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Purse State Park, Nanjemoy

3.9

#55 of 63 in Nature in Maryland

State Park Nature / Park

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Purse State Park is a former Maryland state park located on the Potomac River in Charles County that has been subsumed into the 1365acre Nanjemoy Wildlife Management Area. As the Purse Area, the former park is known for fossil hunting on the beaches of Wades Bay at the southern end of the Nanjemoy WMA. Fossil discoveries have included shark teeth and Cibicides.

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Purse State Park Reviews

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TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

15 reviews

Google

3.8

facebook

4.6

280 likes

• By PathfinderMark

  Bring a few colanders (fine mesh) to assist the hunting! We scooped sand and pebbles from the wave line.... Better quantity of sharks teeth a ray plates than Calvert Cliffs, Flag pond, or other locati...  more »

• By Jay D

  Went to the beach at Purse on Monday, August 12, 2019. Got there about 11:30 A.M. It's about a quarter mile on a path thru the woods to the beach. Stayed till about 4:00. Found, maybe 50 fossilized sh...  more »

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Google

• By Rhoda Pollard

  The forest was lovely and the 3/4 mile trail was easy. My granddaughters both enjoyed it. It led to a shore edge of the Potomac which was sadly very littered. Next time we visit the Nanjemoy WMA we will check out the Douglas recreation area.

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• By Mark OFfill

  Better quantity of sharks teeth a ray plates than Calvert Cliffs, Flag pond, or other location on the Bay. We collected about 40 of each in less than two hours (1 adult and two kids). The parking lot is about .42 miles from the beach but the trail is wide and relatively easy until the downslope to the beach. Great swimming in the warmish waters of the Potomac (kids loved it)! The beach is only about 4’ wide at low tide and much narrower at higher tides.

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