At a Glance
Hours: Daily, sunrise to sunset.
Cost: Free
Tips: Bring a scope for checking the open water of the Wicomico River, or for spotting sparrows and other field birds in the main part of the park. ■ Trails in the main part of the park are paved with packed stone dust and are ADA-accessible. ■ Trails in the forest tract are natural surfaced, not actively maintained, and may be wet or muddy. Wear sturdy waterproof hiking boots or shoes. ■ There may be events taking place in the main part of the park, near the river, but the park is large enough that you can avoid that area; such events are less likely in early morning on weekdays. ■ Bikes are not allowed on the pedestrian trails in the main part of the park. ■ Horses are not allowed on trails in the Forest Tract or in the main park. ■ Hunting does not take place in the park, but there may be hunting on neighboring private lands. Especially if visiting the Forest tract, be aware of hunting seasons and plan your visit accordingly; wear fluorescent orange or pink in hunting season, especially if entering the forest tract. ■ Restrooms are in the main part of the park, near Parking Lot A. No restrooms in the Forest Tract.
Best Seasons: Year-round.
Breeding Bird Atlas Blocks: Wetipquin CE (all of the forest tract and most of the main park), Eden CW (east edge of main park)
Pirate’s Wharf Park
4701 Whitehaven Rd, Quantico, MD 21856
GPS Coordinates (main parking area): 38.321979, -75.748774
(410) 548-4900
Pirate’s Wharf Park is Wicomico’s County’s newest public park, having opened in fall of 2023. The county purchased the 341-acre property in 1997 from a farming family, using State of Maryland Program Open Space funds, and began the process of planning for the park around 2015. The county is still building out the park’s amenities, but enough of the park is now open for the general public and birders to enjoy.
Pirates’s Wharf Park has two distinct sections: the main part, located on the Wicomico River, and a Forest Tract across the road.
The main part of the park, referred to in the park’s Master Plan as the “Farmland – Pond Section” and “Shoreline Section,” lies on the southeast side of MD Route 352/Whitehaven Road, with a little over a half-mile of frontage on the Wicomico River. This section consists of about 116 acres, and includes a newly built playground, pavilion, restrooms, and well-marked walking trails that wind mostly through fields and meadows and past historic sites. Yet to come are an observation deck on the river, a fishing pier, a boat ramp, soft launch, and additional trails.
As of fall 2025, the main part of the park consists mostly of open meadows and fields, with some hedgerows and small deciduous woodlots, with trees lining the shore of the Wicomico River; trees also ring a freshwater stream that drains into a 4-acre pond and tidal marsh in the south end of the park. A small woodlot with a second freshwater stream lies at the north end of the park along the riverfront, where there is a wooded wetland and another tidal marsh.
The plan for the park includes extensive reforestation and planting of forest buffers, and this work ongoing, so birders should be aware that the landscape of the park and the extent of woodlands and meadows will be changing over time. See the satellite image in our park map set (link in orange box in the At a Glance section of this webpage) to visualize the current position of woods and fields/meadows.
The Bald Eagle Trail (about 1.8 miles) loops through the main part of the park. There are five short connector trails with color names (Orange, Red, Blue, Green, Purple) that intersect various parts of the Bald Eagle Trail to make shorter loops. The well-marked trails are surfaced with packed stone dust and are ADA-accessible. Be aware that the trails pass mostly through meadows and fields at this time, and are unshaded; bring sun protection. There are benches scattered here and there along the trails. For trail layout, see the official park map at the park map link in the orange box in the At a Glance section of this webpage.
The three parking areas have been thoughtfully positioned, with a large paved main parking area (Lot A) near the playground, pavilion, restrooms, and riverfront, and two smaller parking areas: Lot C next to the Orange Connector Trail and Lot B adjacent to Whitehaven Road and the Purple Connector Trail. The variety of connector trails and parking choices provides for different possible routes when taking a walk through the park. There is not yet trail access to view the 4-acre pond and tidal marsh at the south end of the park, but more trails are being developed.
The park’s Forest Tract is on the opposite side of Whitehaven Road from the main tract, and consists of 225 acres that are mostly classified as palustrine wetlands, that is, nontidal wetlands dominated by trees, shrubs, and other vegetation. The forest supports Forest Interior Dwelling Species (FIDS) and thus will offer a different selection of birds than the open spaces of the main tract of the park.
The Forest Tract previously had been leased by the county to a hunting group that opened a few foot-trails through the forest (see Forest Tract map at link in orange box). However, hunting no longer takes place, and the hunting trails have not been maintained, so access to the forest tract is tricky – there is no signage and some bushwhacking may be needed. The Forest Tract foot-trails are natural surface, may be muddy or even under water in places, and may be blocked by downed trees. Eventually the county may install an improved trail system through the forest tract, but there are no immediate plans to do so. Meanwhile, for those birders who would like to venture in to explore the forest, the location of the old hunting foot-trails is shown in our park map set linked from the orange box in the At a Glance section on this webpage.
