Calvert County coastal shores · Maryland
Matoaka Beach
This named shore is in Calvert County, Maryland. Use its named arrival; no city or town boundary is inferred.
Calvert County coastal shores
A privately operated Chesapeake Bay beach offering paid day access separately from its cabins and limited primitive camping. Bring cash, arrive before 6 p.m. and keep cabin/camp facilities distinct from day-use entitlements.
Good fit: A paid beach day arranged directly with the private operator.
Plan around: Arrange paid day use with the private operator. Cabin/camping toilets and showers are not verified facilities for every day visitor.
- Parking
- Paid private day use
Details & sources
Paid private day useDetails & restrictionsMatoaka Beach · parking entry ↗ - Dogs
- No
Details & sources
- Restrooms
- Day-use facilities unconfirmed
- Lifeguards
- Guard coverage unconfirmed
- Key restrictions
- Check before you go
- Best for
- See beach overview
More planning facts: access, driving & fees
- Public access
- Public accessDetails & restrictions
- Beach driving
- Driving permission unconfirmedDetails & restrictions
- Accessibility
- Route endpoints unconfirmedDetails & restrictions
Choose an entrance
Matoaka operator-managed day-use arrival
See the parking and accessibility evidence below for this named route.
Official route / restriction details ↗Parking, route & accessibility evidence
Parking & entry: Paid private day use. Use the operator’s 4510 Matoaka Lane arrival in St. Leonard and paid day-use terms. Exact parking-to-sand grade, steps and current accessible options need direct confirmation.
Parking source ↗Accessibility: Route endpoints unconfirmed. The reviewed pages do not establish a continuous step-free parking-to-water route, current mat/chair endpoints or remaining sand gap. Confirm the exact required route with the manager before travelling.
Accessibility source ↗Open the county entrance directory ↗
Use the directory to check each entrance’s identity and status. Guide map pins are approximate shoreline locations, not turn-by-turn entrance directions or proof of current opening.
Known for
Paid shoreline access associated with Matoaka Beach Cabins and the Calvert fossil coast; the Marine Museum lists it as a fossil locality, while current operator rules govern entry.
Rules & facilities
Check before you go
Check the responsible manager’s current notices, arrival terms and any facility or water-quality advisory before departing; confirm any route or amenity essential to your visit.
Admission, payment & passes
$10/person, cash only; children age 5 and younger free under the day-use page. Day access before cabin check-in or after check-out costs separately; cabin-guests’ 24-hour beach access is not general day admission.
What to bring & supporting visit details
Plan your visit
Good fit: a paid day at a privately managed bay shoreline or separately booked cabin stay. Plan around: cash admission,6 p.m. last entry, no pets and unresolved day-use amenities/accessibility.
Public or private?
Privately managed · paid public day use
Who can visit: Day visitors admitted under the private operator’s published paid day-use terms. Guest accommodations and facilities are separate.
Entry route, fees & access boundaries
- Manager / access authority
- Matoaka Beach Cabins private paid day-use operator; 410-586-0269, [email protected].
- Access basis
- Use the named Matoaka Beach managed arrival and its posted entry terms. No private community crossing, continuous shoreline entitlement or neighboring park membership is inferred.
- Where to enter
- Use the named Matoaka Beach managed arrival and its posted entry terms. No private community crossing, continuous shoreline entitlement or neighboring park membership is inferred.
- Fees & reservations
- $10/person, cash only; children age 5 and younger free under the day-use page. Day access before cabin check-in or after check-out costs separately; cabin-guests’ 24-hour beach access is not general day admission.
- Restrictions & exceptions
- Pay the operator for the named day-use arrival, observe the 6 p.m. admission cutoff and no-pet/no-beach-fire rules. Do not assume rights to adjacent community shores, cliff faces or guest-only facilities.
- What this label covers
- The privately managed paid day-use beach only; no adjoining land, guest facility or continuous-shore entitlement is established.
Beach ownership, the route across land, public shoreline-use rights and access to facilities are separate questions. Rules vary by state and location. Use the identified public entrance or documented permission; neither a nearby resort nor an admission fee by itself establishes that a beach is private. A mapped beach is not permission to cross private property.
