied habitats including stands of old and young forest, open meadows, freshwater wetlands, and a web of tidal creeks and marshes.

The park features over five miles of hiking trails (including two self-guided nature trails), a paddling trail, a canoe launch and pier, a wildlife observation platform, and a butterfly garden. The trails of Marshy Point wind through the flat coastal plain forest, fields, and along adjacent wetlands, providing opportunities to observe wildlife and enjoy a number of scenic views of Dundee and Saltpeter Creeks. Katie & Wil’s Trail is a paved wheelchair-accessible trail that begins at the Nature Center and extends past the park’s wetland restoration area to Brinkman’s Road. Dedicated in memory of Katie and Wil Brady, this trail is blazed orange and includes excellent views from an observation platform and bridge over Minnow Branch Creek.

Online guides are available for Katie & Wil’s Trail (0.6 miles); the Dundee-Saltpeter Nature Trail, (1.4 miles); the Whitetail-Weiskittle-Iron Point Nature Trail (1.6 miles); and the Dundee Creek Paddle Trail (1.0 mile circuit trail).

Birdlife:

Over 205 species have been reported on the eBird hotspot for Marshy Point Nature Center.

There is always something to see at Marshy Point. Many species are present year-round and some of these breed here or nearby (breeding species are marked with an asterisk): Canada Geese*, Mallards*, Wood Ducks*, Mourning Doves*, Ring-billed Gulls, Double-crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons, Black and Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagles*, Red-shouldered* and Red-tailed* Hawks, Barred Owls*, Belted Kingfishers*, woodpeckers (Red-bellied*, Downy*, Hairy*, Pileated* and Northern Flicker*), Blue Jays*, American* and Fish* Crows, Carolina Chickadees*, Tufted Titmice*, White-breasted Nuthatches*, Carolina Wrens*, European Starlings*, Gray Catbirds*, Brown Thrashers*, Northern Mockingbirds*, Eastern Bluebirds*, American Robins*, Cedar Waxwings*, House Sparrows*, House Finches*, American Goldfinches*, Chipping Sparrows* (more numerous in summer), Song Sparrows*, Eastern Towhees*, Red-winged Blackbirds*, Common Grackles*, and Northern Cardinals*.

Some birds just come in for the breeding season: Ospreys, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Chimney Swifts, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, terns (Least, Caspian, Forster’s and Common, but these do not breed here), Green Herons, Eastern Wood-Pewees, Acadian Flycatchers, Eastern Phoebes, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, vireos (White-eyed and Red-eyed), swallows (Purple Martins, Northern Rough-winged, Bank, Barn, and Tree), Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, House Wrens, Marsh Wrens (not common any longer), Wood Thrushes, Yellow-breasted Chats, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, a few warblers (Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart), Scarlet Tanagers, Indigo Buntings, and Blue Grosbeaks.

During the winter, look for all three mergansers (Red-breasted, Common, and Hooded), Gadwalls, Tundra Swans, and other waterfowl – 27 species in all. Some other notable winter species include American Coots, gulls (Bonaparte’s, Herring, Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed), Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creepers, Winter Wrens, Hermit Thrushes, Purple Finches, Pine Siskins, sparrows (Field, American Tree, Fox, White-crowned, White-throated, Savannah, Swamp and Dark-eyed Juncos), Rusty Blackbirds (winter  up to the end of April), and Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Spring and fall brings an influx of migrating passerines, too many to name here, but look for vireos, flycatchers, and a wide assortment of warblers.

Wheelchair Access:

The Nature Center building is wheelchair-accessible and there are accessible restrooms. Katie and Wil’s Trail is a self-guided paved nature trail that is also wheelchair-accessible. Other trails are natural surface and not fully accessible.

Pet Policy:

Pets are allowed in the park and nature center as long as they are on leash; owners are required to clean up after their pets.

Special Designations:

• Marshy Point Nature Center is a certified Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) Green Center.
• Marshy Point Nature Center is a part of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network of the National Park Service.

Special Features:

Marshy Point Nature Center is home to more than 50 different species of captive native wildlife. Most of these animals have been donated or are in captivity because they would not survive in the wild. The collection includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects.

In addition to birds, the fields along the Bluebird Loop Trail may be filled with many dragonflies and butterflies during the summer.  Look for amphibians and turtles in the wetlands.

The Nature Center hosts a full calendar of family-oriented programs, children’s summer camps, speakers, and seasonal events. See the calendar for details.

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.

Multimedia:

Marshy Point hosts a live web cam focused on an Osprey nesting platform on Dundee Creek, accessible on YouTube. During the nesting season, the web cam offers up-close and personal views of Ospreys incubating their eggs and tending their young. In the off-season, the web cam is focused on the Creek.

Parking:

Parking lot near Nature Center off  Marshy Point Road. See trail map.

Directions:

The Center is located 0.5 mile off Eastern Ave (MD Route 150) in Chase, MD. The street address is 7130 Marshy Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21220.

From the Baltimore Beltway (I-695), take exit 38 for MD Route 150/Eastern Avenue east (towards Essex – Chase). Continue east on MD Route 150/Eastern Avenue for approximately 8 miles, making sure to stay on MD Route 150, and NOT get onto MD Route 43, as you pass Martin State Airport. Make a right onto Marshy Point Road (look for park sign). Follow Marshy Point Road and follow signs, making a left turn into the parking area.

Nearby Sites:

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

Baltimore County: Gunpowder Falls State Park – Hammerman Area & Dundee Creek Marina ■ Hart-Miller Island State Park ■ Holt Park ■

Habitats:

Bottomland Deciduous ForestsHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Forests Old Fields, Shrubby Meadows Forested SwampFreshwater Marsh or FloodplainMud Flats (Tidal or Non-Tidal)Rivers & Streams

Features:

BeginnersBicycle Trails (Bikes may be prohibited on some trails)Bird Feeding StationBoardwalkBoat or Canoe/Kayak LaunchFree - No Entry Fee at Any TimeHiking/Walking TrailsNative Plant Garden or Meadow/Pollinator PlantsNature Education ProgramsObservation Platform or TowerParkingPets AllowedRestroomsWater ViewWheelchair Accessible FeaturesYoung People / Families

Type:

Chesapeake Bay Gateways NetworkChesapeake Bay Western ShoreCounty ParksMAEOE Green CenterNature CentersThe Rivers of the Western Shore