Cape Henlopen State Park

Cape Henlopen State Park is located in Lewes, Delaware. It is on the point where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. The park offers a unique combination of a coastal environment encompassing ocean and bay beaches, maritime forests and tidal salt marshes, with cultural history in the form of Fort Miles. The fort was a United States Army World War II installation. It was built to protect domestic shipping and the vital centres of Philadelphia and Wilmington from potential German enemy fire. After the war, the facility and surrounding land were declared surplus and eventually handed over to the state, which created Cape Henlopen State Park in 1964. The park is now the crown jewel in the Delaware parks system with over 2 million visitors a year.

Site Review:

Cape Henlopen features a campground with 160+ RV sites set among the pine-covered dunes. The sites include 2-point hookups and paved pads.

Additionally, there are 20 tent sites with no services and a dozen camping cabins. See the Cape Henlopen website for detailed site information.

The sites are well-maintained and mostly level (though minor levelling may be required). The sites are closer together than I like in a state park. Cape Henlopen is more like a parking lot-style campground with very little privacy between the sites. We camped during the week in April, so the campground was quiet with older folks occupying many of the sites. However, I think in the summer and on weekends this park would have a completely different vibe. It would be noisy with lots of activity going on in the campground.

All of the sites have a fire ring and a picnic table. An easy-to-access sanitation dump station is free to use and located just as you exit the campground area. We had site A27 when we visited.

Comfort Station

The park has three comfort stations with flush toilets and free hot showers. The setup is a little different from what I would consider typical. The comfort station is comprised of individual bathrooms-  each outfitted with a shower, a toilet and a sink. There are about 6 bathrooms per comfort station. This is different than the usual layout where you find a row of stalls located all in one room. We usually use our bathroom in the RV, however when you don’t have a sewer hook-up and your stay is longer than a weekend, it is sometimes necessary to use the campground facilities. This is true especially if you don’t want to unhook and move your entire unit to dump the tanks at the sanitation dump station.

I found the ventilation to be poor in the bathroom. The bathrooms were always wet and steamy, especially if you entered after someone had showered. I liked the privacy aspect of the bathroom setup, but I felt gross using the bathroom when literally everything was wet. Not to mention that the shower head is situated rather low and right next to the wall so standing under the shower is inconvenient. Overall, I guess the bathrooms are ok, but I have seen better accommodations at other parks.

Activities:

Cape Henlopen is known for its variety of quality activities.

Beaches at Cape Henlopen

Lots of space for sunbathing and swimming along the  6 miles of beach.  There is an extensive beach on the Atlantic Ocean side of the point and a beach on  Delaware Bay as well. The beach on Delaware Bay tends to be calmer and is a family favourite. You will need to drive or bike from the campground, however, because there is no beach access close by. The closest access point would be beside the entrance to Fort Miles which would still be a bit of a walk.

It should be noted that none of the access points offer handicapped assistance. The best spot, should you require easier accessibility, is at the main beach using the bathhouse via the wooden boardwalk-style ramp. All of the other access points have you trudging through dunes making hauling all the beach paraphernalia a chore. You are rewarded though because the beach is fantastic featuring soft sand that is clean and generally debris-free.

Fishing

To fish- both saltwater and freshwater- you will need a Delaware fishing license. There is a pier that is open 24 hours and is free to use. It is located near the Breakwater Bait and Tackle Center and is perfect for fishing. There are off-road vehicle access entrances where you can drive onto the beach and surf fish. Signs are posted warning that you will get stuck if your vehicle is not properly equipped for off-road travel. Air pump inflation stations are located near the access points where you can re-inflate your tires should you have deflated them to facilitate your access.

Nature Center at Cape Henlopen

There is a small nature center and gift shop with a few aquariums and a touch tank. Beside the nature center is a Friends of Cape Henlopen bike barn where you can borrow a bicycle for up to 2 hours at no charge. They have 40+ adult-sized bikes and a dozen or so kids’ bikes.  They also have toddler-size trailers that can be attached and towed behind the bicycles. The bike barn has the same hours as the Nature Center and in the summer they are open 7 days a week. Friends Of Cape Henlopen State Park Bike Barn

Biking at Cape Henlopen

Biking is excellent at Cape Henlopen. You can access every area of the park via the paved and crushed limestone paths. The signage throughout the park is good, making navigating the area easy.

Gordons Pond Trail

A popular bike route is the out-and-back trail that goes along  Gordons Pond. It connects the park with the nearby town of Rehoboth Beach. The trail is multi-use and good for hikers and joggers, as well as for cycling.

A nice elevated section passes through a dune section of the trail. There are a couple of spots along the trail where you can pull off to observe the pond, making for excellent opportunities for bird-watching. There are over 10 miles of biking trails within Cape Henlopen State Park and the trails also connect to other routes outside of the park. Trail maps are available at the kiosks located in the parking areas. You will also find bike repair stations at the Gordons Pond parking lot and the Herring Point parking area.