Access policy reviewed 2026-11-04. Not a live closure report or a property-boundary survey.
Allowed & prohibited activities
Alcohol: Alcohol rules are not confirmed for this beach.
What still needs confirmation
The reviewed exact beach operator information does not establish an alcohol permission. Ask directly; an adjacent business serving drinks does not permit drinking on sand.
Fires and grills: Grills, cooking and fires are not allowed on the beach. Campsite fire rings and cabin charcoal-grill rules apply to separately booked accommodation areas.
Overnight camping: Very limited primitive camping is reserved by phone, $25/person/night cash with beach access included; campsites have fire ring/trash can and a camping-area porta-potty. This does not authorize camping anywhere on sand.
Shore fishing: Shore fishing rules are not confirmed for this beach.
What still needs confirmation
No beach-specific shore-casting zone and current restrictions were established. A state fishing license or a nearby pier does not authorize fishing through a bathing area.
- Hours
- Hours & seasonal limits
Operator lists 8 a.m.–8 p.m., no admittance after 6 p.m.; homepage says open every day. Cabin rental season April–October is separate from day-beach terms.
Matoaka Beach · hours ↗ - Dogs on the beach
- No pets
Dogs/pets are not permitted under day-use, cabin and camping rules. Service-animal handling requires direct clarification; no exception invented.
Matoaka Beach · dogs ↗ - Lifeguards
- Guard coverage unconfirmed
The reviewed current exact manager page does not establish a present lifeguard staffing program or dates. Do not plan on lifeguard coverage; responsible authority clarification remains open.
Matoaka Beach · lifeguards ↗ - Restrooms
- Day-use facilities unconfirmed
Cabins have private bathrooms/showers and the camping area has a porta-potty. The operator pages do not establish day visitors’ entitlement to those facilities or a day-use rinse/shower.
Matoaka Beach · restrooms showers ↗ - Access & beach rules
- Rules & restrictions
Pay the operator for the named day-use arrival, observe the 6 p.m. admission cutoff and no-pet/no-beach-fire rules. Do not assume rights to adjacent community shores, cliff faces or guest-only facilities.
Matoaka Beach · public access rules ↗ - Beach driving
- Driving permission unconfirmed
The reviewed manager information does not establish recreational vehicle access onto the beach; use the designated landward arrival and confirm any mobility accommodation separately.
Matoaka Beach · driving ↗
Conditions & activities Surf, sand, wildlife and suitability
Conditions at the beach
Local times use Eastern Time. No beach observation or saved forecast is displayed here. Forecast issue times, observation times, tide prediction dates and laboratory sample dates remain separate from desk-research dates. A linked source does not confirm current opening, a warning flag or swimming safety.
Weather observation
No exact on-beach weather observation or observation station is assigned here. The linked National Weather Service page provides forecast navigation; a forecast is a prediction, not an observed beach condition.
Daily forecast
The independently checked National Weather Service point-forecast link is available for this approximate planning point. The returned source is a regional marine grid, with no county land zone assigned at this point. It is not a forecast of breaking surf at this beach. No saved numeric forecast is displayed here. Forecast issue and prediction times are separate from source review and are not on-beach observations.
High & low tides
NOAA station 8577004 Long Beach is a regional Calvert Chesapeake Bay tide reference. Prediction times are not observations, exact beach water depth or guaranteed access; retain station location and Eastern daylight/standard time separately.
Surf & rip forecast
No exact named-beach surf or rip-current observation/feed was established. Regional NWS forecasts must retain their grid/marine scope; no Atlantic surf forecast or neighboring reading is substituted.
Closures & warning flags
Check the exact manager’s posted notices before departure. No dated observed flag feed for this beach was established; agency opening hours and historical bacteria status are different from current flags.
Water quality
Calvert public bathing-beach sampling normally runs Memorial Day through Labor Day. Review the actual named health-map station, sample date and advisory/retrieval times; no historical result or absence of a displayed marker establishes current safety at this entrance.
