Bayfront Park (Brownie's Beach)
Chesapeake Beach, MD
Locals still call it Brownie's Beach, a sandy stretch a half mile south of downtown Chesapeake Beach that's long been a favorite for hunting shark teeth and Calvert Cliffs fossils washed up along the shore. Access here has tightened in recent years, worth knowing before making the drive.
One of the best fossil-hunting beaches on this stretch of the Bay when you can actually get on it, but the current resident-only restriction takes it off the table for most visitors.
How we score beachesAccess is currently restricted to Chesapeake Beach residents with ID, so confirm the town's current policy before planning a trip if you live elsewhere.
A town lot serves the park, subject to the current resident-only access policy.
A short path leads from the lot down to the beach.
Fossil hunting is best after storms churn up the cliffs, any time water isn't frozen. Summer brings the warmest water, in the mid 70s by August.
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