Douglas Point Special Recreation Management Area
Nanjemoy, MD (Charles County), Maryland
paleocene shark teethfossil shellsfossil bone fragments
BLM collecting area · Free
Douglas Point Special Recreation Management Area
One of the very few pieces of BLM land east of the Mississippi, Douglas Point protects a wild stretch of Potomac shore where Paleocene beds feed small black teeth onto the beach. BLM manages it jointly with Maryland DNR as part of the Nanjemoy Natural Resource Management Area and lists fossil collecting among the permitted activities. Three short trails serve the site, including a half-mile walk down to Blue Banks Beach — time your trip to a low tide and carry your own water.
The card catalog
| What you can find | paleocene shark teeth, fossil shells, fossil bone fragments |
|---|---|
| Access | BLM collecting area — Free |
| Fees | Free; no fees are charged. Two gravel parking areas (North Trailhead with one accessible space plus five others, South Trailhead with five) and an accessible picnic overlook. There are no restrooms and no potable water at Douglas Point. |
| Season & hours | Open dawn to dusk daily, year-round. BLM lists fossil collecting among the activities here. Usable shoreline depends heavily on tide, so plan around a low. |
| Kids | Family-friendly — Shorter than its reputation — the Blue Banks Beach Trail to the shoreline is about half a mile and rated easy, and the Chiles Homesite Trail is a flat, five-foot-wide, accessible third of a mile. The catch is facilities: no restrooms, no drinking water, so pack everything in. |
| Official source | Bureau of Land Management (BLM) |
| Last checked | Checked against its source August 16, 2026 |
Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
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Before you go
What does Douglas Point Special Recreation Management Area cost?
Free; no fees are charged. Two gravel parking areas (North Trailhead with one accessible space plus five others, South Trailhead with five) and an accessible picnic overlook. There are no restrooms and no potable water at Douglas Point. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
When is Douglas Point Special Recreation Management Area open?
Open dawn to dusk daily, year-round. BLM lists fossil collecting among the activities here. Usable shoreline depends heavily on tide, so plan around a low. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Is Douglas Point Special Recreation Management Area good for kids?
Yes — Douglas Point Special Recreation Management Area works for families. Shorter than its reputation — the Blue Banks Beach Trail to the shoreline is about half a mile and rated easy, and the Chiles Homesite Trail is a flat, five-foot-wide, accessible third of a mile. The catch is facilities: no restrooms, no drinking water, so pack everything in.