National Weather Service point forecast ↗ for the independently reviewed approximate planning point.
Crowd meter
No repeatable beach-specific crowd measure was established; no crowd score is assigned. Follow capacity notices and any admission restrictions rather than assuming space.
Sand & sandcastles
The state Geological Survey identifies Matoaka as a beach/cliff fossil locality on the Calvert shoreline. Stay within permitted beach collecting areas and do not dig in or climb cliffs. The source is not a current safe-route inspection.
Surfing profile
This is Chesapeake Bay rather than an Atlantic ocean surf beach. No reliable named surfing-break assessment was established; surf suitability remains Unrated.
Beachcombing
The Geological Survey describes beach fossil collecting at Matoaka and restricts collecting to permitted beach/fallen material, with no cliff digging/climbing. This is fossil-shell interest rather than a promise of modern seashell abundance.
Matoaka is a state-listed fossil locality along the Miocene Calvert cliff coast. Collect only within the authorized beach scope; never dig in or climb cliffs, and do not promise a shark-tooth yield.
Snorkeling & scuba diving
No documented exact shore-snorkeling route was established from the manager/operator, county water-activities search and local dive operator review. Shore snorkeling remains Unrated; swimming or paddling is not proof of snorkeling suitability.
No exact recreational beach-entry dive route or matched local offshore itinerary was established. Scuba remains Unrated; the separately located Solomons shop is not proof of a dive from this beach.
Clothing-optional, nudity & topless sunbathing
No official clothing-optional designation or full-nudity permission was established for this exact beach. It is excluded from verified permissive filter matches pending scoped authority evidence.
A separate current ruling for female-topless sunbathing at this exact beach was not established. Do not treat silence, general swimwear wording or a full-nudity rule as verified topless permission.
Shore & sky wildlife
Calvert county birding sources describe separate coastal habitats, but no exact Matoaka wildlife observation profile was established. Observe wildlife without assuming neighboring park species or guaranteed sightings.
History & interesting facts
The reviewed manager/operator pages do not provide sufficiently established site-specific historical details for an expanded history; avoid repeating unsourced resort or ownership stories.
Water clarity & shore snorkeling
Typical clarity: Not yet assessed. Typical underwater clarity has not been assessed for this named shore. Water color, laboratory samples and forecasts do not measure visibility.
Shore snorkeling not yet assessed. No documented exact shore-snorkeling route was established from the manager/operator, county water-activities search and local dive operator review. Shore snorkeling remains Unrated; swimming or paddling is not proof of snorkeling suitability.
Typical clarity describes how easily you may see through the water. It does not establish bacterial water quality, safe swimming, calm conditions or visibility today.
Evidence, location scope & review
Desk review 2026-11-04 · Matoaka Beach. This is not an on-site inspection or a current conditions report.
Matoaka Beach
Find clear-water and shore-snorkeling options ↗ · Report a change ↗
Food, stays & rentals
EXTEND YOUR BEACH DAY
Food & drink nearby
Local dining recommendations
restaurant
The Tavern
Confirm current arrangements directly.
Separate town dining; official county listing, no exact walk distance or delivery implied.
Visit The Tavern website ↗Website & source check
Website checked ↗ · checked 2026-11-04 (Eastern Time). Official primary operator or county-tourism source checked; confirm current availability and departure directly.
Research notes & location scope
The Tavern at 4975 St. Leonard Road is a separate St. Leonard pub/restaurant; Solomons has separately located dining options. No on-sand concession or delivery is implied.
Supporting research source ↗ · reviewed 2026-11-04
These listings are unpaid and contain no affiliate links.
Accommodations by the beach
cabins
Matoaka Beach Cabins
Confirm current arrangements directly.
Onsite cabin product separate from paid day use and primitive camping. April–October rental season; confirm availability.
Visit Matoaka Beach Cabins website ↗Website & source check
Website checked ↗ · checked 2026-11-04 (Eastern Time). Official primary operator or county-tourism source checked; confirm current availability and departure directly.
Before you book
Confirm the exact property or rental unit, view category, beach route, accessibility and total price directly. Nearby lodging does not establish access to a private beach, a boat transfer or permission to camp.
