# Calvert Cliffs State Park

> Calvert Cliffs State Park on the Chesapeake Bay covers 437 hectares (1,079 acres) and has 21 km (13 miles) of marked hiking trails.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/places/calvert-cliffs-state-park/

A forest trail leads to a Chesapeake Bay beach beneath clay cliffs, where fossil shark teeth wash up. Allow time for the walk each way, and collect only from the beach, not the cliffs.

Calvert Cliffs State Park on the Chesapeake Bay covers 437 hectares (1,079 acres) and has 21 km (13 miles) of marked hiking trails. The Red Trail leads 3 km (1.8 miles) one way through forest to a beach below the clay cliffs. More than 600 species of fossil organisms from the Miocene (10 to 20 million years ago) have been identified there; common finds include scallops of the genus Chesapecten, Ecphora snails, oyster shells and sharks' teeth.

You may collect only on the open beach at the end of the Red Trail; climbing on the cliffs and walking beneath them is prohibited because of landslide danger, and collecting beneath the cliffs is illegal. Sieves and shovels are allowed. For the round trip including the search, allow at least three to four hours. The park also has picnic areas and a small pond for fishing. Leashed dogs are allowed.

- **Nearest town:** Lusby, MD
- **Category:** Nature & parks
- **GPS:** 38.3950, -76.4430

## Good to know

**Best time to go:** The most pleasant months are usually May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in April and June. Hot in July. Cold, short days in January. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)

## Sources

- [Calvert Cliffs State Park (Maryland DNR)](https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/southern/calvertcliffs.aspx)
- [Fossil Hunting at Calvert Cliffs (Maryland DNR)](https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/southern/CalvertCliffs/Fossil-Hunting.aspx)

## Nearby

- [Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b10-tubman-visitor-center/) – 17 mi
- [Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b10-blackwater-refuge/) – 18 mi
- [Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b10-maritime-museum-st-michaels/) – 30 mi
- [U.S. Naval Academy](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b10-naval-academy/) – 41 mi

## FAQs

### Where is Calvert Cliffs State Park?

Calvert Cliffs State Park is in Lusby, MD, at GPS 38.3950, -76.4430. It is about 22 mi from Tilghman Island.

### Can you camp near Calvert Cliffs State Park?

Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is Matoaka Beach Cabins, about 6 mi away; within 25 mi there are 11 campsites and motorhome stopovers.

### What is there to see near Calvert Cliffs State Park?

Places worth a stop nearby: Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center (17 mi), Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (18 mi), Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (30 mi) and U.S. Naval Academy (41 mi).

### When is the best time to visit Calvert Cliffs State Park?

The most pleasant months are usually May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in April and June. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)