Mallows Bay Park — Rockhounding 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.
Map showing Mallows Bay Park in 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
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.
- Douglas PointTop pick in MarylandCharles County, Maryland · 2 mi awayShark Teeth, Fossils
- Purse State ParkTop pick in MarylandCharles County, Maryland · 3 mi awayShark Teeth, Fossils
- Prince George’s CountyPrince George's County, Maryland · 30 mi awayPetrified Wood
- Bear IslandMontgomery County, Maryland · 35 mi awayApatite, Epidote, Amphibolite
- Hunting HillMontgomery County, Maryland · 42 mi awayCalcite, Diopside, Garnet
- Kensington Mica MineMontgomery County, Maryland · 43 mi awayGolden Beryl, Mica
- Chesapeake BayCalvert County, Maryland · 44 mi awayFossils
- Flag Ponds Nature ParkTop pick in MarylandCalvert County, Maryland · 44 mi awayShark Teeth, Fossils
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.
- QuanticoStafford County, Virginia · 3 mi awayPetrified Wood, Opalized Wood
- Stafford CountyStafford County, Virginia · 10 mi awayVivianite
- MinnievillePrince William County, Virginia · 14 mi awayAmethyst, Quartz
- CentrevilleFairfax County, Virginia · 27 mi awayAmethyst
- ArlingtonArlington County, Virginia · 28 mi awayBlue Quartz
- ArlingtonArlington County, Virginia · 31 mi awayJasper
Mallows Bay Park FAQ
Why is Mallows Bay Park one of the best rockhounding spots in Maryland?+
Where is Mallows Bay Park?+
What rocks and minerals can you find at Mallows Bay Park?+
Is collecting allowed at Mallows Bay Park?+
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More rockhounding in Maryland
See all 42 Maryland spots →Open Mallows Bay Park on the map
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