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Toothhound
Maryland

Brownie's Beach (Bayfront Park)

The most accessible window into the famous Calvert Cliffs. The Chesapeake Group cliffs erode constantly, dropping 10-18 million-year-old teeth into the surf at your feet.

Letting the tide station phone home…
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Event timeline

Calvert Cliffs Spring Freeze-Thaw Erosion Window

ended

Late winter freeze-thaw cycles destabilize the Chesapeake Group cliffs. March–early May historically produces the most fresh fall material on the beaches at Brownie's, Matoaka, and Westmoreland.

2026-03-012026-05-15
- Freeze-thaw cycles loosen cliff matrix
- First low tide after a heavy rain or nor'easter is prime
+10 pts
Geology
FormationsCalvert Formation, Choptank Formation, St. Marys Formation
EpochsMiocene
Age~18-8 million years
Star speciesOtodus megalodon (rare here)
Technique

Walk the wrack line at low tide. Most finds are eyeball - small black triangles. Light sifting with a kitchen colander works well.

Access

Bayfront Park, Chesapeake Beach. Small parking fee in season. Restrooms.

Legality & ethics

DO NOT DIG INTO THE CLIFFS - illegal, dangerous. Surface collecting on the beach is welcomed.

Hazards
  • CLIFF COLLAPSES are deadly - stay 30+ ft from the cliff base
  • Slippery clay at the cliff base after rain
  • Sea nettles in summer
Insider tips
  • Best after a nor'easter - fresh fossils tumble out
  • Low tide on a falling tide is prime
  • Look for Maryland's Ecphora shells too
  • Calvert Marine Museum is a must - 30 min south

Shark teeth findable here

Trophy = headline find · Rare = real score · Uncommon = some trips · Common = most trips.

Also findable here

The beachcomber's bonus round — what else the geology gives up.

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Tides © NOAA CO-OPS · Wind/wave © Open-Meteo · Lunar via SunCalc · This page is informational only.