Calvert Cliffs Fossil Hunting Guide: Shark Teeth and Miocene Fossils
Use this guide to plan a fossil hunting trip to the Calvert Cliffs of Maryland, including where to collect, how to check tides and weather, what fossils to look for, and how to identify Miocene shark teeth, shells, marine mammals, reptiles, and other Chesapeake Bay fossils.
Key Takeaway: Calvert Cliffs is one of the best-known Miocene fossil hunting areas on the East Coast. Most collectors search the beach gravel and surf line for fossil shark teeth, but the cliffs also produce rays, shells, marine mammals, reptiles, fish, and rare land mammal fossils.
Calvert Cliffs Maryland
Quick Facts for Fossil Collectors
Location: Calvert County, Maryland, along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay.
Age: Early to middle Miocene, roughly 23 to 8 million years old.
Rock Units: Chesapeake Group, including the Calvert, Choptank, and St. Mary's formations.
Best Known Fossils: Fossil shark teeth, ray plates, shells, whale and dolphin bones, crocodile and turtle material, fish fossils, and occasional land mammal fossils.
Planning a Calvert Cliffs Fossil Hunting Trip
The safest and most productive collecting is usually beachcombing below the high-tide line, especially where waves concentrate shell hash, pebbles, and small gravel. Always check the tide, wind, weather, and park rules before you go, and never dig in or stand below the cliffs.
Videos of Calvert Cliffs Fossil Hunts
YOUTUBE VIDEO
This is a short video from one of my fossil Shark tooth hunts along the Miocene Calvert formation
YOUTUBE VIDEO
This is another of one of my fossil Shark tooth hunts along the Miocene Calvert formation
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About the Calvert Cliffs of Maryland
The fossil-rich Calvert Cliffs of Maryland are part of the Chesapeake Group, which spans exposures around the Chesapeake Bay, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. These deposits formed in the Salisbury Embayment, a shallow marine area covering parts of the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia coastal plains (Kent, 1994, p.111).
The cliffs stretch roughly 24 miles from Chesapeake Beach to Drum Point in Calvert County and preserve a remarkable Miocene fauna. Over 600 species of plants and animals have been documented (Glaser, 1979, p.56), including marine mammals like dolphins, whales, seals, sea turtles, and sea cows. Land mammals, such as peccaries, mastodons, woolly rhinos, and camels, are occasionally found. The cliffs also yield a diverse array of sharks, rays, and other fish, though most fossils are fragmentary bones or isolated teeth.
During the early to middle Miocene, the Salisbury Embayment was a warm, shallow sea and likely a calving ground for early dolphins and whales. It attracted large predatory sharks, including C. megalodon, which fed extensively in the area. Onshore, a variety of plants, from cypress to oak, thrived in the warmer climate.
Calvert Cliffs are a top destination for fossil enthusiasts, especially those hunting fossil shark teeth.
Reading the Calvert Cliffs Formations
The map above shows the Miocene formations exposed along Calvert Cliffs. The layers are arranged with the youngest units above older ones, but the deposits dip slightly southward, about 10 feet per mile (Gernant, 1970, p.6). Because of this tilt, traveling south along the cliffs is almost like moving forward through Miocene time.
roughly 18 - 22 million years old
roughly 12 - 18 million years old
roughly 8 - 12 million years old
Fossil Shark Tooth Collecting Sites along the Calvert Cliffs and Chesapeake Bay
Google Map of the Calvert Cliffs Area
The Calvert Cliffs area is a great place to take your family fossil hunting. Kids especially love searching the beach gravel for fossil shark teeth.
Although these are some of the best Miocene exposures on the East Coast, much of the shoreline is private property, and public access is limited. Even at parks, stay out of the cliff areas. The cliffs are unstable and frequently collapse.
The collecting locations below are listed as available access points in no particular order. Always check the official site for current hours, fees, access rules, and closures before visiting.
