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Flag Ponds Nature Park
1525 Flag Ponds Parkway
Lusby, MD 20657
Park Office: 410-586-1477
Group Reservations: 410-535-5327
Regular Park Hours
- Monday through Friday: 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
- Park entrance fees will be collected.
- No walk-ins allowed when park gates are closed.
- Last entry one hour before park closes.
- Beach area closes one hour before park closes.
- Plan ahead for capacity closures. During periods of high visitation, when the park’s capacity is reached, the park will be closed and traffic will be turned away from the park entrance.
Please check the Park Hours and Trail Closings updates from the Natural Resources Division.
Directions
Flag Ponds Parkway is 3 miles south of the traffic light at Calvert Beach/Ball Rd.
Just 10 miles south of Prince Frederick, look for the sign along ROUTE 4 and turn LEFT onto Flag Ponds Parkway.
Trail Map (pdf)
PARK REGULATIONS
Dogs are permitted in the park and on the beach, but they must be kept on a leash. Owners must pick up after their pets.
Groups of 30 or more must make reservations to schedule a naturalist-led program and pay any applicable fees. Contact the Division office at 410-535-5327 to make a reservation.
eNTRANCE fEES
The entrance fee / park pass is per vehicle. (Personal vehicle, such as a car, van, truck, or motorcycle).
Society membership does not include free entrance into Flag Ponds.
Checks or cash only, exact change is appreciated. We do not accept credit cards.
Daily Entrance Fee
Fee is per vehicle and good for the day of issue. If a visitor leaves the park, there is no guarantee of re-entry into the park.
January - March:
$5.00 for in-county resident or non-resident.
April - October:
$5.00 for in-county residents
$8.00 for non-residents
November - December: $5.00 in-county resident or non-resident.
Walk-in/Bike: $2 person
Bus (commercial, private, or public vehicle able to carry more than 15 people): $30 per bus
Annual Park Pass
$20 for in-county residents
$30 for non-residents.
Vehicle registration is required for annual pass holders.
$10 for each additional vehicle registered in the same name.
Military Discounts Available.
PUBLIC BEACH ADVISORIES AVAILABLE ONLINE
The Calvert County Health Department conducts routine water samplings of the county’s public bathing beaches from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Before you head to the beach this summer, check for advisories by visiting the health department online.
Call Calvert County Environmental Health 410-535-3922 or 301-855-1557 or visit www.calverthealth.org
THINGS TO DO
See a Calendar of All Our Programs
Program participants do not pay the entrance fee on the day of the program.
- Beachcombing
- Birdwatching
- Cross-country skiing
- Observation piers at pond and on the bay
- Fossil hunting
- Managed Hunting (permits through Maryland DNR)
- Metal detecting (beach only)
- Nature study
- Picnicking
- Scuba diving
- Swimming (no lifeguard on duty)
Bring a picnic to enjoy on the beach or at the picnic area. No grills are allowed on the beach; we provide grills at the picnic area by the Visitor Center.
Check the Tide Tables for Long Beach.
INTERESTING FACTS
- Millions of years ago, sharks, whales, crocodiles and other creatures inhabited the waters and shores of this area. Most of these animals are now extinct, others are just no longer found here.
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To the sharp-eyed visitor, shark teeth and other Miocene fossils may be found along the park's shoreline.
Flag Ponds Nature Park is also part of Maryland's history.
- From the early 1900's until 1955, three shanties housed fishermen during the main fishing season who worked a major "pound net" fishery supplying croaker, trout and herring to markets as far away as Baltimore.
- Known as "Buoy Hotel", the last shanty was destroyed in 2012 in a fire. It was rebuilt in 2015.