Western Regional Park
14800 Carrs Mill Road, Woodbine, MD 21797
The 160-acre Western Regional Park is one of the county’s largest. Varied habitats within and near the park make it an attractive destination for nature enthusiasts despite its primary use for active recreation.
Amenities: Parking available at multiple lots, as well as at adjacent Gary J. Arthur Community Center. (Parking may be tight on weekends that coincide with games on most fields.) Restrooms in three locations (April 1–November 30); portable toilets year-round in several parking lots. 2.75 miles of paved paths, plus paved walkways near ball fields; 2.25 miles dirt trails; extensive mown-grass edges. Five picnic pavilions for rent April 1–November 30 (rest of year, first-come, first-served).
Handicapped Access: The extensive paved path system with nearby parking lots allows access to much of the park.
Habitats: A variety of diverse habitats are present: deciduous woodlots of varying maturity, a warm-season grass meadow, streams with brushy edges, open-sky vistas, stormwater management ponds, a vegetated drainage area, and short-grass athletic fields. In addition, undeveloped private land on the south side of Carr’s Mill Road provides additional diverse habitats depending on crops planted.
Layout: Active recreational facilities form the nucleus of the park. Paved paths go around the playing fields, through a stand of trees, and along the edges of some of the forests; dirt trails form several interior loops of varying length (some through wooded areas may be muddy at times). Extensive portions of open areas are mown.
Almost 200 bird species have been observed in the park. Although there are numerous year-round residents and breeding species, most of the highlights occur during spring and fall migrations. To maximize one’s chances of recording the most migrants and more than 30 species of locally breeding or migrant warblers, a good strategy is to search the sunny exteriors of mature forests early and move into the interiors later in the morning/day.
The stormwater basin adjacent to the main entrance occasionally attracts migrating shorebirds/rails after a heavy rain. This drainage area was reconfigured in 2011. Sadly, the shallow water and accompanying mudflats are now seldom present; as a result, this location is no longer the magnet for rare shorebirds it once was. The basin’s weedy, sometimes damp, vegetation can prove attractive to a variety of sparrows, wrens, and an occasional rail or bittern. The area is mowed at least annually to prevent woody plants from gaining a permanent foothold.
Although heavily used during league play, the extensive short-grass unfenced soccer fields are sometimes attractive to “grasspipers.” Buff-breasted Sandpipers have, very occasionally, been found in late August/early September on both the Astro-turf and the grassy fields.
There is a fine view of the sky from numerous vantage points throughout the park. The private fields on the south side of Carrs Mill Rd should not be ignored when visiting this park. Flocks of geese feed and loaf there in the winter. Horned Larks are usually seen and heard along the fenceline, and any Grasshopper sparrow detected would be an excellent find. Note the “No Parking” signs along the road; it is safest to view this area from within the park on the north side of the road.
Several stormwater basins with adjacent annual vegetation provide limited habitat for amphibians, dragonflies, and butterflies.
Howard County Recreation and Parks information
Compilers: Bill Hill and Joanne Solem
