West Friendship Park
12985 Frederick Road, West Friendship, MD 21794
Amenities: One port-a-pot is available by the barn behind the Hebb House. A historic Maryland National Road marker is located behind the Hebb House, commemorating The Road that Built the Nation. The well-kept trails, varied habitat, and abundant wildlife combine to make this park a worthwhile stop for any nature enthusiast. The Mowed Trail has benches for resting, trash cans, and hitching posts for horses. Other benches are scattered throughout the park. A small children’s playground is located inside the gate, close to the one-room schoolhouse.
Handicapped Access: Paths are not suitable for wheelchairs; all are mown grass, gravel, and dirt with some inclines. The paved entrance road, however, is over a half mile long, providing excellent views of the sky, open grasslands, and tree-lined fence rows. Multiple paved spaces allow pull-offs without leaving the vehicle.
Habitat: Size: Approximately 375 acres. Varied. Deciduous woods, scrub, field and edge, wetlands along the Middle Patuxent River, streams, agricultural lands, and two small ponds. Mature mixed deciduous woods cover much of the park as they line the four streams and the Middle Patuxent River. Agricultural lands make up another large part of the park and provide excellent skywatching opportunities year-round. These agricultural lands also help attract and feed winter wildlife. Eastern Redcedar and Osage Orange trees dot the property. The two small ponds can hold some surprises with ducks in winter and herons and shorebirds in spring. The wetland area is filled with cattails, wet pools, and willows.
This park was originally called Pheffercorn Natural Environmental Area, acquired along with several other parcels when Howard County intended to dam the streams on these parcels so that they had a reliable source of water for firefighting.
Layout: There are two convenient parking lots within the park prior to the main gate. The first is the Hebb House parking lot, which is located 500 feet down the entrance road. This parking area is bordered by a wooden fence with 12 signposts featuring park information and interesting nature questions. The second is the amphitheater parking lot that is located half a mile farther south along the entrance road and is easily recognized by the five silver antique harvesters parked there. The main gate is a short distance south along the road, adjacent to a one-story house. The gate is usually locked. All trails can be accessed from these two parking lots.
The much of the park is agricultural land, deciduous woods, fields, fence hedgerows, wetlands, and floodplain habitat. The Middle Patuxent River flows for a mile through the southern portion of the park. These diverse areas and habitats are all accessible using the three trails.
Mowed Trail (Blue): This trail is accessible from the amphitheater parking lot only and is a loop. From the parking lot, enter the Mowed Trail by walking north along the entrance road approximately 50 feet. The trail is to the east and is mowed grass between a fence line and an agricultural field. This trail is good anytime but best in late fall and winter. Sparrows are abundant then and can be seen busily feeding along the entire length of the trail. This edge habitat provides excellent skywatching opportunities with wide open views of low-flying passerines and soaring raptors. You’ll see many Eastern Bluebirds and their nest boxes along this trail thanks to a bluebird nest box program monitored by a Howard County Bird Club volunteer. Eventually there is a change in habitat as the trail leads to the Middle Patuxent River floodplain, the first of two ponds, and a wetland. Leaving the wetlands brings one to the second pond. Follow the trail uphill to connect with the entrance road and follow it north to the amphitheater parking lot.
Crop Edge Trail (Yellow): This trail is accessible from the amphitheater parking lot, the Woodland Trails, or from several paved pull-offs along the entrance road. Please be respectful of crops and stay out of planted fields. This is the shortest trail in the park, yet it provides excellent opportunities for skywatching and for grassland birds. Keep an eye on the fence and pole lines that parallel the entrance road.
Woodland Trails (Red): Start at the Hebb House parking lot and follow the gravel and mowed trail. This trail is not a loop! In the beginning, the trail follows a small stream that flows into a large pond on private property adjacent to the park. In winter, waterfowl can be observed on that pond, flying about, or in the park’s agricultural fields. During your walk you will come across all or some of the 14 signposts that dot the trail. Each signpost has information about the natural features of the park and wildlife residents you might encounter. Stop #8 has information on woodland animals while stop #9 describes “Vernal Pools.” The first part of this trail is mostly wooded edge, but eventually it leads into dense woods with a beautiful stream bottom where the trail turns from grass to packed dirt. Expect a variety of warblers and sparrows in spring and fall along this trail. The mixed deciduous woods include Black Walnut, Tulip Poplar, Red Maple, and Black Cherry trees to name a few. The trail prior to entering the deeper woods has two paths that lead to the Yellow Trail for a different habitat and nature experience while returning to the parking area. Continuing along the woodlands trail will take you through a mature deciduous forest with multiple offshoot paths that lead to the Yellow Trail. Following the portion of the woodlands trail to its completion will bring one to the amphitheater parking lot. From there, follow the entrance road north.
Howard County Recreation and Parks information
Compiler: Jeff Culler