Hiking

You can hike along the multi-use bike paths. There are also specially designated hiking trails within the park that you can also use.

Seaside Nature Trail (0.7 miles)Walking Dunes Trail (2.6 miles)Pinelands Nature Trail (1.4 miles)

Bird Watching

In addition to bird watching along the Gordons Pond route or via the forest trails, there is also a lookout near the pavilion by the main beach. This outlook is specifically designed to spot birds of prey and is called the “Hawk Watch”. I was surprised at the number of vultures I spotted soaring overhead. I didn’t know they were vultures until I referenced the species chart posted on the observation deck.

Kayaking

You can rent kayaks at the Breakwater Bait and Tackle shop near the pier for use on Delaware Bay. The Bay is calmer and many paddle these smoother waters to go out and explore the Cape Henlopen lighthouse.

Fort Miles

Cape Henlopen State Park is the site of Fort Miles, a base originally used in WW2 to guard against a potential attack from the Germans. Later it was used during the Cold War for testing and training. It was turned over to the state in 1983 and restored as a historical exhibit.

The 11 concrete towers that originally lined this part of the Delaware coast were used for observation, and to coordinate an attack should enemy ships/subs enter the waters approaching Delaware Bay.

Fort Miles was equipped with various attack weaponry. Including this 16-inch gun that is similar to the ones used at the time (this one is restored from the USS Missouri). The weaponry was sometimes mobile but was also stationary upon swivel carriages. Several of the batteries remain.

With all of the guns and ammunition in supply at Fort Miles, not a single shot was ever fired in defence. People along the east coast were positive a raid would come from the Germans, but the attack never came. Fort Miles was guarded by approximately 2,000 troops. 

There is a museum on site with lots of information about the role Fort Miles played in protecting the coast.

Rehoboth Beach

Rehoboth Beach is a resort town located about 6 miles from Cape Henlopen State Park using the bike trail. It is about 10 miles away if you drive. There you will find gas stations, grocery stores, an assortment of restaurants as well as outlet mall shopping. Rehoboth Beach offers plenty for the whole family to do, including its one-mile Boardwalk, and its beautiful clean beach.

Cape May/Lewes Ferry

The ferry terminal is located less than a mile from the entrance to Cape Henlopen State Park. From here you can travel to Cape May in New Jersey. The ferry takes about 90 minutes each way. Reservations are highly recommended, especially during peak times. Consult the Cape May-Lewes Ferry website for rates and sailing times. Well-behaved and leashed pets are allowed on the outside decks. I am not sure if there are vehicle size restrictions, that information is likely found on the website, I can say that I saw buses and trucks towing boats and trailers so I think that most vehicles can be accommodated.

Atlantic City Day Trip

We took a day trip to Atlantic City when we visited Cape Henlopen. The drive was an additional hour after crossing by ferry to Cape May. I found Atlantic City to be overrated and frankly depressing. If you venture a block or so away from the boardwalk you will realize how exploited the area is by the big casinos. Having said that, I found the boardwalk clean and the proximity to the ocean offered a nice backdrop as well as an alternate place to walk and people-watch. I didn’t care for Atlantic City but you are free to make your own opinion.

Things To Know:

1. Check-in for the campground is at 1 pm and checkout is at noon. The campground is open year-round.
2. Pets are permitted, but there may be restrictions depending on the time of year visiting. Pets are prohibited on the beach between May 1 and September 30.
3. There is a camp store where you can purchase wood, ice and souvenir items.
4.  There are laundromat facilities.
5.  Fun Fact: The Delaware Bay has the world’s largest spawning population of horseshoe crabs, where tens of thousands crawl from the water in an ancient survival mating ritual. Females dig holes in the sand. Males fertilize their eggs, which in two weeks hatch as larvae. If all goes well, the budding offspring return to the ocean floor for a decade until they, as adults, come ashore in a 450 million-year ongoing spectacle of nature. This takes place from mid-May to mid-June at night during high tide.

IMO:

I enjoyed our stay at Cape Henlopen State Park. The park is well-maintained and I particularly liked the biking and the ocean access. Rehoboth Beach was a nice side trip to meander the boardwalk and check out the shops. I would definitely stay again- during the shoulder seasons.

From the people I talked to, this place gets packed in the summer. There is a capacity limit which apparently is reached DAILY. The campground is almost impossible to get reservations for and if you do manage to secure one, given the layout of the park and the lack of privacy between sites, it is likely to be a very noisy stay. With maximum capacity routinely reached then all the amenities such as the trails and roads would also be congested with folks trying to enjoy all that makes Cape Henlopen State Park an RV Place to Go.