CAPE HENLOPEN STATE PARK
Cape Henlopen's beaches attract thousands of visitors who enjoy ocean swimming and sunbathing. Two designated swimming beaches provide lifeguard patrols between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day. Umbrellas can be rented during the summer. The northern swimming area also features a modern bath house with showers, changing rooms, and a food concession.
The park's open spaces feature many other activities. A picnic pavilion and the "Officer's Club" building can both be reserved for group events. An 18-hole disc golf course encourages friendly competition, and basketball courts promote more active exercise. Winter hunting is permitted in some areas of the park; a hunting permit is required, and information can be obtained from the Park Office. Annual events such as the Kite Festival and the Halloween Spook Trail are family favorites. The park also conducts a variety of entertaining recreational programs, including natural history lectures, outdoor concerts, seaside seining, and birdwatching, to name but a few.
Visitors can enjoy surf fishing, pier fishing, and kayak angling. Common catches include striped bass, flounder, bluefish, and tautog.
Cape Henlopen State Park is located near Cape May, Dewey Beach and Georgetown
Cape Henlopen State Park offers scenic picnic areas with tables and grills. Pavilions are available for rent; reservations recommended.
Cape Henlopen has many year-round hiking and biking opportunities. Experience the park?s scenic and ever-changing landscape ? and get a lesson in history ? along the three-mile-long paved trail that loops the park. Take a trail break and climb to the top of the World War II Observation Tower, where the 360-degree views are spectacular. Or take a short climb to the top of a former military bunker to view the dynamic action along the Atlantic coastline. Explore the coastal environment along the Seaside or the Pinelands Nature Trails, or hike the six miles of beach along the Atlantic Ocean.
Birding enthusiasts can explore diverse habitats, including maritime forests, dunes, and beaches. Migratory birds frequent the area during spring and fall migrations. The park is a prime spot for observing shorebirds like piping plovers and red knots. Raptors such as ospreys and hawks are also common sights overhead.
The Gordon's Pond Trail offers excellent birdwatching opportunities with waterfowl sightings in its salt marshes. Seaside Nature Center provides binoculars for visitors to view nesting purple martins up close.
Year-round residents include northern cardinals, Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, among others.
Visitors might catch glimpses of rare species or participate in organized bird walks led by experts.
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