The Maryland Forest Service manages over 214,000 acres of designated State Forest. Maryland’s State Forests offer a number of recreational opportunities. Click on a forest name below to learn about activities available in a particular forest. State Forest Foresters employ silvicultural activities to care for the forest ecosystems. Foresters for each state forest collaborate with other units within the department and stakeholders to make sustainable forest management decisions, and select and delineate areas for active management. A major tool used by the foresters is harvesting.
Among other benefits forest harvest operations in state forests:
- Utilize mature and dead, dying, and diseased trees
- Thin out overstock stands
- Improve and diversify wildlife habitat
- Control invasive exotic plants
- Effectively correct public safety concerns and issues
- Reduce the forest vulnerability to insect attack or wildlife hazard
- Improve aesthetic aspects of an era
- Improve the proportions of age class and species diversity within stands and management blocks.
Firewood Alert
Firewood for camping
must be purchased from local vendors. Please
do not bring personal firewood in to the State Forest. A wide variety of forest insect pests are accidentally transported and introduced to new areas by transporting personal firewood between distinct geographic locations.
Please keep our forests safe!
Horseback Riding
Maryland State Forests offer a variety of horseback riding opportunities.
Click here to learn more.
State Forests in Western Maryland
State Forests in Central Maryland
State Forests in Southern Maryland
State Forests in Eastern Maryland
Glossary of Forestry Terms
The
Glossary of Forestry Terms is provided to assist the reader of the State Forest annual work plans better understand some of the terminology associated with forest management.
Have a complaint?
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service has a 
State Forest Grievance Policy. If you would like to file a grievance or complaint regarding the management of a State Forest, please contact the State Forest office with which you wish to file the grievance or complaint or email your message here.
