ANNAPOLIS — Some of the biggest stretches of public land in Southern Maryland are not state parks at all. They are wildlife management areas, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources wants more people who don’t hunt to know they can use them.
Maryland has 64 wildlife management areas covering about 130,000 acres in 19 of the state’s 23 counties, nearly a quarter of DNR’s public lands, according to a DNR article published Oct. 21. Most are free and need no reservation for hiking, birdwatching, photography, paddling or mountain biking.
With hunting seasons underway, the timing matters: the areas are busiest with hunters in fall and winter, and DNR recommends that everyone, including dogs, wear blaze orange or pink while visiting during those seasons.
What’s close to home
DNR’s Southern Region lists 11 wildlife management areas across Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s counties. Charles County holds most of them.
| Area | County | Approx. acres |
|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Grove | Charles | 5,190 |
| Cedar Point | Charles | 1,914 |
| Parkers Creek | Calvert | 1,877 |
| Nanjemoy | Charles | 1,830 |
| Riverside | Charles | 676 |
| Chicamuxen | Charles | 382 |
| Nanjemoy Creek | Charles | 233 |
Acreage for Myrtle Grove and Parkers Creek comes from DNR; the others are from the list of Maryland wildlife management areas and may not reflect recent additions. The region also includes Bowen and Cheltenham in Prince George’s County, plus Popes Creek and Swanson Creek. DNR’s regional list includes no wildlife management area in St. Mary’s County.
Myrtle Grove: the region’s largest
About 5 miles west of U.S. 301 on Route 225 near La Plata, Myrtle Grove covers forested bottomland along Mattawoman Creek and is the largest wildlife management area in DNR’s Southern Region. Its original 754-acre tract was bought in 1929.
The area has a 23-acre lake with a small boat ramp, stocked with rainbow trout and home to bass, bluegill, pickerel and catfish. Gasoline motors are not allowed on the lake. Visitors can hike, ride horses or bike on established trails, and birders have logged 182 species there. Myrtle Grove also has a shooting range with firearm, trap and archery stations, which requires a $20 annual or $5 daily permit.
It is open 24 hours a day, year-round. Hunting is allowed Monday through Saturday only. There are no trash cans, restrooms or picnic tables, so visitors should carry out what they bring in.
Paddling Mallows Bay
On the Potomac side of Charles County, Nanjemoy is the access point for the Mallows Bay water trail, DNR said. Mallows Bay is known for the remains of World War I-era wooden steamships scuttled there and is part of the Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary.
Parkers Creek in Calvert
Near Prince Frederick, Parkers Creek is part of a protected complex of more than 3,600 acres along the Chesapeake Bay, managed with the American Chestnut Land Trust. DNR owns 1,877 acres. Hiking, horseback riding on trails, fishing, birdwatching and paddling are allowed, but there is no public boat launch and bicycles, including e-bikes, are not permitted. Dogs must be leashed.
Hunting there is limited to deer during state seasons, Monday through Saturday. The Warrior’s Rest section in the southeast corner is closed to the public.
Who pays for it
Wildlife management areas are run by DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service and are funded mostly by hunting license sales and federal Pittman-Robertson grants, which come from excise taxes on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment. That money also pays for hunter education, wildlife law enforcement and wildlife surveys.
Visitors should not expect state park amenities. DNR notes the areas generally lack pavilions, paved parking, water and electricity, and manicured trails.
Before you go
Check current hunting seasons in DNR’s Guide to Hunting and Trapping or call the regional wildlife office about hunting activity or closures. Small game seasons are already open, as the Chronicle reported this month, with rabbit season opening Nov. 7.
