Camels Den Cave

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Camel's Den Cave is a small shelter cave located in the Patapsco Valley State Park, near Daniels, Maryland. It is a tectonic cave and the only cave in Howard County, Maryland intended for public access as an attraction.

Description

Camel's Den Cave is a shallow rock shelter of a gneiss area of the Setters Formation.[1]

History

There has been at least 2 archeological digs, which recovered a plethora of objects. Based on the date of the journal, the 2 archeological digs occurred prior to June 1950.[2] Baltimore archaeologist Steve Israel recalled a 1969 report about 2 rock shelters and various Native American related archaeological sites in the area around Camels Den. Steve Israel said their exact location was kept secret to preserve the caves until there can be a “proper” study. An unspecified time prior to verbatim study, a man named Samuel Evans also claimed to have discovered 2 rock shelters in Camel's Den vicinity, he named them after the former name for the cave-adjacent town of Daniels, Maryland. He named them "Elysville 1" and "Elysville 2".[3] Native Americans gave the cave its name. In 1943, the Natural History Society of Maryland wrote that the cave had been used by Native Americans for "beer and card parties". A test digging, also in 1943, revealed no more remaining artifacts in Camel's Den Cave.[4] The cave had been known to Indigenous peoples for centuries before white settlers knew about it. Indigenous people were known to have used the cave for hunting parties. William Bridner, a local trapper, collected many Indigenous artifacts from the cave during the 1920s and 1930s.[5]

Location

The cave is situated on an unnamed tributary of the Patapsco River. To reach Camel's Den Cave, visitors take a spur trail from the main path, crossing said tributary to find the cave in the hillside.[6]

References

  1. Crowley, William Patrick (1980). "Geologic Map of the Ellicott City Quadrangle, Maryland".
  2. "The Caves of Maryland" (PDF). msa.maryland.gov. June 14, 1950. Retrieved 10 Oct 2025.
  3. "Small wonder in Patapsco Park Camel's den cave's a hidden delight". 7 March 1993.
  4. "Maryland : A journal of natural history". 1944.
  5. "Small wonder in Patapsco Park Camel's Den cave's a hidden delight". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  6. "Patapsco Camels Den". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2024-10-16.

39°18′43″N 76°48′53″W / 39.31194°N 76.81472°W / 39.31194; -76.81472