REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS WELCOME TO BRIEF HISTORY GREEN TREE FROG, Trail Hyla cinerea Typically greenish-yellow in color. Mallows Bay, located in Charles County, Wildlife Found near vegetation in the margins MALLOWS BAY is the largest graveyard of visible, historic Information Mallows Bay has tremendous opportunities for near aquatic habitats. Active in spring shipwrecks in the Western Hemisphere. wildlife viewing. The diversity of habitats along and summer. Much as the waters of Mallows Bay have the trails, from the marshes to the floodplain to GETTING THERE PARK a dense history, the surrounding terrain SNAPPING TURTLE, beaver habitat and the upland forest, is ideal Chelydra serpentina also has a rich archaeological and cultural MALLOWS BAY PARK for observing a variety of wildlife. The list below Freshwater turtle with a serrated hind heritage. Populated for 12,000 years, this 1440 Wilson Landing Road describes some of the species you may observe shell, long tail and strong bite. Give Nanjemoy, MD 20662 region was home to some of the oldest during your visit. this turtle space! Year-round species. Native American cultures, including the (301) 932-3470 Piscataway peoples. NATIVE PLANTS

EASTERN BOX TURTLE, • Amenities include a boat ramp, soft

AMERICAN BEECH, Fagus grandifolia Terrapene carolina launch, portable toilets, parking, walking Agriculture in this region significantly Canopy tree that blooms yellow-green, Terrestrial turtle with bright yellow- trails, interpretive signs, and picnic area. impacted the land and cultural heritage. pom-pom shaped flowers in Spring. The BAY orange spotted black shell, found on • The park is open daily 5:30 am to sunset.

Tulip poplars and sweet gums, which bark is smooth and grey. Beech drops, a trails basking in the sun. Hibernates

spring up after the land is altered, are brown-stemmed parasitic plant, may be in winter. present at its base. evidence of heavy logging and clearing for TRAIL DIFFICULTY Agkistrodon contortix MALLOWS COPPERHEAD, There are four trails in Mallows Bay Park.

agriculture. In the 1640s, the first enslaved PAWPAW, Asimina triloba Venomous snake with a triangular-

West African people were brought to Understory tree that blooms purple, shaped head and brown body with All of the trails are marked by green blazes.

Maryland to work the fields of tobacco, bell-shaped flowers in spring and hourglass-shaped crossbands. Found The trails vary in difficulty. Remember to Photo courtesy of Mitch Zeissler (Flickr) produces edible, oblong, yellowish-

a labor-intensive cash crop. By the Civil in forested habitats. Hibernates in take your skill level into consideration when TO GUIDE green fruits that mature in early

War, half of Charles County’s residents winter. selecting a trail. You are surrounded by the mystery and autumn. Host plant for the Zebra

were enslaved African Americans. Today, Swallowtail butterfly. history of the Ghost Fleet of Mallows MAMMALS EASY we recognize their cultural and economic 3

