Fossil sites in Maryland

Calvert Cliffs State Park gives you access to a two-mile beach at the base of the cliffs, where Miocene Chesapeake Group sediments (roughly 10 to 20 million years old) continuously shed material onto the shoreline. Collecting is permitted from beach scree only; the cliffs themselves are protected and must not be climbed or dug. Storms accelerate erosion and refresh the beach, so conditions after a northeast wind are typically the most productive. No fee, no permit required.

Purse State Park, further south on the Potomac River, exposes the same Miocene formation in a river-bluff setting. The site receives far fewer visitors than Calvert Cliffs and produces comparable shark teeth, ray teeth, and occasional marine mammal fragments. Access requires a short hike from the parking area to the shoreline. Both sites are free and open year-round, though summer weekend crowds at Calvert Cliffs can be heavy.