1. Flag Ponds Nature Park
This is a park halfway up Calvert County. It again, contains nice hiking trails that lead to a large beach area. There are no cliff exposures present here, but fossils wash up via the currents.
- There is no cliff access at this park. However, some fossils can be found washing in the surf.
- Small fee
- Open Memorial Day to Labor Day and Weekends in Winter
- On route 2/4, 9 miles N. of Solomons, you will see signs for it.
2. Breezy Point Beach and Campground
Small fossils wash up from the Calvert Formation, however the Beach is small, and no cliffs are present. Therefore, the teeth found are the TINY ones that wash up from other locations. However, it's a convenient place to camp at if you are collecting at the cliffs for a few days.
- Small Entrance Fee
- Open April 15 to October 15
- On Rt. 261, a few miles south of Chesapeake Beach, turn onto Breezy Point Rd.
3. Matoaka Beach Cabins
Matoaka Beach Cabins is a rustic camping and cabin area perched right on top of the southern part of the Calvert Cliffs. You can hear the waves crash when you sleep! Matoaka is open year round for day fossil collecting and open from spring through fall for camping and cabin rental.
- Choptank Formation is exposed.
- When at the cliffs, walk north and search for the fossils in the surf.
- Open year round for day fossil collecting for a small cash entrance fee.
- Open for camping and Cabin rental from spring to fall.
- Address: 4510 Matoaka Ln. Saint Leonard, Maryland 20685
- Visit their website for updated/detailed information
4. Calvert Cliffs State Park
This is probably the worst public location to collect at. It is a park toward the southern end of Calvert County. The park has scenic hiking trails, with one that leads to a VERY TINY beach. One can fossil hunt at the small beach, but cannot go near the cliff sections. It's a very scenic park, nice for hiking, but not for fossil collecting.
- St. Marys Formation is exposed. A very nice park that allows collecting at a VERY tiny beach.
- There is a 2 mile? scenic hike to get to the beach.
- Small Park entrance Fee.
- Collecting under cliffs here is illegal
- On Rt. 2/4, 5 miles N. of Solomons, you will see signs for it.
5. Bay Front Park - CLOSED TO PUBLIC
6. Westmoreland State Park in VA
This is not at the Calvert Cliffs, but it has the same cliff formations present. They are called the Horsehead Cliffs.
- Cliff access is prohibited, however, they have a nice "fossil beach" next to the cliffs where fossils can be found.
- The park also offers a "Fossils, Fun and Fitness River Kayak Trip." This kayak trip is offered Wednesdays, Sundays, and some Saturdays. It takes you below the Horsehead cliffs to a beach with fossils.
- Small Fee. Use the link above to see hours, fees, maps, directions, and more information.
7. Calvert Marine Museum
Why Stop at the Calvert Marine Museum?
This is not a beach collecting site, but it is one of the best places to learn about Calvert Cliffs fossils before or after a fossil trip. The museum has scheduled fossil programs and a large fossil exhibit from the cliffs that is well worth visiting.
- Best for: fossil exhibits, local geology, marine mammal fossils, and educational programs.
- Location: Solomons, Maryland.
- Directions note: When traveling south on Rt. 2/4, bear right onto Rt. 2 just before the bridge into St. Marys County.
- Before visiting: Check the museum website for current hours, admission, programs, and fossil tour information.
If you don't want to try going alone, you can always join a guided tour. Chesapeake Heritage and Paleonotlogy Tours offer small and private fossil hunting tours along the Chesapeake Bay. These tours are run by my friend Paul, he's a great guy and is incredibly knowledgeable about the Paleontology of the Cliffs!
Fossil Identification for the Calvert Cliffs of Maryland
If you plan on collecting shark teeth fossils or any other fossils at the cliffs, or need Calvert fossils identified, this is your place.
click the image below to go to the fossils that can be found at Calvert Cliffs.
Recommended Fossil Collecting Equipment and Collecting Tips
A simple setup works best. You want enough gear to search safely, but not so much that the walk back becomes miserable.
