St. Mary's County
Point Lookout State Park
Point Lookout is the Southern Maryland equivalent of Cape May. With proper weather conditions this site is a migrant concentration point, especially in the autumn. Look for shorebirds, raptors, and songbirds. With good luck almost anything may "fall out". Great Cormorants are often in view during the winter months from late November on. Be sure to check out the jetties where an occassional purple sandpiper may appear. At low tide the sand bar at Tanner's Creek can have a variety of shorebirds or terns in season. Brown-headed nuthatches nest in the park and can be found near the visor center or in the camp grounds. Take Rt. 5 south to the end and park in any of the many parking lots. You will have the Bay to your east and the Potomac River to your south. Lots of marshes and bays to your west. Many drives, trails and walks.
St. Mary's River State Park
Take Rt. 4 south from the intersection of Rts. 4 and 235, then turn left onto Indian Bridge Rd. Drive east on Indian Bridge Road past the power lines, then turn left at the brown and white "hunter" sign. Park in the small parking area at the end of the gravel drive. Follow the gravel drive from the parking area into the woodlands area. St. Mary's Lake is accessible from Route 5 via Camp Cosoma Road near Callaway, and has a boat launch for canoes and kayaks. Both areas are good for forest birds, and freshwater shoreline birds, via foot trails and the canoe/kayak launch. This area makes for pleasant birding, and you often get Red-headed Woodpecker, Tree Swallow, Hooded and Kentucky Warblers and other forest interior dwelling species such as thrushes during migration.
Historic Saint Mary's City
Take Rt. 5 south to Saint Mary's City. Park in any of the parking lots open to visitors anywhere around campus or go on south to the site of Historic Saint Mary's City. Lots of walks and lots to see. Good for open country, forest, and tidal shoreline birding.
Elms Public Beach
Take Rt. 235 south to past the turn for St. Mary's City. Take Forest Landing Road (the next left). Look for park entrance on the left. A small park that connects to the county board of education environmental education property at Elms Beach. Good for edge, pine forest/shrub, marsh, beach, and bay front birding.
Piney Point Lighthouse
From route 5 in Callaway take Route 249 east to Lighthouse Road. The Park is at the end of the road. A nice pier allows for good viewing of waterfowl in the winter and nesting Ospreys and other summer waterbirds (gulls and terns).
Myrtle Point
This county park borders the Patuxent River and Mill Creek. Lots of scrub/shrub habitat make it a great nesting area for yellow-breasted chats, prairie warblers, and white-eyed vireos. Numerous trails lead to all points in the park. From Solomons take Rt. 4 across the Patuxent River and turn right onto Patuxent Blvd. Follow to the end where you will find the gates to the park.
Website - - Map - - Friends of Myrtle Point Park
Sotterley Plantation
A Tidewater Plantation on the banks of the Patuxent River. The Manor house, outbuildings and gardens or located on a rise above the lower fields along the river. The garden walks and the lower fields are good for open country birds. From MD 235, turn east on MD 245 and follow the signs to the Plantation. Grounds open Tues. - Sun., 10am - 4pm.