A turritella fossil, one of many fossils that can be found in Maryland.
Maryland has many sites open to the public where fossils can be dug and collected by amateurs. Most are small marine fossils like snails and clams, but occasionally you might find the fossils of small dinosaurs, land mammals and large marine animals.
Sandy Mile Road
There are two excellent fossil sites along Sandy Mile Road. One is in an abandoned quarry and the other is along the steep ridge that runs beside the road. The rocks hold many brachiopods, which look like clams, but are actually only distantly related to them. Brachiopods make up a large part of the fossil record. To get to Sandy Mile Road, take the first exit past Hancock on Route 68. Turn left on Route 144, then take another left onto Sandy Mile Road. Parking on the side of the road before you reach the bridge is permitted. The quarry can be reached by hiking a short trail alongside the highway.
Old Fort Road
This is a great place to find turritella shell fossils. Turritellas are tall, spiral sea snails. Be careful digging them out: they're fragile. A few lucky fossil hunters have also found shark teeth and whale tympanic bones, but they are exceedingly rare here. To find Old Fort, follow Route 210 to Old Fort Road. Just south of the road, the highway crosses Piscataway Creek. The eroded bank on the north side of the creek holds the most fossils. Parking areas are not marked, so park your car at your own risk.
Calvert Cliffs
The Calvert Cliffs are a great place to find teeth from sharks, crocodiles and fish. Coral and giant scallops are also common finds. Rarely, fossil hunters have found remains of many animals and plants, including peccaries, camels, woolly rhinos and sea turtles. Bring some sieves with you to help find the best fossils. Be careful around the cliffs, which are eroding and can be dangerous. You can get to the cliffs from Washington, D.C., by taking Route 4 to Calvert County. Signs along the road will direct you to the park, where you can leave your car. A short walk down the beach will take you to the fossil site.
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
When the canal was being built, diggers went deep into Cretaceous rock formations, dumping the debris in large piles. These piles of sand and rock contain all sorts of wonderful marine fossils. You won't find them in their original matrix, but digging is a lot easier. The sand piles contain fossilized bivalves (clam-like species); belemnoids, which are bullet-shaped remnants of squids; and if you're really lucky, you can find the occasional small dinosaur bone. While you're in Delaware City, turn right on the access road just after the bridge that crosses the waterway. Go past the state park to the north bank of the canal. Once you've passed under the bridge, go up a small hill. Parking is allowed anywhere in this area, so you can park right next to the pile of debris you want to dig through.
Henson Creek
Henson Creek is next to a busy road in the suburbs. You can find remnants of many mollusks, including the giant clam. Come armed with ice picks and dental tools to dig at the clay in the stream bed. From the Capital Beltway, turn onto the St. Barnabas Road exit heading south. Take a right on Brinkley Road. Turn left on Fischer and take a right into the community there. Park your car and cross Brinkley to the stream.
Tags: Mile Road, Sandy Mile, Sandy Mile Road, Calvert Cliffs, Fort Road, fossil hunters
