Maryland Wildlands are a group of public properties that are protected from logging or other activities in the state of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. The Maryland Wildlands Preservation System is the state's counterpart to the federal government's National Wilderness Preservation System. Protected properties are designated as state wildlands by the

Maryland General Assembly The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber ...

. These wildlands are owned and managed by the

Maryland Department of Natural Resources The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a government agency in the state of Maryland charged with maintaining natural resources including state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, wildlife, and recreation areas. I ...

. Each tract overlaps with all or part of a state park, forest,

wildlife management area A Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a protected area set aside for the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife. New Zealand There are 11 Wildlife Management Areas in New Zealand: * Horsham Downs Wildlife Man ...

, or other land unit of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

History

In 1971, the

Maryland State Legislature The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamb ...

passed the Wildlands Protection Act, which began the program of protecting publicly owned areas. As of December 2018, 38 areas had been designated as Maryland Wildlands. representing of Maryland Wildlands.

Properties

Garrett County

Savage River State Forest Savage River State Forest is located in the north and northeastern part of Garrett County, in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state forest has many waterways, including Savage River Reservoir, which was built in 1952 by the U.S. Army. The dam was ...

** Big Savage Mountain Wildland (1973) ** Bear Pen Wildland ** Middle Fork Wildland ** High Rock Wildland ** Savage Ravines Wildland ** South Savage Wildland ** Upper White Rock Wildland ** Backbone Mountain Wildland ** Maple Lick Run Wildland ** Puzzley Run Wildland

Allegany County

Green Ridge State Forest Green Ridge State Forest is a state forest in Western Maryland. Approximately in size, it is situated along Green Ridge and Town Hill in eastern Allegany County. Camping, hiking, biking, fishing, and boating are all permitted in Green Ridge St ...

** Deep Run Wildland ** Maple Run Wildland ** Potomac Bends Wildland *

Rocky Gap State Park Rocky Gap State Park is a public recreation area with resort features located on Interstate 68 (exit 50), east of Cumberland in Allegany County, Maryland. The state park's include Lake Habeeb, Evitts Mountain, and the privately owned and oper ...

** Rocky Gap Wildland *

Dan's Mountain Wildlife Management Area Dan's Mountain Wildlife Management Area is a Wildlife Management Area in Allegany County, Maryland. The area covers forested mountainous terrain between altitudes of to above the North Branch of the Potomac River The Potomac River () drai ...

**Dan’s Mountain Wildland

Washington County

*Within the Sideling Hill Wildlife Management Area ** Sideling Hill Wildland

Frederick County

* Cunningham Falls State Park ** Cunningham Falls State Park Wildland

Frederick and Montgomery Counties

* Islands of the Potomac Wildlife Management Area ** Islands of the Potomac Wildland

Baltimore County

North Point State Park North Point State Park is a public recreation area located on Chesapeake Bay in Edgemere, Baltimore County, Maryland. The state park includes the site of the former Bay Shore Park, which was one of the state's premiere amusement parks during t ...

** Black Marsh Wildland *

Gunpowder Falls State Park Gunpowder Falls State Park is a public recreation area comprising six non-contiguous areas covering in northeastern Baltimore County and western Harford County, Maryland. The state park is primarily made up of the stream valleys of the Big and ...

** Gunpowder Falls Wildland ** Panther Branch Wildland ** Sweathouse Branch Wildland ** Mingo Branch/Bush Cabin Run Wildland *

Soldiers Delight Natural Environmental Area Soldiers Delight Natural Environmental Area is a nature reserve near Owings Mills, Maryland, Owings Mills in western Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S. The site is designated both as a Maryland Wildland (1,526 acres) and as a Natural Environment Are ...

** Soldiers Delight Wildland

Howard and Montgomery Counties

Patuxent River State Park Patuxent River State Park is a public recreation area located along the upper reaches of the Patuxent River in Howard and Montgomery counties in Maryland. The state park features hunting, fishing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and hiking on ...

** Patuxent River Wildland

Prince George's County

* Belt Woods Natural Environment Area ** Belt Woods Wildland (1997)

Calvert County

Calvert Cliffs State Park Calvert Cliffs State Park is a public recreation area in Lusby, Calvert County, Maryland, that protects a portion of cliffs that extend for 24 miles along the eastern flank of the Calvert Peninsula on the west side of Chesapeake Bay from Chesap ...

** Calvert Cliffs Wildland * Parker’s Creek Wildlife Management Area ** Parker’s Creek Wildland

St. Mary's County

* St. Mary's River State Park ** St. Mary's River Wildland

Charles County

* Mattawoman Natural Environment Area ** Mattawoman Wildland *

Zekiah Swamp Natural Environment Area Zekiah Swamp is part of the Potomac River basin in Charles County, Maryland in the United States. The swamp is of braided stream stretching the length of Charles County and is a tributary of the Potomac River. It sits at an elevation of and of i ...

** Zekiah Swamp Wildland *

Chapman State Park Chapman State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Pleasant Township, Warren County, Pennsylvania near Clarendon, in the United States. The man-made Chapman Lake covers of the park. Chapman State Park is named in honor of Dr. Leroy E. Ch ...

** Chapman Wildland

Caroline County

* Idylwild Wildlife Management Area ** Idylwild Wildland

Worcester County

* Pocomoke River State Forest and/or

Pocomoke River State Park Pocomoke River State Park is a public recreation area lying on both banks of the Pocomoke River between Snow Hill and Pocomoke City in Worcester County, Maryland. The state park comprises two areas within Pocomoke State Forest: Shad Landing o ...

** Pocomoke River Wildland ** Cypress Swamp Wildland

Somerset County

* Cedar Island Wildlife Management Area ** Cedar Island Wildland * Janes Island State Park ** Janes Island Wildland

References

External links

The Maryland Wildlands Preservation System
webpage at the Maryland DNR Website

webpage listing acreages and locations. {{Protected Areas of Maryland