Delaware Seashore State Park

Delaware State Park Covering The Narrow Barrier Strip Between Dewey Beach And Bethany Beach, With The Indian River Inlet At Its Centre · Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Delaware Seashore State Park is a long, thin strip of barrier island running roughly six miles from the south edge of Dewey Beach to the north edge of Bethany Beach. Route 1 runs down its spine, with Atlantic beach on the east side and the sheltered waters of Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay on the west. In the middle is the Indian River Inlet, a fast, deep channel where the bays drain to the sea, crossed by the tall cable-stayed Indian River Inlet Bridge that opened in 2012 and is now the landmark of this whole coast. Around the inlet you find the park's working heart: guarded bathhouse beaches, a marina with charter and head boats, a campground and rental cottages, and the jetties where anglers fish day and night. Further up the strip stand concrete fire-control towers from the Second World War, and near the north end is the restored Indian River Life-Saving Station of 1876, now a small museum. Surf fishers drive onto permitted beaches, and the bay side draws kayakers and windsurfers. It is plain, open and windy, not pretty-pretty, and a fee is charged per vehicle in season.

39415 Inlet Road, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, 19971, United States

The park is open all year, generally from morning to sunset for day use, while the campground, cottages, marina and permitted surf-fishing areas keep their own longer access rules; confirm the current structure before planning a night fishing trip or an early swim. Entry fees are collected per vehicle in the main season, which in Delaware state parks usually runs from about March to November, with a higher rate for cars with out-of-state plates and no daily fee in the winter months; an annual state park pass covers entry. Lifeguards staff the bathhouse beaches only from about Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day during daytime hours, and the concessions, showers and changing rooms at the bathhouses follow the same summer season. The Indian River Life-Saving Station museum keeps shorter, seasonal hours and may open only on certain days or by programme outside summer, so confirm before you go. The campground is open much of the year but books out on summer weekends months ahead, and some loops or cottages may close in deep winter. Drive-on beach areas can close without much notice for nesting birds, storm damage or high tides, and the inlet walkway can close during storms.

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