Nassawango Creek Preserve
Maryland's largest private nature preserve

bald cypress swamp

Nassawango Creek

Lupine

Why You Should Visit
Nassawango Creek is one of Maryland's most pristine waterways.  Along its banks lie majestic bald cypress swamps and upland forests, making Nassawango one of the most beautiful and tranquil places in the state.  Nassawango is home to an abundant diversity of life, including many species of orchids, warblers, and other plants and animals.  An onsite visitor center (open from April 1 to October 31) and the Paul Leifer Trail provide additional ways to explore Nassawango's treasures.

Inside the visitor center, you can find information on Furnace Town, an historic village sitting alongside the preserve boundary, and soon there will be permanent exhibits about the preserve.  The foundation also runs an interpretive program that brings to life the daily activities of this 19th century village.

Location
Maryland's lower Eastern Shore, about 3 hours from Washington, DC.

Hours
The preserve is open year round for nature walks, birdwatching, and canoeing.  The Nature Conservancy & Furnace Town Visitor Center is open from April 1 to October 31 between the hours of 11AM and 5PM. Admission to the center is free for Conservancy members with their membership cards.  For non-members, there is a $4 entry fee for adults and $2 for children.

How to Get the Most from Your Visit

• Bring plenty of drinking water, sun protection (sunscreen, hat, sunglasses), rain gear, and bug protection. Binoculars, field guides, and a camera may be useful.
• Pets are not allowed on Conservancy preserves or field trips.
• Smoking is not permitted.
• Please do not remove any plants, animals, or rocks.
• Wear socks and comfortable shoes. Wearing light colors will help you spot and remove ticks.

Please help us maintain this unique natural environment by taking home everything that you bring, including biodegradable materials.

For more information, please contact the Maryland/DC Chapter office at (301) 897-8570 or amishra@tnc.org.

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TICK AND MOSQUITO ALERT
When you get home, plan to drop your clothing directly in the laundry and do a tick check before you shower. Deer ticks, the type that carry lyme disease, are about the size of a pinhead and tend to attach in hair, under ears, underarms, trunk of the body, groin, and backs of the knees. Remove them by gently pulling with tweezers and wipe the skin near the bite with a mild disinfectant. If, within 7-10 days after exposure, you experience a rash (especially an expanding "bull's eye" rash), chills, fever, headache, stiff neck, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes and/or aching joints and muscles, contact your doctor. You can find more information on lyme disease at www.lyme.org or www.aldf.com, or by calling the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at (404) 332-4555.

Directions

• From Baltimore/Washington, take Route 50 east across the Bay Bridge to Salisbury.  From Salisbury, go south on Route 12 towards Snow Hill; run right onto Old Furnace road.  Travel about a mile and you'll find Furnace Town on the left.  Park and check in at the visitor center if it is open.  The Paul Leifer Trail begins just beyond the old brick furnace at the south end of the village.
• More information on Furnace Town.

Directions for Canoeists

• From Baltimore/Washington, follow directions above to Snow Hill.  Instead of turning onto Old Furnace Road, continue on Route 12 for one mile farther south and turn right onto Red House Road.  After about one mile, park along the road shoulder near the designated parking sign.  Launch next to the sign on the west side of the creek.  Two yellow "Nature Sanctuary" signs mark this area.

What to See: Plants

• bald cypress trees
• 12 species of orchids, including pink lady's slipper, grass-pink, and the rose pogonia
• stands of Atlantic white cedar
• wild lupine

What to See: Animals

• 21 species of warblers, including the prothonotary, Kentucky, hooded, and worm-eating
• red-shouldered hawk
• river otter
• rockfish

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
To protect the almost 90 rare plants and animals that live here, as well as the numerous important and diverse natural communities that make up Nassawango.

What the Conservancy Is Doing Here

• More than 9,000 acres purchased or donated since 1978
• Volunteer Stewardship Committee maintains trails and boundary lines. Local volunteers welcome!
• Volunteer Weed Watchers monitor site for new weeds (volunteers needed to help in control!)