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Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes

4.8
#1 of 76 in Parks in Delaware
Beach · State Park
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With a 24-hour fishing pier and nearby campgrounds, Cape Henlopen State Park attracts seaside nature enthusiasts. The rest of the park has set hours, morning to sunset, for activities like playing disc golf, horseback riding, kayaking, and swimming. Head to the northern beach, which features a modern bathhouse with showers, changing rooms, and a snack bar. You can also explore the park on one of the many bicycle and walking paths. If you'd like to get up close to local fish and learn more about the park's habitats, stop by the Seaside Nature Center. Entrance to the park is free in the off-season, and a fee is charged per vehicle during the peak summer months. Plan to see Cape Henlopen State Park and other attractions that appeal to you using our Lewes trip itinerary planner.
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Cape Henlopen State Park reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
1,448 reviews
Google
4.8
TripAdvisor
  • We have owned a home in Lewes for about 15 years - we love Cape Henlopen so much. Everything you can want and more in this beautiful park 
    We have owned a home in Lewes for about 15 years - we love Cape Henlopen so much. Everything you can want and more in this beautiful park  more »
  • This park is gorgeous! There’s so much to do. Bring a picnic and eat at the beach. We are from NY and loved this place. The history, the beaches, the nature center- it’s all great 
    This park is gorgeous! There’s so much to do. Bring a picnic and eat at the beach. We are from NY and loved this place. The history, the beaches, the nature center- it’s all great  more »
  • This is a huge state park with a lot of history and a lot of things to do. We visited in the off season so things were quiet. There was not a charge to enter in the off season. Hiking, biking... 
    This is a huge state park with a lot of history and a lot of things to do. We visited in the off season so things were quiet. There was not a charge to enter in the off season. Hiking, biking...  more »
Google
  • Beautiful park with an awesome borrow-a-bike program! The museum is very well kept and the nature center is filled with cool information! I definitely suggest stopping by the pier for the view of the coast and the Lewes-Cape May ferry. The beach was much less crowded than Rehoboth and stretched for quite a ways. There are multiple places to get a great view of the whole beach and the ocean. If you enjoy the beach, hiking trails, and nature, then this park is for you.
  • Great park with lots to do for just $10 if you visit from out of state. We visited during off season during the first weekend of October. We enjoyed visiting the Nature Center, which is a small room with 5 different fish aquariums and a small touch tank, which is nice for the kids. We were just a few minutes too late to partake in the borrow a bike program, but it's a great program that allows you to take a bike for free and ride the trails around the park. We visited the beach area, which has a convenient bath house and lots of space to stretch out along the sand. There's sightseeing to enjoy- lighthouses, wildlife, and gorgeous water views. We definitely recommended climbing the observation tower to take in the sights. For a fun activity, count the number of stairs as you climb to the top! How many stairs did you count? There's also an area to drive out on the beach for vehicles that are approved to do so, kayaks, and a military museum. Definitely worth the trip in the summer or the off season.
  • Nice beach. Gets VERY crowded in the summer - you need to get here early for a decent spot and/or some peace and quiet. Just be aware there are multiple beach entry points. The beach at the end of the road (“The Point” parking lot) is for people who park their trucks on the sand… we didn’t realize that at first. The better beach is the first one you come across that has the big parking lot and the pavilion/snack bar. I recommend checking out the rest of the park as well. There’s trails and some historical sites. $10/day for out-of-staters, $5/day for Delaware residents.
  • I have lived in Delaware 30 years and even though I knew it existed I never been here until just this month, day trip. First of all parking is not expensive if you live in the state. Might be few dollars more if you are from another state. The map of the park is little difficult to understand. Had to ask people which direction was the Fort Miles museum. The Cannons and military truck was neat. Not much to see in museum as thought there would be. The observation tower was closed so could not go inside. After this we headed to other side of park and went in nature center. That was like a mini aquarium with a hands on experience too. Kids liked it. Then we went to the beach area I guess there are a few entrances to the beach but we took one closest to light house in distance. The sand ramp to the beach was a hard walk especially for us not used to walking thru sand on a hot day with medical issues like asthma. Some older couples had to stop and catch breath too. Once we got to a area to set stuff down we wanted nothing but to head for ocean. That was great except for a couple jelly fish and crabs?? Pinching our toes ouch! The beach was not really crowded maybe 30 families spread out. At one point my daughter and I were only ones in Ocean for miles. Thought that was weird and cool at same time. Could see dolphins out deep. If there was a route to lighthouse other than by boat we didn't see it. Over all had great time.
  • Park is beautifully maintained by volunteers. It has a great historical Fort Miles Museum. The trails are great for biking or hiking. The Ocean views , dunes, and beach areas are well maintained with beautiful views. There is also an observation tower with spectacular Ocean views.

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