A Forest Stewardship Plan (included in the Appendices to the Master Plan) was completed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in 2014; the Forest Stewardship Plan identifies the trees within the Forest Tract and wetland areas and proposes plans to manage the tract for timber logging. Generally, the land gets wetter and the vegetation more diverse as you move back into the tract from Whitehaven Road. Also, the trees along the road are among the youngest trees in the Forest Tract, while the back sections contain trees that were judged to be 75 to 85 years old in 2014 – thus 85 to 95 years old in 2025.
The canopy of the Forest Tract consists of Loblolly Pine with intermixed hardwoods, predominantly Red Maple, American Sweetgum, and White Oak. There are also smaller numbers other trees in the canopy, including Blackgum (Black Tupelo), Willow Oak, Water Oak, Swamp White Oak, Southern Red Oak, Scarlet Oak, Black Oak, Pin Oak, American Beech. The oaks tend to increase in number toward the back of the tract, but there are openings in the canopy where oaks were killed by previous infestations of Spongy Moth (previously called Gypsy Moth).
The understory is dominated by stands of American Holly and American Beech. The shrub layer includes Greenbrier and Sweetpepper Bush and is generally thicker under the canopy gaps created by the dead oaks in the back of the tract. Here, there is more diversity in the understory and shrub layer, and Highbush Blueberry and Sweetbay Magnolia can be found.
The diversity of plant species, especially the many kinds of oaks, in the Forest Tract should ensure a diversity of insects, and where there are bugs, there will be birds. We are looking forward to seeing additional eBird reports from the Forest Tract.
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Conservation Notes. When the county first embarked on planning for the park, there was quite a bit of controversy over the Forest Tract. As mentioned above, the Forest Stewardship Plan recommended by the State called for harvesting the timber and to replant with trees, including pines, that would be logged on a repetitive basis over the years. Local citizens, led by the Old Growth Forest Network, objected strenuously to the plans to harvest timber, and the current plan for the park’s management does not include logging.
In partnership with the Lower Shore Land Trust, Shore Rivers, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the county is using controlled burns and other management techniques to restore and maintain the meadows and other habitats in the park in more natural native grassland conditions. Chesapeake Bay Magazine has a brief article about the burn approach, and the online article includes a short video showing the burn process.
Historical Notes. Prior to European settlement, the land in what is now Wicomico County was occupied by Native Americans who were part of the Algonquin Nation, including Pocomoke, Nanticoke, and Assateague peoples. Some ancient Native American artifacts have been discovered on site, and an interpretive sign along the Bald Eagle Trail has information about the native peoples.
The land in the main part of the park has been farmed since the arrival of Europeans in the 1600s, and formerly there were farmhouses and outbuilding here, but these are no longer standing. The farm buildings are commemorated in story boards that tell the history of human occupation of the land. There is also an old cemetery near the river, also with a set of interpretive signboards. The topics covered on the signboards are shown by labels on the official park map.
Pirate’s Wharf has been the local name for this area since at least the 1930s, but no one knows why it’s called that. There is no historical documentation of actual pirates. Some speculate that a dock on the river may have been used by bootleggers during the Prohibition Era.
There are two eBird hotspots for the park:
- Pirates Wharf Park covers the main part of the park on the Wicomico River, southeast of Whitehaven Road; 128+ species.
- Pirates Wharf Forest covers the forest tract on the northwest side of Whitehaven Road; 16+ species but only 3 checklists.
The two hotspots have a combined total of 113+ species.
Year-round residents (almost all are breeders): Mourning Dove, Great Blue Heron, Black Vulture (sporadic), Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, woodpeckers including Red-bellied, Downy, Pileated, Northern Flicker (note that woodpeckers go quiet during nesting season and may be difficult to detect), Eastern Phoebe (long period from fall through late spring but may be absent in late summer) Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Horned Lark (sporadic), Brown-headed Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Gray Catbird (may be absent some winters), Brown Thrasher (may be absent some winters), Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing (sporadic), House Finch, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow (might be absent in dead of winter), Field Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird (sporadic), Common Grackle (sporadic), Northern Cardinal.