Castor canadensis HIKER’S A Bay—more than 100 wooden and steel- contributions within Charles County. ROSE (MARSH) MALLOW, BEAVER, Beaver Trail Easy Option 0.6 miles Brown with large, flat tail. Create dams hulled steamships scuttled after World Hibiscus moscheutos Remains in primarily flat, grassy regions of and lodges with sticks, mud and grass. War I in these waters. The Ghost Fleet During the Civil War, the United States Perennial plant that blooms large, the park. white and pink flowers in early autumn. Leave pencil-shaped chew marks rests south of Washington D.C. along military impacted this land. Though Charles on trees. Most active dusk to dawn. Found in wetlands. Potential source of the , and can be accessed County residents were mostly Confederate the park’s name. Remain in lodges in winter. EASY/MODERATE through Mallows Bay Park. Onshore, the sympathizers, the region was in fact Union Ridge Trail 0.5 miles AMERICAN SWEETGUM, land in Mallows Bay Park also holds a territory. The Union used this area to launch WHITE-TAILED DEER, Winds through upland forest, where Liquidambar styraciflua rich history and an abundance of diverse raids and spy operations into Confederate Odocoileus virginiana fallen branches and leaves may make Early succession, deciduous tree Larry Hogan, Governor wildlife and plants. With this Guide in territory. In return, the site occasionally Reddish-brown in color. Fawns have with star-shaped leaves. Produces walking difficult. Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, Secretary, spots. Forage on leaves and grasses, hand, explore the trails and “read” the came under fire from Confederate batteries. spikey “gum balls” that are dropped Department of Natural Resources including poison ivy! Year-round Nature Loop 1.0 miles clues underfoot to explore past and Later, in the 20th century, Mallows Bay in early spring. species. present occupants of this land. was used for the Western Marine and Winds down and up through floodplain For more information visit: habitat that is prone to wet or muddy www.charlescountymd.gov/ghostfleetofmallowsbay Salvage Corporation and the Bethlehem BIRDS INSECTS As the historic hub of the Mallows conditions. Steel Corporation ship salvage, the largest CAROLINA WREN, 1 Funding generously provided by: Thryothorus ludovicianus GROUND NESTING CELLOPHANE Bay-Widewater National Register in American history. Bethlehem Steel Colletes inaequalis Reddish-brown back and head with a BEE, Historic and Archeological District, transformed the land and the waters of the MODERATE/DIFFICULT buff-colored underside. Nest in open Yellow-black bee. Form solitary nests Mallows Bay offers visitors a unique Beaver Trail 0.5 miles bay when they carved out the Burning Basin, cavities, trees and stumps. Year-round with conical piles of dirt at the entrance. maritime landscape in the Chesapeake a major visual component of the park today. species. Males cannot sting and females are Traverses the slopes adjacent to the beaver Bay, where history is in the process of typically docile. Adults die in the fall. pond. Walkers may find the steep, slanting becoming nature itself--in the water 3 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, slopes and plant roots challenging. Sturdy Melanerpes carolinus EASTERN PONDHAWK DRAGONFLY, Thank you to the following organizations for and on the land. The landscape is home Erythemis simplicicollis hiking shoes recommended. to the Burning Basin, explorable by Medium-sized with black and white their contributions to this guide: barred back, pale-red belly and red Green-blue with four-wings and bright recreational boating (see A Paddler’s blue-green or reddish-brown eyes. head. Cling to tree bark. Year-round SAFETY TIPS Guide to Mallows Bay), and trails that species. Commonly found near water in the spring and summer. • Stay on the trail. provide visitors birding and wildlife 4 • Do not climb on the fragile shipwrecks viewing opportunities. BALD EAGLE, EASTERN CARPENTER BEE, —climbing on the shipwrecks may result Haliaeetus leucocephalus Xylocopa virginica in injury. Over time, lands are shaped by the Large, brown-bodied, with a white Large black and yellow bee that drills people who occupy it. At the same head (adult) and yellow beak. holes in wood to nest. Males cannot • Wildlife are wild, please do not feed. Scavenging and hunting bird. Nests dnr.maryland.gov/mallowsbay time, the lands shape the people. Photo courtesy of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources sting and females are typically docile. • Ticks, chiggers, and poison ivy are present 580 Taylor Ave, E-2, Annapolis, MD 21401 near water. Adults die in fall. Additional telephone contact information There is evidence of this historic and along the walking trails. Toll free in Maryland: 877-620-8367 • Out of state call: 410-260-8732 TTY Users call via the MD Relay ongoing relationship between humans 2 • Trails may be muddy and slippery after a In 2010, the Maryland Department of OSPREY, Pandion haliaetus CAROLINA MANTIS, Publication date (8/2019) • DNR 14-022819-130 and the land throughout the park Natural Resources purchased a portion Large, brown-backed, with a white Stagmomantis carolina rainstorm. Photo cover courtesy of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. head and dark mask. Fish-eating bird. The facilities and services of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are today—secondary forests, a barn, of land adjacent to Mallows Bay from the Pale green to grey. Adults and egg • Leave only footprints, take only available to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, Nests and perches near water. Flies age, national origin or physical or mental disability. This document is available in cultivated flowers. Explore the trails Wilson family, and made it available to cases found on grassy vegetation. Eggs memories...unless fishing! alternative format upon request from a qualified individual with disability. south for winter. and “read” the clues beneath your Charles County to create and manage hatch in spring and adults die in winter. This map was prepared by Sabrina Hague Design using Federal funds under While exploring the park, please respect the natural award number NA16NOS4190170 from NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce. feet to discover past and present Mallows Bay Park. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the and historic integrity of the site, and enjoy! author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA or the U.S. Department occupants of this land. Photos courtesy of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Program, Southern Maryland Audubon Society, Michael Roswell1, of Commerce. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo contest winners (Christine Edwards2 and Nathan Huber3) and Flickr user stevehdc4. During the hike, remember how the land has shaped the people who lived here, PRIVATE PROPERTY! and how those people have shaped the land. Notice evidence of this everywhere. Habitat There are rutted roads, invasive plants and evidence of an old family farm. Enjoy The area surrounding Mallows Bay is primarily privately owned and trespassing how the land and its inhabitants change from season to season. Observe all of the is prohibited. Mallows Bay Land Trails Map WALK cultural and ecological history this land holds.

