Scotts Cove Recreation Area Detailed Information

Amenities: Two gravel parking lots; picnic tables, grills, and tot lot; boat ramp; portable toilet adjacent to boat ramp when reservoir is open. Day or seasonal passes required for fishing and boating are available at the Brighton Dam Information Center.

Handicapped Access: The picnic areas were constructed decades ago and have not been updated except for minimal improvement to the tot lot. The parking lots on both sides are well above the cove so it is necessary to negotiate a flight of steps or an incline to reach picnic facilities or the edge of the cove. Except for the boat ramp, there are no paved areas.

Special Attractions: Access to a reservoir in a family-friendly situation. Potential for waterbirds and shorebirds adjacent to mixed woods.

Trails/Paths: Areas adjacent to the parking lots provide access to the shoreline at the head of the cove. At the southwest corner of Pineway Drive and Harding Road, a wooden gate marks the entrance to a short path to a point on the main reservoir overlooking the mouth of Scotts Cove. There is another gated entry point
between Pineway Drive and the north parking lot. On the south side of the cove, just above the boat ramp and boat stakes, there is a beaten fishing path through the pine woods. Access to any reservoir provides the possibility for a wide variety of birds associated with water.

Habitat: Water attracts birds, although the numbers and diversity are lower here than at Browns Bridge or at some sites on Triadelphia Reservoir. Mixed deciduous/coniferous woods are present on the north side (although every major storm reduces the remaining native pines). On the south side, blocks of pines were planted decades ago south and east of the boat ramp. Picnic areas on both sides are situated among deciduous trees; a small amount of edge vegetation exists along the stream at the head of the cove. There is little understory anywhere,
thanks to a substantial deer population and human use.

Layout: There are gravel parking lots on both sides of the cove with adjacent picnic/public areas near the water. There are also trails of varying lengths at the junction of Pineway Drive/Harding Road (park on Pineway), at a wooden gate between Pineway and the north parking lot (park along the south side of Harding Road), and east of the boat ramp just above the boat stakes. All of these trails end at the edge of the cove or at a point overlooking the main reservoir. When water levels are down, mudflats develop from the head of the cove east. They are easily accessible from either gravel lot. Harding Road is heavily traveled and mostly lacks wide shoulders around the cove; avoid walking along it.

Birding: The majority of trails are designed to reach the water. Pineway Drive Trail. This short trail begins at a wooden gate on the south side of the intersection with Harding Road and ends at a point overlooking the main reservoir and the mouth of Scotts Cove. There is a fine view of sky, edge, and water. Belted Kingfisher, Pileated Woodpecker, various flycatchers, Wood Thrush, and Scarlet Tanager can all be seen and heard seasonally. Common Mergansers are sometimes present in late winter and early spring; other waterfowl may appear briefly. Bald Eagles are increasingly predictable. A good view of the sky enhances the possibility of spotting egrets, herons, hawks, nighthawks (dawn and dusk in migration), and swallows.

Wooden Gated Trail, south side of Harding Road west of Pineway Drive. This provides wooded access to the north side of the cove with a less expansive view than the Pineway Drive Trail.

North Parking Lot. Listen and look for migrants in nearby trees on both sides of the road. From the lot, walk south through the picnic area to the water’s edge, listening for migrants and residents. Along the water, check the
ducks (sometimes another species joins the Mallards and hybrids). There is a good chance that a Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Killdeer, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, or Eastern Bluebird will be present. If
mudflats have emerged, there may be Least Sandpipers and sometimes a yellowlegs. Other shorebirds are a bonus.
South Parking Lot and Boat Ramp. Like the north side, the south side provides access to the cove. After early morning hours, this side allows the viewer to keep his back to the sun. East of the boat ramp and just above the boat stakes, there is a fishing trail running east through a pine plantation to points overlooking the reservoir. A Barred Owl may be present in these woods. Red-breasted Nuthatches are possible from mid-fall to early spring.