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Mallows Bay Park: Fossil Hunting in Charles County, Maryland

Updated July 2026

Mallows Bay is best known for the Ghost Fleet, more than 100 scuttled World War I era wooden steamships now protected within a national marine sanctuary and visible just off the shore. The park fronts the same Paleocene Aquia Formation shoreline as nearby Purse State Park, so beachcombers turn up the same water-worn shark teeth, fossil fragments, and quartz pebbles along the Potomac. It is a free Charles County park that pairs a striking maritime landscape with easy shoreline hunting. Reported finds include shark teeth, fossils, quartz. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.

Mallows Bay Park photos

Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.

1 photo

Submerged remains of the Ghost Fleet in the Potomac River at Mallows Bay Park, Charles County, Maryland

Quick details

Access: Public area
County: Charles County
State: Maryland
Nearest road: Wilson Landing Road
Postcode: 20662
Coordinates: 38.46896, -77.26363

Geology at Mallows Bay Park

This spot sits on Unconsolidated Sediments, mapped as silty clay that formed within roughly the last 3 million years. Reworked sediments like these can carry fossils eroded from older beds upstream, typically as rolled bone fragments, teeth, and shell material.

Mapped unit: Unconsolidated Sediments
Age: 3 Ma to present (Quaternary)
Rock types: silty clay
Elevation: 0 ft

Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.

Best time to visit Mallows Bay Park

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 45°F in winter to 88°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, QUANTICO MCAS station (3 mi away).

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.

Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.

Sources & verification

Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.

Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.

Found at Mallows Bay Park

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

Nearby rockhounding spots

Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Mallows Bay Park.

Across the state line from Mallows Bay Park

Mallows Bay Park is close enough to the Maryland border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.

Mallows Bay Park FAQ

Where is Mallows Bay Park?+

Mallows Bay Park is in Charles County, Maryland, at 38.46896, -77.26363. Nearest road: Wilson Landing Road.

What rocks and minerals can you find at Mallows Bay Park?+

Mallows Bay Park is reported to produce Shark Teeth, Fossils, Quartz.

Is collecting allowed at Mallows Bay Park?+

Generally open to casual rockhounding. Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.

What tools should I bring to Mallows Bay Park?+

A rock hammer, a cold chisel, safety glasses, and newspaper or foam for wrapping finds cover most fossil ground. A trowel and a sieve help in soft exposures.

When is the best time to visit Mallows Bay Park?+

Mallows Bay Park is workable year-round.

How do I get to Mallows Bay Park?+

Open the directions link to navigate to 38.46896, -77.26363 in Google Maps. The nearest road is Wilson Landing Road.

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