Wintering species (some of these are present for a long period that overlaps into late fall/early spring): Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, American Black Duck, Green-winged Teal (mostly March for pre-migratory staging), Hooded Merganser, Wilson’s Snipe, gulls including Ring-billed, American Herring, Lesser Black-backed, Double-crested Cormorant, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Harrier, Eastern Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker (may have longer season but undetected), American Kestrel, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Purple Finch (probably not annual), Pine Siskin (probably not annual), Fox Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Pine Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Breeding season birds (generally not present at other times): Yellow-billed Cuckoo (also fall migration), Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Killdeer (lingers into fall), Laughing Gull (lingers into winter), Green Heron, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eastern Wood-Pewee (also fall migration), Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo (also fall migration), Red-eyed Vireo (also migration), swallows (including Tree, Northern Rough-winged, and Barn), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern House Wren (also fall migration), Marsh Wren (also fall migration), Wood Thrush, Grasshopper Sparrow (also fall migration), Yellow-breasted Chat, Orchard Oriole, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting.
Spring and/or fall migration: Clapper Rail, Virginia Rail, Sora, Greater Yellowlegs, Forster’s Tern, Royal Tern, Least Bittern, Great Egret, Red-tailed Hawk, Hairy Woodpecker, Merlin, Yellow-throated Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Purple Martin, Veery, Bobolink, warblers (including Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white, Nashville, American Redstart, Cape May, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Yellow, Blackpoll, Palm, Yellow-throated, Prairie), Scarlet Tanager.
Wheelchair Access:
The trail system in the main part of the park has a packed stone dust surface and is ADA-accessible. The terrain is quite flat. Trails in the Forest Tract are natural surface and are not actively maintained; these are not wheelchair-accessible. Restrooms located near Parking Lot A in the main part of the park are handicapped-accessible.
Pet Policy:
Pets are allowed on leash; pick up after your pet and take the bagged waste with you when you leave.
Special Designations:
The Forest Tract of Pirate’s Wharf Park Lies within the Nanticoke Important Bird Area (IBA), as designated by the National Audubon Society. The Nanticoke IBA covers more than 86,000 acres along the Nanticoke River and Marshyhope Creek from the Delaware line downstream to Wetipquin in Wicomico County.
Almost all of the main part of the park, and a small section of the Forest Tract, lie within the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, which is protected by laws that limit development and regulate use.
Special Features:
- Fishing is permitted in designated areas. A fishing pier is coming soon.
- A boat ramp and a soft launch are also planned for the riverfront.
- A picnic pavilion is available for public use and can be rented for events.
- For a close-up look at the river, take a free ferry ride! Near Pirate’s Wharf Park, Wicomico County operates two historic ferries that carry cars and pedestrians across the Wicomico River. The Upper Ferry is upstream from the park (5420 North Upperferry Rd., Salisbury, MD 21801) and the Whitehaven Ferry is downstream (23865 River St., Quantico, MD 21856). Each crossing takes only a few minutes. Capacity is two cars and 6 people. Call the hotline at 410-543-2765, 7 days/week for operating information and schedules (operating hours change seasonally). Note that the ferries are closed on holidays and may not be running if there is flooding or inclement weather.
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.
Multimedia:
- Pirate’s Wharf PSA (2025) is a short YouTube video produced by Salisbury University students and made available on the Argus Leader website. Includes footage of the Forest Tract and alludes to the controversial plan (now abandoned) to log the forest.
- Pirates Wharf Forest Has Potential as Park is a YouTube video from WBOC Outdoors Delmarva series; it dates back to 2015, prior to the opening of the park, and will take you on a short walk in the Forest Tract.
- Pirate’s Wharf Park Progress, filmed in 2021 is another YouTube video in the WBOC Outdoors Delmarva series, and reports on the plans for the park.
On Whitehaven Road, there are two park entrances providing access to three paved parking areas in the main tract of the park. The two entrances are separate, that is, it is not possible to drive within the park from one entrance to the other, although it is possible to walk between the two entrances. There are no parking areas in the Forest Tract.
- Parking Lot A is the primary lot and is located near the riverfront and the pavilion, restrooms, and playground. Accessed from the main park entrance near the north end of the park. GPS coordinates 38.321979, -75.748774 | Google Map
- Parking Lot C is smaller and close to Whitehaven Road; it provides access to trails in the northern corner of the park. Accessed from the main park entrance near the north end of the park. GPS coordinates 38.323129, -75.749482 | Google Map
- Parking Lot B is a small circular road accessed from a short stub entrance road and is just off Whitehaven Road near the south end of the park. This lot provides good access to trails in the main part of the park as well as the Forest Tract. GPS coordinates 38.320215, -75.754340 | Google Map
Pirate’s Wharf Park is located south of Quantico, Maryland, along the Wicomico River.
From the South (Princess Anne, Pocomoke City, and Virginia): Take US Route 13 north toward Salisbury. Approaching Salisbury, bear right to follow US Route 13 Business into downtown Salisbury. Immediately after the US Route 50 Business overpass, turn sharp left onto Broad Street westbound and then follow signs to merge on the left onto Ocean Gateway/West Salisbury Parkway westbound. Follow the Parkway for just under a mile, and then turn left to go west on MD Route 349/Nanticoke Road. In 6.5 miles, turn left to go south on MD Route 352/Whitehaven Road. The park entrance will be on the left in about 2.6 miles.
