The Amature Paleontolgist"s Guide to
Fossils in and around Maryland
Publications
Fossil News. A monthly pulication for amateur paleontologists.
An Illustrated Guide to Fossil Collecting by Richard Casanova and Ronald Ratkevich contains site locations for many states, Maryland Included
Fossil Collecting in the Mid-Atlantic States By Jasper Burns. This is an excellent book for sites in the Appalachians.
Let's Go Fossil Shark Tooth Hunting : A Guide for Identifying Sharks and Where and How to Find Their Superbly Formed Fossilized Teeth by Clay Cartmell
Publications by the Maryland Geological Survey
- Collecting Fossils in Maryland by John D. Glaser
- Dinosaurs in Maryland by P.M. Kranz
- Maryland's Ancient Sea Creatures by D.K. Brezinski
- Environmental History of Maryland: Miocene
- Carbonate Ramps and Reefs: Paleozoic Stratigraphy and Paleontology of Western Maryland
The Maryland Geological Survey publishes plates of Maryland fossils from various periods. However, currently, they are only available on microfiche.
Out of Print Books (try the library)
- Fossil Sharks of the Chesapeake Bay Region by Bretton W. Kent, 1994
Online Stuff
Fact Sheets of the Maryland Geological Survey
- #6: Maryland's Official State Fossil Shell
- #7: Fossils in Counties of Maryland
- #10: Fossil Collecting Sites at Calvert Cliffs
Pamphlet Series of the Maryland Geological Survey
Fossil Pages by Fossil Hounds
- Brownie's Beach Fossils
- The Fossil Guy
- Fossils of Calvert Cliffs: A site by Calvert County
Trips for Families
The Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons Island, in Calvert County has an excellent collection of Miocene Fossils, as well as online resources for kids. They also schedule fossil collecting tours.
Of course there's Dinosaur Hall at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, in Washington DC, which you can check-out online.
The Sideling Hill Exhibit Center on Rt 68 just west of Hancock, MD is one of my favorite sidetrips. To build the Highway, they cut a huge gash in the mountain revealing a cross section of a textbook sincline formation. Get up close and personal with 350 million years of history.