The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Finzel Swamp © Deborah Landau

Open to the Public

Yes

Things To Do

This preserve has a lot of unique and beautiful plants and animals to see. View All

Plan Your Visit

Bring plenty of drinking water, sun protection (sunscreen, hat, sunglasses), rain gear, and bug protection. View All

Get Directions

Why You Should Visit
A window into ice ages past, Finzel Swamp is located in a "frost pocket," an area where the surrounding hills capture moisture and cold air that conspire to create a landscape more reminiscent of habitat found much further north in Canada.  Finzel is open to the public for birdwatching and nature walks year-round.  Admission is free.

Location
Three-and-half hour drive from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., past Cumberland.

Hours
The preserve is open year-round during daylight hours. 

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
In addition to the shrub swamp, the preserve contains three other distinct plant communities, and is the headwaters to the Savage River.  The mountain peatlands created by this rare mix of altitude, temperature, and precipitation are home to a spectacular range of plants, birds, and mammals.

What the Conservancy Is Doing Here

• 326 acres purchased by The Nature Conservancy since 1970
• Removing woody vegetation to restore habitat for northern larch (larix laricina)
• Removing culverts to restore natural hydrology and habitat quality for swamp plants
• Ecological management: installing barriers to prevent off-road vehicle access to grassland and swamp

Things To Do

What to See: Plants

• One of the southernmost occurrences for tamarack (or larch), wild calla, and Canadian burnet in the United States.
• Red spruce, small cranberry, cotton grass, and bog fern.

What to See: Animals

• Woodland jumping mouse, smoky shrew, and bobcat.
• State-rare breeding birds found here are the Virginia rail, sedge wren, alder flycatcher, Nashville warbler, and saw-whet owl.
• You may also be able to glimpse rose-breasted grosbeak, woodcock, cedar waxwing, scarlet tanager, wild turkey, and the whip-poor-will.

Plan Your Visit

How to Get the Most from Your Visit

• Bring plenty of drinking water, sun protection (sunscreen, hat, sunglasses), rain gear, and bug protection. Binoculars, field guides, and a camera may be useful.
• Pets are not allowed on Conservancy preserves or field trips. 
• Smoking is not permitted. 
• Please do not remove any plants, animals, or rocks.
• Wear socks and waterproof footwear. Wearing light colors will help you spot and remove ticks.
• Please help us maintain this unique natural environment by taking home everything that you bring, including biodegradable materials. For more information, please contact the Maryland/DC Chapter office at (301) 897-8570.
• Tick and Mosquito Alert: When you get home, plan to drop your clothing directly in the laundry and do a tick check before you shower. Deer ticks, the type that carry lyme disease, are about the size of a pinhead and tend to attach in hair, under ears, underarms, trunk of the body, groin, and backs of the knees. Remove them by gently pulling with tweezers and wipe the skin near the bite with a mild disinfectant. If, within 7-10 days after exposure, you experience a rash (especially an expanding "bull's eye" rash), chills, fever, headache, stiff neck, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes and/or aching joints and muscles, contact your doctor. You can find more information on lyme disease at www.lyme.org or www.aldf.com, or by calling the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 404-332-4555.

Directions

• From Washington's Capital Beltway (I-495), take I-270 North.  Take I-70 West:
• From Baltimore (I-695), take I-70 West:
• Near Hancock, take I-68 West.  Past Frostburg, take Routh 546 North 1.7 miles towards the Town of Finzel.  Turn right onto a dirt road on the norrth side of the recreation park and baseball field.  After the ballpark, where four driveways converge, take the second one from the left.   Follow this road for .6 mile to the preserve sign and gate.  Park in front of the gate leading to the preserve but please do not block the road or driveway to the house (it is a private residence).

Discussion

Have you been to this preserve? Are you thinking of visiting? See what others are saying about their experiences and add your comments below.

Add Your Comments

Time for you to join the discussion. Tell us about your experience at this preserve. What plants and animals did you see? When did you go? You can help others plan their visit when you share your thoughts. And thank you for visiting one of our nature preserves!

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