1. OVERLOOK 9. SWEETGUM FOREST Using the permanent all-weather telescope, view One clue to the sweetgum forest is the presence MAP LEGEND some of the remains of over 100 ships resting in of spiky fruits, known as burr balls or gum balls, Site of interest Portable Restrooms Nature Loop their watery graves in the bay. The Accomac ferry scattered on the ground. This patch of forest hints at Bench Boat/kayak ramp Ridge Trail can be seen in the distance. the impact humans had on this land, as sweetgum is a secondary succession tree, which grows rapidly as Beaver Trail Shipwreck Chestnut oak tree 2. MEADOW uplands return to their natural state. In the spring, summer and fall, the meadow is full Beaver Trail Telescope of flowers. At the end of the meadow, look down to 10. UPLAND HABITAT Easy Option discover ground bee nesting holes. The majority of The habitat changes abruptly simply by crossing Wetland Maryland’s 400+ species of bees nest in the ground the road, becoming forested upland dominated Burning and are not easily provoked into stinging. more by pines. It is an older forest with minimal 14 undergrowth. Deer frequently roam these woods Basin 3. SHIPWRECK and turtles bask in the warmth of the sunlight. At low tide, one of the ghost ships may be Upturned trees reveal a tiny ecosystem, home to visible next to the shoreline. The shipwrecks are bees, wasps, spiders, beetles and other insects—all 12 fragile resources, please do not climb. Instead, beneficial to pollination and the food web here. notice how plants are overtaking the wreckage. Field 11. CREEK OVERLOOK Upland Forest 11 4. PALUSTRINE FLOODPLAIN 15 oad Peer down on the creek, tinted red from tannins ding R Upland Forest This damp habitat is full of secondary succession 13 n Lan 7 leaching from plant matter. In the spring and Wilso trees, such as red maples and tulip poplars, and summer months, the creek may be surrounded by a are evidence of human impact. Vernal pools may dense patch of the smelly skunk cabbage. Its strong Upland Forest be present following spring rains. These short- odor attracts fly pollinators but deters hungry deer Mallows Meadow 10 lived ponds provide important breeding habitat and other animals from munching on it. 1 for amphibians, such as frogs and salamanders. Bay In the summer, look overhead to find clusters of 12. WETLAND OVERVIEW 6 8 pawpaw fruits. Snake holes are scattered amongst the mushrooms 5 and moss growing in the rich soil of the trail. In 5. BEAVER POND 2 certain seasons, chirping birds and fluttering 9 The beaver pond used to be a flowing stream, but butterflies drift from tree to tree. Where the forest Beaver Pond as one of nature’s engineers, beavers alter ponds thins, enjoy the expansive view of the wetland that and streams to better suit their needs, in this case Meadow 4 the creek feeds. This wetland is a transition zone Sweetgum Forest by building a mud wall. Farther upstream, the between land and water and is teeming with life. beavers built a dam from logs and sticks. 13. FIELD 3 Floodplain 6. MEADOW The field contains non-native trees, such as the 0 0.05 0.1 0.2 The field is abuzz with insects in the spring and Yoshino cherry tree, likely planted by the farmers Miles summer. To the back of the field, a large man-made who inhabited this land. mound planted with decorative, non-native plants is evidence of human impact. 14. WETLAND

The wetland surrounds the Burning Basin, where • 7. WILSON FAMILY FARM Bethlehem Steel drained the water in 1942 to allow Nearby Points of Interest Indian Head Remnants from the Wilson family farm still rest on burning and scuttling of the World War I ships. these trails. At the set of power lines, brush and The wetland is home to Great Blue herons and 1. 4. Doncaster State Forest brambles cover pieces of the Wilson family home: a 628-acre park featuring the restored Smallwood Retreat 1,447-acre demonstration forest offering 13 miles of 6 other nesting birds, and many species of insects 1 chimney, appliances, corrugated metal. Across the and amphibians, including dragonflies and frogs. House, open to visitors. Marina, picnic area, camping trails and access roads open to equestrians, hikers, road stands the remains of the barn. area, pavilions, playground and nature trails available. mountain bikers and cross-country skiers, as well as Wetlands are nature’s kidneys, filtering the water Marine Potomac River coming from upland streams before releasing it into hunters from September through January. Forested Corps 8. BEAVER POND • the surrounding ecosystems. 2. Nanjemoy Wildlife Management Area picnic areas available. Base 4 Port Tobacco In the pond, there may be snapping turtles Quantico 1,365-acre, wooded, undeveloped area used for Mallows Bay Park • moving through the depths of the water, or 15. CHESTNUT OAK Ironsides turtles basking on fallen logs. Two invasive plant hunting, bird watching, fishing and fossil hunting; 5. Friendship Landing Where the trail and the parking lot meet, a large open sunrise to sunset. 382-acre park on used for boating, Mallows-Bay 3 species, Phragmites and Hydrilla, dominate the Widewater 5 chestnut oak stands on the eroding hillside to the 2 • hiking and fishing. Boat ramp and ball fields available. National waters. Phragmites is a tall marsh grass. Hydrilla left. The tree’s prominent roots can be seen clinging Nanjemoy 3. Open dawn to dusk. Register is a type of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). to the slope. The Nanjemoy people say that these Historic and 600-acre, undeveloped, multi-use park on the Port Archeological Invasive species disrupt the natural environment roots are a reminder that nature persits. Long ago, Tobacco River. Sand launch available for small District by spreading rapidly, out-competing native humans came in and built a road to the water. Then 6. Myrtle Grove Wildlife Management Area wildlife and quickly becoming the dominant they altered the land. But the tree says, “I will put john-boats, canoes, kayaks and personal watercraft. 4,460-acre, mature riparian forest along Mattawoman species in the community. my roots down deep and I will still be standing and Hunting and fishing permitted. Adjacent to the park, Creek used for hiking, fishing and hunting. Shooting holding this hill in place long after you are gone.” St. Ignatius Church and cemetery, the oldest range available. 0 1.25 2.5 5 continuous Roman Catholic parish in the United States, Miles with scenic river view.