Corcoran Woods

The Corcoran Environmental Study Area or “Corcoran Woods” consists of 215 acres of forested land located on the northwest portion of Sandy Point State Park. Corcoran Woods is administered by the Maryland Park Service as a nature preserve for educational, scientific, and aesthetic purposes.

Recent visitors to Corcoran Woods have likely encountered a nearly 17-acre portion of the forest that has been cleared. This is the first step in a multi-year effort to restore and reforest portions of Corcoran that have been overrun with numerous invasive and exotic vine species that have all but choked out the native forests. Through mechanical means, a local contractor is working with park management to clear these areas and make them ready to replant with native trees in the upcoming year. Other areas will be restored and managed through the use of safe and appropriate herbicides to eliminate or control the spread of invasive vines.

This effort has been funded through a grant from the Anne Arundel County Forestry and Greening Program administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, in partnership with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Chesapeake & Coastal Service. For more information on the progress of this restoration effort, please contact the park office at 410-974-2149.​