Small Shovel and Sifter
Use a small shovel and a 1/8-inch or 1/4-inch screen, or a sand sifter, to search the surf line where pebbles and shell fragments collect. Do not dig into the cliffs.
Waders or Water Shoes
Waders are useful in cold weather or when sea nettles are present. In Maryland, avoid felt-bottomed waders because they can spread invasive algae.
Water, Sun, and Bug Protection
Bring drinking water, snacks, sunscreen, a hat, and insect repellent. Late summer can bring biting flies, heat, and sea nettles.
Pack Light
Do not overpack. Bring what you need, keep your hands free, and leave room to carry fossils back. Pack light and come home heavy with fossils.
RELODECOR Beachcombing Shark Tooth Sifter - Lightweight Sand Sifter for Shark Teeth and Fossil Hunting
This lightweight 14.5" x 11" shark tooth mesh sifter is made from PVC and pool floaties, so it floats! The fine mesh makes it easy to sift and hunt for shark teeth
POILKMNI New Upgraded 2 Pcs Shark Tooth Sifter, Beach Sand Sifter
Skip the shovel and sifter! These lightweight 41" extendable scoops make it easy to pick up shark teeth in the surf without bending over.
Hiearcool Waterproof Phone Pouch, Waterproof Phone Case - Dry Bag Beach Essentials 2Pack-8.3 inches
Keep your phone safe while fossil hunting! This inexpensive waterproof holder protects against mud, sand, and harsh saltwater. Fits most phones.
Tips for Fossil Collecting at the Calvert Cliffs
- Check tides, winds, and weather before collecting. At high tide, some beaches may be narrow or underwater. Use the Calvert Cliffs tide and weather page before your trip.
- Stay away from the base of the cliffs. Large blocks fall often, and cliff collapses can happen without warning.
- Collect near low tide. Low tide usually exposes more beach, gravel, shells, and wave-washed material.
- Walk slowly and look carefully. Shark teeth are often mixed with small black pebbles and shell fragments, so it is easy to walk right past them.
- Watch for seasonal hazards. Late summer can bring biting flies, heat, and stinging sea nettles.
Recommended Books for Fossils and Nature of the Calvert Cliffs
The Geology and Vertebrate Paleontology of Calvert Cliffs, Maryland
Stephen J. Godfrey (Volume editor) - 2018
This comprehensive review of Calvert Cliffs fossils covers sharks, skates, rays, ray-finned fish, crocodiles, and sea cows. The shark section is particularly detailed. Volume two focuses on Miocene turtles and cetaceans. These technical volumes are ideal for paleontologists and avid fossil collectors.
Both volumes are available to download for free on the openSI website. Search ISSN 1943-6688 for the first volume and ISSN 1943-6688 for the second.
Fossil Shark Teeth of the World: A Collectors Guide
by Joe Cocke, 2002
A handy guide for identifying shark teeth, designed for simplicity and portability. Covers teeth from around the world, including all those found at Calvert Cliffs.
Outdoor and Nature Books about the Chesapeake Bay
These are good reads to explore the surrounding Chesapeake Bay area when your are done fossil hunting!
Chesapeake Bay Explorer's Guide
David Malmquist, 2021
This guide is the perfect companion for exploring the estuary, highlighting its beauty, history, 14,415 miles of shoreline, hiking trails, wildlife preserves, and more.
A Year across Maryland: A Week-by-Week Guide to Discovering Nature in the Chesapeake Region
Bryan MacKay, 2013
This is a week-by-week guide to the state's wildlife and plants. From January's nesting bald eagles to December's mistletoe harvest, it offers tips for both spontaneous adventurers and serious planners, illustrated with over seventy species photographs.
Additional Photos / Images of the Calvert Cliff Fossil Area
To use or purchase any of these photos, please contact me. I have high res, unwatermarked versions of most of them, plus many others.
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