Calvert Cliffs State Park — Attraction in Solomons

This location made it to one of the top 16 beaches for collecting shells online. I felt the need to go and enjoy it. Things to know before you go. I went in August 2024, so the weather was nice and sunny. A perfect day for beach activity. What I wasn’t absolutely clear about: the walk is posted with signs that the distance one way is 1.8 miles and a moderate hike. You need to take drinks with you for the day, as always when hiking/walking. The portajohns are located down by the beach and really need additional services (very full and odiferous). Take your own hand sanitizer. The walk is not suitable for some disabled persons as there are intermittent wooden pallets across wet areas. Several benches are available along the walkway for stops and to enjoy the view. Bring along a bag or receptacle to schlep back your treasure finds of the day. Several buckets, strainers and such are available at the beach which I considered great! A poster near the beach helps you identify the items you may be able to find on the beach area. Two picnic tables to rest, relax, and sort your finds. The “cliffs” are clay-based so you can collect clay as well. Items not highlighted but of interest: the stream along the pathway is clear and has several different animal tracks to identify. The water lilies are beautiful and have multiple animals hidden amongst them. Damsel flies abound. If you’re fortunate, you will observe the beaver mounds and chewed trees. All of the beaver evidence looks old, I’m not certain if they still inhabit the area. Very dog friendly, all were on leashes and well-behaved. Most of the people were very friendly and readily compared their finds. What you can expect to find in the form of shells-many broken and weathered shells of common variety. Different kinds of shark teeth if you stumble across where they come to rest. A goodly portion of clay “rocks” just waiting for you to create your masterpiece. Go have fun and remember, carry...

There is so much to say about this place.

Arrival: the lady at the pay shed thing was so friendly. We got there about 8:15AM so there was hardly anyone there. She was quick to make sure that we had water and to make sure that we were aware of how long the walk was down to the beach. She saw that I had two littles in the back seat (2)(5), and the heat index for that day was 112°.

Parking: Lots of parking. I just tried to find a place where my car would be sitting in the shade.

Walking to the beach: we did the Red Trail. As I was told it was the easiest one. Which it was pretty easy. Just have to watch your step for roots of trees popping up and uneven parts. It's 1.8mi long of a walk. BRING PLENTY OF WATER AND GOOD WALKING SHOES. I had my toddler on my back with the carrier. I saw one family walking with a stroller and one come down with one of those utility wagons. It just looked like a struggle haha. There are soft sand spots on the trail and some where you are taking steps up and down so unless you are prepared for that then I do not recommend bringing one. Only take what you can carry. A fun part of the walk was when we got to the swampy part of it we got to see beavers working on building their dam. There are lots of frog sounds and TONS of dragonflies flying around.

Beach: CLEAN! the boys loved it. But it's hard to enjoy the swimming part at least for the day we were there because the jellyfish population was pretty high. The water was a very nice temperature and good to put your feet into. We weren't too lucky to find any shark teeth that day but others were (but to be honest I wasn't looking too hard). They had a toy bin with plenty of sifters and shovels. They do not have a trash can around anywhere so bring a trash bag with you and/or take all your trash back with you.

Overall it was a great...

There are a lot of reviews here taking about the hike to the beach. Let me share my experience. We were there in mid-September, roughly an 80 degree day. Three of us walked in, I'm a 50 year old man that is very active, my wife is 51 and lighly active and my 70 year old sister who walks 1 to 2 miles daily. My wife and I both had no problems with the hike in and out. My sister struggled a little on the way out. The benches along the trail were a great way for her to rest.

The red trail was dry with the exception of a few areas. I can see that the trails could be wet after rain or during the rainy season. But, good hiking shoes would be the best choice anyway, so a little wet and mud wouldn't be an issue. We saw several groups with jogging style baby strollers and some wagons. Next time we go, we'll be taking our beach wagon instead of loaded up backpacks.

There are porta pots near the beach. There are also a few picnic tables right on the beach. One great feature was the "toy box". There were many strainers and sand toys in there for anyone to use. Take a few minutes to study the sign as well as some of the teeth and fossils have an odd shape.

We arrived right at low tide. It seems to me that arriving as the tide is going out would have been a better choice, so somewhere after high tide but before low.

All in all, it was a very good experience. The over 2 hour drive was...