Contact KSN.org
Finding Fossils Pages
Cori's Fossil Map
Brownie's Beach
Flag Ponds
Calvert Cliffs State Park
Purse State Park
Calvert Cliffs State Park is less than 2 hours from Washington, DC.
It has a tiny beach (maybe 100 yards long and 5-10 feet wide) that is reached via a
great 1.8 mile easy hike. We haven't had tremendous luck with finding fossils there
compared to other sites; when
the days are warm, it tends to be crowded and picked over, and you aren't allowed on the
cliffs. But it is a beautiful spot (although there is now some sort of offshore dock that spoiled the view when we were there in August 2003), and the hike is a wonderful trip, starting out at a large pond, and descending through forest and tidal swamp to the beach. There are tons of frogs, butterflies, turtles, and snakes, and we always have an adventure getting to and from the beach. There are other hiking possibilities, but this is the most direct way to the beach. There's also a nice recycled tire playground by the parking lot.
The deposits here are from the St. Mary's formation, about 8-12 million years old. For more details on the park, and directions, check out the official Calvert Cliffs State Park website.
Find more fossil sites on Cori's Fossil Map.