Holly Path winds through an old-growth Atlantic Maritime Forest at Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary, crossing ancient dunes and passing groves of sassafras, holly, and cedar where songbirds, thrushes, sparrows, herons, insects, Brown Creepers, Winter Wrens, and neotropical migrants find sustenance and shelter beneath the canopy. It also reflects the success of the Sanctuary Restoration Program started in 2005: after a once-thriving heronry lost its birds in the late 1990s, the removal of invasive plants and planting of native species may be encouraging their return, with growing numbers of Black-crowned Night-Herons roosting through the summer near Holly Path and Great Egrets and Green Herons becoming more active there. To limit disturbance and encourage nesting, Holly Path is seasonally closed from March 1 to October 1 each year.