CALVERT CLIFFS, CALVERT COUNTY

KEY ELEMENTS

Sand-Clay Cliffs

Marine Fossils from

Miocene Epoch

Swollen Bladderwort

Puritan and Northeastern

Beach Tiger Beetles

Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forests

THE BASICS

Facilities

Entry Fee

Marked Trails

Camping Sites

Information Boards

Left: The attractive flower

of the aquatic, carnivorous

swollen bladder

wort. Insects

and plankton are lured to

the sweet scent released by

its submerged bladders that

trap and consume prey.

Right: The vast wetlands at

Calvert Cliffs are a sanctuary

for aquatic plants and

animals.

Maryland Natural Areas Guide page 1

KERRY WIXTED

Calvert Cliffs Natural Area is managed as a State Park through the Maryland State

Park Ser

vice. The Natural Area encompasses over 1,000 acres of wilderness

whic

h contains 13 miles of marked trails. Visitors can enjoy a variety of outdoor

experiences at the park from hiking and biking to camping and wildlife watching.

Fossils of over 600 species have been

found along Calvert Cliffs. Casual

visitor

s can comb the beaches in search

of pr

ehistoric shark teeth, skate teeth

and remnants of

creatures which

inhabited the ar

ea millions of years ago.

MATT LOGAN

Over 15 million years ago, a shallow sea covered

much of Maryland. As the sea receded, it event-

uall

y left in its wake the layered sandy and clayey

sediments found a

t Calvert Cliffs. The shells and

bones of dead animals drifted to the bottom of the

sea and w

ere buried in the sediments. Waves and

storms eroded the exposed sediments and formed

steep cliffs tha

t harbor the fossil remains of those

ancient animals. The gradual erosion of the cliffs

continues to pr

oduce the sandy beaches found along

the shore. In addition to the majestic cliffs and sandy

beac

h, Calvert Cliffs offers hiking trails through

over 1,000 acr

es of old woods and wetlands. Steep

sloped ravines are shady and cool in the summer heat.

Together with the contiguous for

est on adjacent

otected lands and other properties, Calvert Cliffs lies within a nearly 4,000 acre block of forest that provides habitat for

wildlife tha

t are vulnerable along forest edges. Wood thrushes and barred owls are among the forest interior dwelling

species tha

t thrive here. American beavers and common muskrats are active in the wetlands, and herons and egrets wade

the mar

shes. In early summer, yellow flowers of Endangered swollen bladderwort (Utricularia inflata) dot the water.

Fossils of shark teeth are abundant along

the beaches at Calvert Cliffs.

KERRY WIXTED

Prehistoric Fossils

KERRY WIXTED

CALVERT CLIFFS, CALVERT COUNTY

Wood thrushes need vast, mature forests to safely

raise their young. The males ar

e capable of singing two

notes a

t the same time! Their beautiful, flute-like

songs echo through the forest in spring and summer.

Maryland Natural Areas Guide page 2

You're in Tiger Beetle Country

CONTACT

Calvert Cliffs State Park

c/o Smallwood State Park

2750 Sweden Point Road

Marbury, MD 20658

P: 301-743-7613

For more information:

http://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/

Pages/southern/calvertcliffs.aspx

Calvert Cliffs Natural Area

MD DNR

Directions

Special Note: Calvert Cliffs Natural Area is used seasonally

by hunters.

From Washington, DC: Travel I-95/495 (Capital Belt-

way) to Exit 11 and head south on MD 4 into Calver

County. After about 30 miles (from the Beltway),

continue past Prince Frederick another 12 miles to

MD 765 (HG Trueman Road). Turn left (east) and

follow the signs leading to the entrance to the State

Park, in about 1.4 miles.

Due to the danger of the landslides caused by cliff

erosion and the serious injuries they can cause,

climbing upon and walking beneath the cliffs is

prohibited. Thank you for your safe cooperation.

WATCH OUT

FOR!

Landslides

Ticks and Chiggers

Poison Ivy and Sumac

Slippery, Rugged

Terrain

The sun-loving Puritan (above, left) and northeastern beach

(above, right) tiger beetles blend in perfectly with their sandy

surroundings. These beneficial beetles consume a wide variety

of pests and are more likely to dart away instead of fly when

approached.

TOM D. SCHULTZ

THOMAS BOLLINGER / USFWS

While people hunt for fossils on a warm summer day,

sev

eral species of tiger beetles hunt for prey on the open,

sandy beac

hes at Calvert Cliffs. This large, colorful group

of beetles is known for speed and aggressive hunting of

their invertebrate prey. Patient visitors may catch a

glimpse of the two tiger beetles federally listed as

Threatened and State listed as Endangered, the Puritan

tiger beetle (Cicindela puritana) and the northeastern

beach tiger beetle (Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis). Both the

eroding cliff face and the sandy beach provide vital

habitat to these species, and their decline in Calvert

County suggests the habitats are degrading.