Location:
Cedarville State Forest Map

From the Washington, D.C. area: Follow MD-5 south toward Waldorf. Turn onto Cedarville Road, then follow local signs to Bee Oak Road and Cedarville State Forest. From Waldorf and Southern Maryland: Follow US-301 or MD-5 to Cedarville Road. Continue to Bee Oak Road and follow signs to park headquarters.

Headquarters:
10201 Bee Oak Road, Brandywine, MD 20613

Phone:
Park Headquarters: 301-888-1410
Duty Ranger: 443-975-4358
Camping Reservations: 1-888-432-2267

Hours:
Sunrise to sunset.

Headquarters Office Hours:
9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Staff are frequently in the field; call ahead before visiting.

Pets:
Permitted in designated areas and must remain leashed. Visitors are responsible for cleaning up after pets.

Recreation and Trails
Hunting, Trapping, and Permits
Forest Management

Overview

Cedarville State Forest covers more than 3,800 acres in Prince George’s and Charles counties, including approximately 3,700 wooded acres. The forest is located near the headwaters of Zekiah Swamp, Maryland’s largest freshwater swamp, and contains mixed hardwood forest, bottomland hardwoods, loblolly pine, and Virginia pine.

Cedarville is co-managed by the Maryland Forest Service and the Maryland Park Service. The Maryland Forest Service manages the forest resources, including forest stewardship, timber resources, and forest demonstration areas. The Maryland Park Service manages recreation, visitor services, camping, trails, hunting, and other public-use activities.

The forest offers more than 19 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use, along with camping, picnicking, fishing, hunting, firewood cutting, and opportunities to experience active forest management. More than 50 species of trees are found at Cedarville, making the forest an important demonstration area for natural resource protection, sustainable forestry, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation.

Cedarville also has a long cultural and land-use history. Historical records indicate that the Piscataway people used this area of Southern Maryland as a winter camping and hunting ground because of its mild climate and abundant game. The State of Maryland purchased the land in 1930 to create a forest demonstration area. During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps developed roads and trails for fire protection and future recreation. From 1933 to 1935, approximately 160 CCC workers, many of them African American men from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., worked at Cedarville.

In the 1950s, Cedarville State Forest operated three charcoal kilns that burned wood from the forest to produce charcoal for use in other Maryland state parks. One historic kiln remains near the Blue and White Trailhead as a demonstration of this former forest-products use.

Cedarville State Forest offers accessible pavilions and comfort stations in the campground and pavilion area. Accessible portable restrooms are also available. For additional accessible amenities in Maryland state forests and parks, visit Accessibility for All.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers play an important role at Cedarville State Forest, supporting campground operations, trail maintenance, visitor assistance, special events, park maintenance, and resource stewardship. Individuals, families, scout groups, and community organizations can help in different ways depending on their interests, skills, and availability.

Cedarville volunteer opportunities may include:

• Camp Host service, assisting campers and helping maintain the campground during the April through October camping season
• Friends of Cedarville State Forest projects, including work days, trail support, picnic area maintenance, and special events
• Scout projects for youth looking to complete service or leadership projects
• Trail Work Days for individuals or groups interested in helping maintain Cedarville’s trail system
• Volunteer Ranger service for adults who want to assist with park operations, public service, and stewardship activities
• Volunteer Bike Patrol, helping trail users and reporting downed trees, washouts, and other trail issues
• Volunteer Mounted Patrol, assisting visitors on horseback and reporting trail or maintenance concerns

Volunteer Rangers, Volunteer Bike Patrol, and Volunteer Mounted Patrol volunteers complete volunteer service and training before certification. After certification, Volunteer Rangers commit to continued annual service.

More information is available through Volunteer with Maryland State Parks, or by contacting Cedarville State Forest headquarters at 301-888-1410.