Alternate route using the Whitehaven Ferry from the south (Princess Anne, Pocomoke City, and Virginia): For a little added scenery and a shorter route, you can use the Whitehaven Ferry, but check the 800-number first to be sure the ferry is running. From US Route 13 northbound at Princess Anne, turn left onto MD Route 362 Mt. Vernon Road. Follow Mt. Vernon Road in a northwesterly direction for about 5 miles. At the Monie Gun Club on the right, stay straight to take Fitzbound Road northbound (Mt. Vernon Road will veer to the left at that point). Follow Fitzbound Road north for 0.7 miles and then, at a T-intersection, turn left to go west on Whitehaven Ferry Road. You will arrive at the ferry crossing in 1.5 miles. Follow the signs to line up for the ferry. Capacity is two cars and six people. After crossing the Wicomico River, exit the ferry and go straight onto northbound Whitehaven Road/MD Route 352. Follow Whitehaven Road for 5.2 miles and the park entrance will be on the right.
From the North (Delmar and Delaware points of origin): Take US Route 13 Business south into Salisbury. Make a right to go west on Broad Street, and follow signs to merge on the left onto Ocean Gateway/West Salisbury Parkway westbound. Follow the Parkway for just under a mile, and then turn left to go west on MD Route 349/Nanticoke Road. In 6.5 miles, turn left to go south on MD Route 352/Whitehaven Road. The park entrance will be on the left in about 2.6 miles.
From the East (Berlin, Ocean City, and other beaches): Take US Route 50/Ocean Gateway westbound toward Salisbury. Approaching Salisbury, stay to the left to take US 50 Business into and through Salisbury, for about 4.6 miles, which will take you out of town. Turn left to go west on MD Route 349/Nanticoke Road. In 6.5 miles, turn left to go south on MD Route 352/Whitehaven Road. The park entrance will be on the left in about 2.6 miles.
From the Upper Eastern Shore: Use MD Route 213 and/or US Route 301 south to access US Route 50. Take US Route 50 south and then east toward, but not into, Salisbury. About 4.8 miles after Mardela Springs, turn right to go south on MD Route 347/Quantico Road toward Hebron (may be signed as Main Street). In about 3 miles, at an intersection with Old Athol Road, Quantico Road makes a sharp left; follow Quantico Road for another 1.5 miles, where Quantico Road ends at a T-intersection. At the T-intersection turn left to go east on MD Route 349/Nanticoke Road for just 0.6 miles. Turn right to go south on MD Route 352/Whitehaven Road. The park entrance will be on the left in about 2.6 miles.
From the Western Shore via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge: Follow US Route 301/50 over the Bay Bridge, and then continue on US Route 50 south and then east toward, but not into, Salisbury. About 4.8 miles after Mardela Springs, turn right to go south on MD Route 347/Quantico Road toward Hebron (may be signed as Main Street). In about 3 miles, at an intersection with Old Athol Road, Quantico Road makes a sharp left; follow Quantico Road for another 1.5 miles, where Quantico Road ends at a T-intersection. At the T-intersection turn left to go east on MD Route 349/Nanticoke Road for just 0.6 miles. Turn right to go south on MD Route 352/Whitehaven Road. The park entrance will be on the left in about 2.6 miles.
Nearby Sites:
Wicomico County: Cedar Hill Marina & Park ■ Ellis Bay Wildlife Management Area ■ Nanticoke River Wildlife Management Area – Nutter’s Neck ■ Pemberton Historical Park ■ Roaring Point & Nanticoke Harbor ■ Tyaskin Park & Wetipquin Park ■ Schumaker Pond & Salisbury City Park
Habitats:
Bottomland Deciduous ForestsConifersHedgerows Hay Meadows, Pasture, Grass FieldOld Fields, Shrubby MeadowsSandy Beach or Dunes Forested SwampFreshwater Marsh or FloodplainFreshwater Pond, Lake, or ReservoirMud Flats (Tidal or Non-Tidal)Rivers & StreamsSalt or Brackish Marsh
Features and Amenities:
BeginnersFishingFree - No Entry Fee at Any TimeHabitat Restoration ProjectHiking/Walking TrailsHistorical FeaturesNative Plant Garden or Meadow/Pollinator PlantsParkingPets AllowedPicnic AreaPlaygroundRestroomsWater ViewWheelchair Accessible FeaturesYoung People / FamiliesType:
Audubon Important Bird AreasCounty ParksThe Rivers of the Eastern Shore