Zekiah Swamp and Cedarville State Forest: An Easy-Side-of-Strenuous 13-Mile Hike

Zekiah Swamp and Cedarville State Forest: An Easy Side of Strenuous 13 Miles (Great for Transitioning to Longer Hikes)

This is an easy, albeit rather a long trek through deep, shady forest along the banks of meandering creeks. On a hot summer day, there is a drowsy, languid feel to the creeks that run through Cedarville State Forest. They are known to rise and wash out bridges, and if their steeply cut banks are any measure, they have done so often. But there is little babble to these sandy-bottomed brooks. Walking by them through stands of hardwood and meadows of lush ferns, you are more likely to hear a breeze in the trees than a wild torrent. It is a good setting for a peaceful hike.

The headwaters of the Zekiah Swamp are located in Cedarville. The swamp is one mile wide, extends southward through Charles County for 20 miles, emptying into the Wicomico River. It serves as a major haven for wildlife and Cedarville State Forest is home to several unique features in nature and has an interesting history.

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The Piscataway Indian Tribe made this section of Southern Maryland its winter camping ground because of the mild climate and abundance of game. Legend says there is an Indian Burial ground in Cedarville State Forest, but to date, it has not been found.

The surrounding land is mostly agricultural fields and back in colonial times there were efforts to drain the swamp for cultivation. Drainage ditches are still evident and to this day, the swamp remains wooded bottomland and in 1930, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Forest, Park, and Wildlife Service purchased 2,631 acres of land for a forest demonstration area.

Of particular interest in this bog are several species of insect-eating plants, including the round leaf sundew and the northern pitcher plant (one of these is known as the Venus flytrap). Throughout the SUMMER MONTHS, spy the leaves of these carnivorous plants, which attract insects with their reddish color and entrap them with sticky or bristly hairs. Showy wildflowers also dot the open meadow next to the bog. Look for the pink blooms of Maryland meadow-beauty and milkwort and the purple flowers of Hyssop Skullcap. Most of the Cedarville is forested with over 50 species of trees, including white and loblolly pine plantations.

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Transition Hike

This hike is ideal for anyone wanting to step up to more challenging hikes! Is an excellent way to increase your endurance/mileage to strenuous from moderate hiking (due to distance, but it is a flat hike for the most part) and work on building some distance while enjoying the middle-of-nowhere feeling you get only from the forest. Cedarville is very remote yet extremely well blazed and marked. It is pretty much flat as well which is unusual for anywhere around here. This would be rated an easy hike other than the distance, which earns it a very moderate or easy side of strenuous depending on your level of fitness.

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Trail Information
Activity Type: Hiking
Nearby City: Waldorf, MD
Length: 13 Miles
Elevation Gain: 500
Trail Type: Loop
Difficulty: Difficult only due to length; the terrain is easy going which is a welcome change of pace from trails commonly encountered in the Mid-Atlantic Area because many trails in our area are so often rocky and rooty.
Trail Surface: Dirt footpaths traverse a heavily wooded area with short stretches through the watershed of two major streams. Unlike most parts of Maryland, there are few rocks and roots (which we call ankle twisters) so you can take in the view and not have to watch your feet constantly!
Facilities: Restrooms, visitor center, campground, archery range, fish hatchery visitor center.
Local Contacts: Cedarville State Forest
Local Maps: USGS Bristol, Maryland
Topo Map: Cedarville State Forest Loop Topographic Map
Special Features: There is an archery range where you walk through on paths and shoot at targets set up through the woods.
Additional Activities: A four-acre pond stocked with Bluegill, Catfish, Sunfish, and Bass is open for bank fishing only. A Maryland Non-Tidal fishing license is required for persons 16 years and older.

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Park Fee
Maryland State Residents are $3.00 per car and out of state, $5.00 per car paid by the honor system upon entering the park. Make sure you place the yellow tag that comes with the payment envelope onto your rearview mirror.

Gear Suggestions
Click Here for suggestions regarding what to wear and what not to wear for hiking the trails.

Weather Information
We hike rain or shine. Click Here to view the forecast for the park area where we will be hiking.

Our RSVP and Group Etiquette
Click Here to review our RSVP policies and group etiquette.

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Directions to the Trailhead
Click Here for Directions to Where We Meet for this Hike

Meet & Greet and Sign-In — 9:45-9:55 a.m.

The Hike is at 10:00 a.m.

Please remember we are a volunteer-supported organization that values fellowship and camaraderie while practicing good hike etiquette (http://midatlantichikinggroup.org/hike-and-trail-etiquette.html)and Leave No Trace (http://midatlantichikinggroup.org/leave-no-trace.html) principles. Our hikes are led by generous, dedicated, and qualified MAHG members who volunteer (https://www.meetup.com/Mid-Atlantic-Hiking-Group/pages/9595722/How_To_Join_Our_Leadership_Team!/) as leaders for Mid-Atlantic Hiking Groups volunteer leadership team. Hikes also have a volunteer “sweeper” to help ensure that no hiker is left behind. MAHG volunteers and members are very supportive, encouraging, with a focus on safety while enjoying the excellent camaraderie and benefiting from the many health benefits of hiking and unplugging from the stress of day-to-day life. Sharing what we know and learning from each other is an important part of MAHGs core values, as is our dedication to the conservation of our natural resources and our commitment to the organization's mission (http://midatlantichikinggroup.org/). Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group is a volunteer-supported tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, (http://midatlantichikinggroup.org/mahg-charity.html) and donations ARE tax deductible (https://midatlantichikinggroup.networkforgood.com/projects/17107-fall-into-hiking-for-health). Tax ID: 47-5141831 (http://midatlantichikinggroup.org/mahg-charity.html).

A Well-Mannered, Leashed Fido is Welcome on this Hike!

Let’s have fun out on the trails and see you there!

Christa: 410.610.6254
Greg: 571.484.7499

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