Font Hill Wetland Park
3520 Font Hill Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21042
This 25-acre neighborhood park, dedicated in 1997, consists of a variety of wetland habitats connected by a paved path and boardwalks making it a desirable year-round destination. It was Maryland’s first state, county, and private sector joint-venture wetland project.
Amenities: On-street parking along Font Hill Drive in vicinity of Grosvernor Drive. (Do not park on Centennial Lane.) No facilities. Paved path with short sections of boardwalks totals 0.7 mile. A few trails allow access to the park’s perimeter and the stream. Features include two information boards, a deck adjacent to the small pond, as well as a gazebo and fishing dock on the larger pond.
Handicapped Access: Park on Font Hill Drive in vicinity of a paved ramp opposite Grosvenor Drive. Paved paths and boardwalks with gentle grades allow access to most of the park. A bench on a deck just a short distance from the entrance ramp overlooks the smaller pond. To reach the larger pond, a steeper grade may require wheelchair users be accompanied by a companion. A few benches throughout the park provide opportunities for “armchair birding.”
Habitat: Diverse wetland habitats include two ponds with emergent vegetation, a tributary of the Little Patuxent River, a wet area dominated by phragmites and cattails, and some small stands of deciduous floodplain forest. Limited mown areas with a few clusters of conifers allow access to wood edges and fenced adjacent property where mature trees and occasional bird feeders can be checked. A sewerline right-of-way through a portion of the park is cleared every few years.
Layout: For its size, this park has produced an excellent variety of birds, especially during migratory periods. Most of the habitats can be viewed from the paved path, while a few benches invite birders to linger for extended periods. The smaller of the two ponds (0.6 acre) is located near Font Hill Drive. Although the paved path only connects to the deck overlooking the pond, it is possible to walk around most of the pond edge on mown grass. As one moves from the first pond along the paved path, check the information board just prior to the first bridge. Beyond the bridge, the path/boardwalk passes a heavily vegetated wet area. As is true for almost any location, the number and variety of birds will vary depending on the season, weather, and time of day. Water levels will also fluctuate. A short wooded section along the stream precedes a second bridge.
This bridge is situated just below the larger pond (1.3 acres) where the park’s western edge abuts Centennial Lane. Although both ponds contain emergent vegetation, the larger pond has a greater variety. It also contains an island, gazebo, and fishing pier. Bubblers keep portions of the water open all year. Check the sky at every opportunity. Be sure to scan the information board. Because the path encircles the pond, it provides a variety of pond perspectives, as well as the adjacent understory and wood edges. A few mature conifers in mown may attract boreal species in winter.
Waterfowl, rails, shorebirds, herons, raptors, and sparrows are among the possibilities in these varied habitats. Font Hill Park is also an excellent destination for odonate enthusiasts with one of the longest species lists of any county location.
Howard County Recreation and Parks information
Compilers: Joanne Solem and June Tveekrem
