Cape Henlopen State Park

Delaware State Park Of Roughly 5,000 Acres At The Mouth Of Delaware Bay, Including The Former Second World War Coastal Fort Of Fort Miles · Lewes, Delaware

Cape Henlopen State Park covers roughly 5,000 acres of beach, dune, pine forest and marsh at the point where Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic, just east of Lewes. It is the most visited park in the state and does many things at once. On the ocean side there are guarded swimming beaches with a bathhouse, Herring Point for surfing and Gordons Pond with its trail south to Rehoboth. On the bay side there is a long fishing pier and calm water. The park was built on the land of Fort Miles, a Second World War coastal fort, and the war left concrete fire-control towers along the shore, the great bunker of Battery 519 with its museum, and an artillery park with a battleship gun barrel. One tower can be climbed for a wide view over the capes. The Great Dune is one of the tallest on this coast, and walking on it is limited to trails. The Point, the sand spit at the tip, closes in season so shorebirds can nest. There is a paved bike loop, a campground, a nature centre and views of two offshore lighthouses. A per-vehicle entry fee is charged in season.

15099 Cape Henlopen Drive, Lewes, Delaware, 19958, United States

The park is open all year, usually from about 8 am to sunset, but the day is shaped by seasons, so confirm before you go. The per-vehicle entry fee is charged roughly from March through November, with a higher rate for out-of-state plates, and a pass is checked at the gate; walkers and cyclists have historically entered free. Lifeguards watch the main swimming beach and Gordons Pond beach only from about Memorial Day to Labor Day, in daytime hours; outside that there is no guard. The Point closes to all visitors in the nesting season, roughly March to September, and some ocean beaches close to vehicles and dogs as well. The Fort Miles Museum in Battery 519 keeps limited hours, often only some days a week and guided tours by schedule, while the observation tower is open in the warmer months and shut in winter or high wind. The Seaside Nature Center runs shorter off-season hours. The campground takes bookings months ahead and some sites close in winter. The fishing pier and the bike loop are open daily in park hours. Surf-fishing vehicles need a separate permit. Confirm every season and fee before relying on it.

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