View source for Pocomoke State Forest

{{Short description|Protected area in Maryland, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox Protected area
| name = Pocomoke State Forest, Maryland, United States
| iucn_category = 
| photo = 
| photo_caption = 
| location = Maryland 
| nearest_city = Salisbury
| area = [[Eastern Shore of Maryland]]
| established = 
| visitation_num = 
| visitation_year = 
| governing_body = [[Maryland Department of Natural Resources]]
}}
'''Pocomoke State Forest''' is a state forest of [[Maryland]] that lies on both banks of the [[Pocomoke River]] in [[Worcester County, Maryland|Worcester County]].  The portion north of the Pocomoke lies between [[Dividing Creek (Maryland)|Dividing]] and [[Nassawango Creek]]s.  The [[Pocomoke River Wildlife Management Area]] borders the southern portion of the forest.

With {{convert|17676|acre|km2}} wooded between [[Snow Hill, Maryland|Snow Hill]] and [[Pocomoke City, Maryland|Pocomoke City]], the state forest is famous for its stands of [[loblolly pine]] and for its [[bald cypress|cypress]] [[swamp]]s, which border the Pocomoke River.  The river originates in the [[Great Cypress Swamp]] in [[Delaware]] and flows southwesterly {{convert|45|mi|km}} to the Chesapeake Bay.<ref name=dnr>{{cite web|title=Pocomoke State Forest|url=http://dnr2.maryland.gov/forests/Pages/publiclands/eastern_pocomokeforest.aspx|website=MD Dept. of Natural Resources|access-date=21 November 2015}}</ref>

Five areas in the forest, including the swamp, are designated [[wildland]]s areas. The forest's combination of [[swamp]] and upland offers a great variety of plant and animal life, including [[Cornus florida|white dogwood]] and [[Kalmia latifolia|pink laurel]] in the spring, [[bald cypress]], [[northern river otter|river otters]], and [[bald eagles]].

Before the establishment of the State Forest much of the land had been cleared for farming or used as farm woodlots. When the depression era hit many of the farmers fell on hard times, resulting in the acquisition of large amounts of land by the Federal Government.<ref name="dnr" />

In the mid to late 1930s, two Civilian Conservation Camps were located on the Forest. The camp workers did considerable road and trail work, established boundary lines, provided for fire protection and suppression, planted trees and performed recreation improvements at Milburn Landing. At this same time the State was purchasing lands for management activities.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Civilian Conservation Corps Roosevelt's Tree Army in Maryland|url=http://www.dnr.state.md.us/feature_stories/CCC_History_Part_II.asp|website=Maryland DNR|access-date=21 November 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306024611/http://www.dnr.state.md.us/feature_stories/CCC_History_Part_II.asp|archive-date=6 March 2012}}</ref>

[[Hunting]] in season is permitted in the state forest.  Also within the forest is the [[Pocomoke River State Park]], which has facilities for [[camping]], [[boating]], and [[hiking]].

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110419153320/http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/eastern/pocomokeforest.asp Pocomoke State Forest]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Protected Areas of Maryland}}

{{coord|38|7|58|N|75|25|58|W|region:US-MD_type:adm3rd|display=title}}

[[Category:Maryland state forests]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Worcester County, Maryland]]


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