Research notes & location scope
Matoaka cabins are a separately booked onsite option with kitchens/private bathrooms and April–October rental season. Cabin supplies/check-in rules apply; day entry and camping are different products.
Supporting research source ↗ · reviewed 2026-11-04
These listings are unpaid and contain no affiliate links.
Activities & rentals
The exact beach manager/operator pages did not establish an on-beach equipment-delivery or water-tour service. Separately listed county operators require their own booking, departure and equipment confirmation.
Explore nearby beaches
Review dates & updates
These are desk-research dates for each named category, including unresolved facts. They are not on-site inspections, current-opening confirmations or water-safety observations.
- identity location: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- summary description: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- known for: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- live weather: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- daily forecast: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- tides: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- surf rip forecast: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- official flags closures: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- water quality: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- public access: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- crowds: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- sand shoreline: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- surf: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- shelling: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- shark teeth: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- sea glass: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- driftwood: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- snorkeling: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- scuba: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- wildlife: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- accommodations: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- commercial activities rentals: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- alcohol rules: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- fire rules: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- camping rules: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- shore fishing rules: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- hours: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- dogs: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- lifeguards: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- restrooms showers: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- parking entry: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- accessibility: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- driving: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- public access rules: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- dining: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- history: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- managing authority: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- official source links: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- main photo: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- photo gallery: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
- admission payment passes: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- plan your visit: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- check before you go: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- nearby beaches: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · verified
- closer look: research reviewed 2026-11-04 · unresolved
Sources & review date
Guide desk research reviewed 2026-11-04; this is not a field-by-field current verification or an on-site inspection. Official facts, dated agency evidence and editorial assessments retain their own scope. Unknowns and conflicts remain open. Methodology · Rating explanations · Correction history
- Matoaka Beach · identity location ↗
- Matoaka Beach · summary description ↗
- Matoaka Beach · known for ↗
- Matoaka Beach · live weather ↗
- Matoaka Beach · daily forecast ↗
- Matoaka Beach · tides ↗
- Matoaka Beach · surf rip forecast ↗
- Matoaka Beach · official flags closures ↗
- Matoaka Beach · water quality ↗
- Matoaka Beach · public access ↗
- Matoaka Beach · crowds ↗
- Matoaka Beach · sand shoreline ↗
- Matoaka Beach · surf ↗
- Matoaka Beach · shelling ↗
- Matoaka Beach · shark teeth ↗
- Matoaka Beach · sea glass ↗
- Matoaka Beach · driftwood ↗
- Matoaka Beach · snorkeling ↗
- Matoaka Beach · scuba ↗
- Matoaka Beach · wildlife ↗
- Matoaka Beach · accommodations ↗
- Matoaka Beach · commercial activities rentals ↗
- Matoaka Beach · alcohol rules ↗
- Matoaka Beach · fire rules ↗
- Matoaka Beach · camping rules ↗
- Matoaka Beach · shore fishing rules ↗
- Matoaka Beach · hours ↗
- Matoaka Beach · dogs ↗
- Matoaka Beach · lifeguards ↗
- Matoaka Beach · restrooms showers ↗
- Matoaka Beach · parking entry ↗
- Matoaka Beach · accessibility ↗
- Matoaka Beach · driving ↗
- Matoaka Beach · public access rules ↗
- Matoaka Beach · dining ↗
- Matoaka Beach · history ↗
- Matoaka Beach · managing authority ↗
- Matoaka Beach · official source links ↗
- Matoaka Beach · main photo ↗
- Matoaka Beach · photo gallery ↗
- Matoaka Beach · admission payment passes ↗
- Matoaka Beach · plan your visit ↗
- Matoaka Beach · check before you go ↗
- Matoaka Beach · nearby beaches ↗
- Matoaka Beach · closer look ↗
An exact-beach scenic photograph is pending. No substitute photograph is displayed.
Visitor experiences
Original, moderated reviews and photographs. Visit dates and entrances provide context; visitor ratings and reports do not replace official facts or current conditions.
Read approved visitor experiences here when available.