Purse State Park: Fossil Hunting in Charles County, Maryland
- Minerals reported
- 2
- Elevation
- 30 ft
- Best months
- Year-round
Purse State Park sits on the tidal Potomac where the Paleocene Aquia Formation, roughly 56 to 60 million years old, is exposed along the shore, making its teeth older than the Miocene material at Calvert Cliffs. It is one of the best public places on the East Coast to find Paleocene shark teeth such as Otodus obliquus, along with ray dental plates. The site is documented by the Maryland Geological Survey and long-running fossil guides as a reliable free collecting beach. Reported finds include shark tooth, fossil. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Charles County
- State
- Maryland
- Nearest road
- Riverside Road
- Postcode
- 20662
- Coordinates
- 38.43028, -77.25278
Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.
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.
Access note: Free public land, now administered as part of the Nanjemoy Wildlife Management Area, reached by a short trail from a gravel pull-off on Route 224 (Riverside Road). Collect loose teeth and fossils from the beach and gravel at low tide, and do not dig into or climb the cliffs, which are private above the high-tide line. Hunting is best at low tide after a storm.
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.
Best time to visit Purse State Park
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
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 (6 mi away).
Geology at Purse State Park
This spot sits on marsh and swamp deposits, undivided, mapped as muck that formed within roughly the last 3 million years. Fossils here are typically found in fresh exposures, where erosion keeps bringing new material to the surface.
- Mapped unit
- marsh and swamp deposits, undivided
- Age
- 3 Ma to present (Quaternary)
- Rock types
- muck
- Elevation
- 30 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.
Today's weather
Is today a good day to go?
The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Purse State Park.
Get the appSources & 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.
- Maryland Geological Survey
- Maryland DNR state park rules
- Calvert Marine Museum fossil guidance
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Purse State Park
Each name 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 Purse State Park.
- Douglas PointCharles County, Maryland · 1 mi awayShark Tooth, Fossil
- Mallows Bay ParkCharles County, Maryland · 3 mi awayShark Tooth, Fossil, Quartz
- Prince George’s CountyPrince George's County, Maryland · 31 mi awayPetrified Wood
- Bear IslandMontgomery County, Maryland · 38 mi awayApatite, Epidote, Amphibolite
- Matoaka Beach CabinsCalvert County, Maryland · 42 mi awayFossil, Shark Tooth
- Flag Ponds Nature ParkCalvert County, Maryland · 43 mi awayShark Tooth, Fossil
- Chesapeake BayCalvert County, Maryland · 43 mi awayFossil
- Hunting HillMontgomery County, Maryland · 45 mi awayCalcite, Diopside, Garnet
Across the state line from Purse State Park
Purse State 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 · 5 mi awayPetrified Wood, Opalized Wood
- Stafford CountyStafford County, Virginia · 9 mi awayVivianite
- MinnievillePrince William County, Virginia · 16 mi awayAmethyst, Quartz
- CentrevilleFairfax County, Virginia · 29 mi awayAmethyst
- ArlingtonArlington County, Virginia · 30 mi awayBlue Quartz
- BrokenburgSpotsylvania County, Virginia · 31 mi awayBeryl, Feldspar, Quartz
Purse State Park FAQ
Where is Purse State Park?+
What rocks and minerals can you find at Purse State Park?+
Is collecting allowed at Purse State Park?+
What tools should I bring to Purse State Park?+
When is the best time to visit Purse State Park?+
How do I get to Purse State Park?+
More rockhounding in Maryland
See all 43 Maryland spots →
Open Purse State Park on the map
Use the RockHoundR app for live land overlays, weather, geology, directions, and saved finds.
