PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. –– Flag Ponds Nature Park has expanded its public hours to include Friday and Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The new hours are in addition to the regular weekend hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The park is closed to the public Tuesday through Thursday.
“Opening Flag Ponds Nature Park on these two weekdays provides more public access to the Chesapeake Bay,” said Natural Resources Division Chief Karyn Molines. “County residents and visitors will have additional opportunities to enjoy the woodland trails and beach.”
The entrance fee will be waived on Fridays and Mondays until Dec. 31. On weekends the normal entrance fees will be charged. Fees from April to October are $4 per vehicle for county residents, $6 for non-residents; from November to March the fee is $3 per vehicle, regardless of residence. The beach and entrance gates will close 30 minutes prior to park closing time. Groups of 10 or more are required to make reservations prior to visiting the park.
Flag Ponds Nature Park is located at 1525 Flag Ponds Parkway in Lusby. A short, half-mile walk leads to the beach and longer trails wind through the forest of this 500-acre nature park. There are observation platforms at two ponds, a fishing pier on the Chesapeake Bay and displays of fossils found along the beach. A shanty house, dating to the early 1900s when Flag Ponds was a major pound net fishery, houses a fascinating exhibit on the bay’s old-time fishing industry.
The park is operated by the Calvert County Natural Resources Division, which preserves, manages and operates natural resource areas to provide outdoor recreation and educational opportunities for the public.
The division manages Flag Ponds Nature Park, Kings Landing Park, Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary, Hughes Memorial Tree Farm, Hutchins Fishing Pond, Biscoe Gray Heritage Farm, Solomons Boat Ramp and Nan’s Cove Pier.
For more information about the Calvert County Natural Resources Division, call 410-535-5327. For information on Calvert County parks, visit http://www.calvertparks.org/.