Written from an article by Laura Scharle, abridged and published by the National Park Service.
Few places on Maryland's Eastern Shore let you hike, paddle, camp in the backcountry and mountain bike in the same day. Pocomoke State Forest does — and even some locals don't know it.
Good to know
- Free: parking and entry, everywhere in the forest. Only camping needs a fee and a reservation.
- Easy: the Eastern Shore is flat and sandy, so every hiking trail is rated easy.
- Dogs: welcome on all trails, on a leash.
- Hunting: allowed in designated seasons. Consider staying away during deer season — especially the firearm and muzzleloader weeks, usually in fall and winter.
Hiking
The forest has miles of multi-use trails:
| Trail | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pusey Branch | 0.6-mile loop | short, with lots of tree identification signs; good with children |
| Yellow Furnace Loop | 1.8-mile loop | a leisurely walk; shares a parking lot with Furnace Town Historic Site, a living history museum; good with children |
| Milburn Landing | 3.3-mile loop | one of the busiest: well kept, mileage signs, a few benches; links to Pocomoke River State Park's Milburn Landing for river views and restrooms |
| Green trail | 3.6-mile loop | wildlife |
| Orange trail | 4-mile loop | wildlife |
| Algonquin Cross Country | 12 miles | through the state forest and the Chesapeake Forest Lands; shares part of its route with Milburn Landing |
What to look for: on the orange and green trails, black rat snakes, prothonotary warblers, eastern box turtles and wild turkeys, and in spring, sometimes wildflowers at the trail's edge.
Reading the forest: you'll pass stands of different ages — some very young trees, some large and mature — from different forestry techniques. Some areas are kept up with controlled burns; in others, trees were clearly planted in rows. More: Maryland Forest Service.
Paddling
Paddlers near the Pocomoke usually hear about Corker's Creek, at Pocomoke River State Park's Shad Landing, and the Nature Conservancy's Nassawango Creek Preserve. The state forest has its own: the Mattaponi soft launch, with good access to the river — and a peaceful spot for a picnic, far from anything.
Camping
Near the launch, around the Mattaponi ponds:
- 3 backcountry campsites and a group site;
- each with a fire ring and a picnic table — and nothing else: no restrooms or running water, so follow Leave No Trace;
- the group site is close to the parking area; the others are at least a half mile's hike in;
- reserve by calling Pocomoke River State Park.
Mountain biking
The flat Eastern Shore hardly sounds like mountain-bike country, but the forest has over eight miles of beginner single-track trails.
- Several parking areas sit along Route 113, but they're poorly marked and hard to find.
- Easiest: the trailhead on Blades Road — well marked, with hardly any traffic.
Sources
Based on "Off the Beaten Path Adventures in Pocomoke State Forest," an abridged article originally written by Laura Scharle, published by the National Park Service and in the public domain; rewritten in hubnx's own words. The author's photograph of the forest's boat launch is not reproduced.
In these publicationsChesapeake Bay
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.nps.gov
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