A walk along the Crook Horn Creek Nature Trail reveals the ghostly remnants of an old railroad line, a thicket of tall cedar trees and striking views of the wetlands that unfold for miles in the south end of Ocean City. The trail actually is an old railroad service road that runs parallel to the abandoned train tracks at the bay end of 51st Street and extends past 52nd Street. Dotted with rain puddles, the badly rutted dirt road has been closed to traffic for years and now serves as a pathway for hikers, nature lovers, anglers and bicyclists. Despite its deteriorated condition, Ocean City officials believe the trail can be transformed into a natural-looking barrier that will help protect the southern tip of town from floodwater seeping out of the wetlands.