The community is fed by Scientists' Cliffs Road and divided into five sub-sections, called "Gates," named Gate A, Gate B, Gate C, Gate D, and Gate E, respectively. One unique aspect is that the streets in each gate all begin with the corresponding letter of the gate, and all are named after a species of tree or fauna. For example, Gate A features streets named Astor, Aspen, Azelea, etc., Gate B features streets named Birch, Beech and Bluebell, and so forth.
All five gates have direct access to the Chesapeake Bay via a series of paths and boardwalks. Additionally, Gate A features a community center, a residential swimming pool, tennis courts, a baseball field and a private beach referred to as "South Beach".
Another feature of Scientists' Cliffs is that a restrictive covenant requires all houses within the community to have a wooden exterior, giving the homes a distinctively rustic look.