Elms Beach Park
Dameron, MD
Elms Beach is a small, community-scale county park on the Patuxent River side of St. Mary's County, calm and shallow enough that it draws more families with young kids than anyone chasing waves. It's the kind of beach locals send visitors to when they want swimming without a crowd or a drive to Point Lookout.
Genuinely calm, kid-friendly water and a real neighborhood feel, though there's no lifeguard and not much beyond the beach itself once you're there.
How we score beachesThe water here stays calm even on windy days, since it's tucked into the Patuxent rather than facing the open Bay, worth knowing if you're bringing small kids.
A small lot off Bay Forest Road (Route 235) serves the park directly, free to use.
A short, flat walk from the lot to the sand.
Water warms into the mid 70s by August, calmer and often a touch warmer than open-Bay beaches nearby thanks to its position on the river. Swimming is unsupervised year round, so check conditions yourself rather than relying on a lifeguard.
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