BEACHES

Beachcombing Beaches

My Policy:
Good beachcombing sites are wonderful places to explore, meander along, slough off the work week, recuperate and rejuvenate. Because the changing tides wash in new treasures each and every day and also because I am an inclusive person by nature, I willingly share good ‘combing beaches I've discovered over the years with others.

However, there are other beachcombers who prefer to keep their favorite beaches secret. For those of you who have shared a "secret" spot with me—or to those of you who may do so in the future—rest assured, I will respect your wishes and not "out" your beach on a public forum like this. But for ‘combers who like sharing beach information, please do so either via email or through the interactive beachblog. Remember to include beach name and location, treasures found, associated costs and any safety concerns.

Beaches by State and Country
Unfortunately, because many beaches in the U.S. are private, access to certain beaches can be problematic. But there are many public beaches that have yielded many interesting beach treasures. Some even provide camping facilities. So if you time the tides properly, you can stay overnight and be up beachcombing long before the day trippers arrive...

Happy hunting!

MARYLAND
State Beach Parks

1. Calvert Cliffs; Calvert County
Year-round $5/vehicle; out-of-state residents $6/vehicle

Fossils
Located in Lusby, Maryland, Calvert Cliffs is a two mile hike back in time (and I mean "BACK" as in 10 million to 25 million years in time) to a site on the Bay where Miocene period fossils, including fragments of huge scallop and snail shells as well as shark and skate teeth (delete comma) wash in or are exposed with the changing tides. Because of constant erosion, access to the cliffs is not permitted so head to the beach or wait until very low tide for exploring. Best times to go are when the tides are out due to strong winds. In colder months, wear boots and wade out to the flats to see what's poking up in the sand.

2. Point Lookout State Park; St. Mary's County
Weekends and holidays (May-September) $5 per person; out-of-state residents $6 per person. All other times $3 per vehicle; out-of-state residents $4 per vehicle.

Artifacts, Shells, Beach Glass
Located in St. Mary's County in southern Maryland, Point Lookout State Park is a peninsula of land nestled between the lower Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. Once a Civil War prison camp for captured confederate soldiers, the peninsula has miles of wonderful beaches to roam as well as a Civil War Museum that your can visit to acquaint yourself with the Park's history and the types of artifacts (that can be)-delete found there.

Captain John Smith explored the Point in 1612. Later, as an American outpost, the land parcel was the subject of British raids during both the American Revolution and the War of 1812. During the Civil War, Hammond Hospital was erected to treat wounded Union soldiers but after the Battle of Gettysburg, Confederate soldiers were sent there for incarceration. Although most of the Civil War facilities lie under the water today, artifacts still occasionally wash up on the beach along with shells and beach glass.

3. Jane's Island State Park; Crisfield, Maryland
No fees charged for swimming and beachcombing.

Artifacts, Shells, Beach Glass, Driftwood
At Jane's Island State Park, you can stroll along five miles of uninhabited shoreline at Flat Cap Beach. Located on the Chesapeake Bay’s eastern shore near Crisfield, human activity on the island dates as far back as 1000 BC from Native American war and trading activities, followed by European and colonial settlements, maritime shipwrecks, Victorian resorts, and 20th century seafood industries. Try your luck at finding arrowheads and point fragments, pottery shards, beach glass, and shells.

MARYLAND and VIRGINIA
Assateague Island State Park; Berlin, Maryland and Chincoteague, Virginia
Memorial Day-Labor Day $3/person; out-of-state residents $4/person
Check for other fees at http://www.nps.gov/asis/

Shells, Sea Glass, Driftwood, Pirate Booty
There are two entrances to the famous barrier island, Assateague. One entrance is located eight miles south of Ocean City, MD and the other is over the causeway from Virginia's charming Chincoteague Island. Miles and miles of pristine shoreline await you while inland, wild ponies and deer graze. The park offers campgrounds in summer at reasonable rates.

DELAWARE
Cape Henlopen State Park; Lewes, Delaware
http://www.destateparks.com/chsp/chsp.htm
Open year round. $8 car charge ($4 for Delaware redients) from May 1- Oct. 31

Shells, Driftwood Sea Glass, ShipWreck Stuff
The coasts of Delaware Ocean, Bay, and River share many hidden historical secrets in their waves and dunes. Hhundreds of years of merchant shipwrecks, maritime wars, and pirate siezures occurred off their shores and now, hundreds of years later, pieces of eight, shards of Chinese Export pottery, and emerald-encrusted ballast have sometimes appeared on their shores.

Cape Henlopen remains a beautiful stretch of beach on this coast. Wedged between Lewes and Rehobeth Beach, it's a fun place to try your luck at treasure hunting and, as you stroll along, note the eerily fascinating WWII observation towers rising from the sand. If you feel really energetic, wander down the beach a stretch to the calmer shores of Lewes Beach for sea glass or visit nearby Roosevelt Inlet in search of old ceramic pieces.

MASSACHUSETTS
Plum Island, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/parkerriver/http
A small daily entrance fee is charged.

Shells, Sand Dollars, Driftwood, Sea Glass
Plum Island is an eight mile long barrier island just off Massachusett's northeast coast. The island is named for all the beach-plum bushes growing everywhere. The island is separated from the mainland by the Parker River. The northern portion of Plum Island is residential but the remainder is managed by the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. There are miles and miles of wonderful empty beaches to walk.

Although open year round, Plum Island is a wildlife sanctuary and thus, large portions of it can be closed to the public for indefinite periods due to nesting activities. It’s a good idea to check the website or call first to determine hours and closures. Also, check park regulations about what is allowed (i.e. metal detectors are disallowed.)

OTHER BEACHCOMBING BEACHES

Up and Down US East Coast
"The Art of Shelling" by Chuck and Debbie Robinson is an excellent guide for shell seekers searching along the eastern US seaboard. It details specific shells found at specific locations from Maine south to Florida. And as you know, where there are shells, there are always other interesting beach artifacts to find!

US General National Park Service
http://www.nps.gov/

US Fish and Wildlife Service
Many of the coastal conservation areas managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Conservation are open to the public and host to wonderful beaches. Be mindful that these parks are protected because of their fragile eco-systems or because they are wildlife sanctuaries. Always be considerate beachcombers!

California

National Geographic's best beachcombing beaches

Brandon Beach, Oregon
Semi-precious gemstones like agate and jasper are washed ashore by winter storms, along with Japanese glass floats and various other seaborne treasures.

Caspersen Beach, Florida
Snorkel the depths of this stretch of Venice shoreline near Sarasota and find black shark's teeth, shells, fossilized bones, and more.

Point Reyes National Seashore, CA
North of San Francisco, this peninsula is ideal for watching migrating gray whales, collecting driftwood and sand dollars, and sifting sand to spot grains of granite and quartz.

Sanibel Island, FL
A world famous beach for shell seekers, Sanibel and nearby Captiva and Marcos Islands abound in shells, especially after winter storms.

Top 10 US Shelling Beaches
Coastal Living

EUROPE
Britain

CENTRAL and SOUTH AMERICA
Mexico

SOUTH PACIFIC
Fiji

CARIBBEAN
The Turks

British Virgin Islands