Delaware Outdoor Guide: Campgrounds, Trails, Beaches & RV Spots
Key Takeaways
- Delaware is small enough to do properly in a long weekend — Cape Henlopen and Rehoboth Beach sit close enough together to base from one spot
- Rehoboth is the lively boardwalk beach; Bethany is the same coastline with the volume turned down — pick based on your family’s energy level
- Trap Pond’s bald cypress swamp is a genuinely different Delaware than the beach towns, and worth the inland detour
- Delaware Seashore State Park gives you full hookups with water on both sides — ocean and bay — which is rare to find in one spot
Small State, Genuinely Easy to Plan
Delaware doesn’t need a complicated itinerary — everything worth doing sits within a short drive of the coast, which makes it one of the easier states on this list to actually plan a trip around.
Campgrounds
Cape Henlopen State Park — Lewes
Pine-shaded sites near the dunes, close to the beach and the Fort Miles historic area. A genuinely good base for a beach trip without paying resort prices. Reserve early for summer.
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Delaware Seashore State Park (Indian River Inlet)
Camping between ocean and bay, with full-hookup RV sites — a rare setup that gets you water access on both sides. Popular for surf fishing and boating; some sites feel exposed with little shade.
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Trap Pond State Park — Laurel
An inland freshwater park built around the northernmost natural stand of bald cypress in the country. Quieter, forested, and a genuinely different experience from the beach-town campgrounds — good if you want a calmer trip.
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Killens Pond State Park — Felton
Central Delaware, with a water park alongside the campground — a solid family pick if you want swimming built into the campground itself.
Learn moreHiking Trails
Cape Henlopen Bike Loop / Dune Trails — Lewes
A flat, paved loop connecting the fishing pier, WWII observation tower, and campground. Easy enough for strollers and bikes.
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Gordons Pond Trail — Cape Henlopen
About 3 miles one-way on boardwalk and crushed stone over salt marsh, with real wildlife and coastal views. Easy and genuinely scenic.
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Trap Pond Bald Cypress Nature Trail
Boardwalks looping through the cypress stand — easy, and a good complement to a Trap Pond camping stay.
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Brandywine Creek State Park — Wilmington
Rolling meadow and forest trails in northern Delaware, a step up in difficulty from the coastal boardwalks — good for older kids.
Learn moreBeaches
Rehoboth Beach
The lively boardwalk pick — Funland rides, shops, free concerts, clean and lifeguarded sand with calm shallow water. Metered parking, no beach fee.
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Bethany Beach
Quieter, more residential, still a real boardwalk town but with the volume turned down. Good for families who want the beach experience without the crowds.
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Cape Henlopen State Park Beach (Deauville Beach)
Natural, dune-backed, and less crowded than the boardwalk towns, with a nature-center touch tank kids will actually want to visit. Entry fee applies.
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Lewes Beach
Calm Delaware Bay water with minimal waves — a genuinely good pick for toddlers, and walkable to historic downtown Lewes.
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Delaware Seashore State Park (Indian River Inlet)
Full-hookup oceanfront and bayfront sites — the top RV pick in the state for actual water access.
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Cape Henlopen State Park
RV-capable with a dump station and bathhouses, wooded and close to the beach.
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Sun Outdoors Rehoboth Bay / Massey’s Landing
Private resort-style parks near the beaches with pools and full hookups — the amenity-heavy alternative to the state parks.
Learn morePlanning Your Trip
Base at Cape Henlopen or Delaware Seashore and you’re within easy reach of both Rehoboth and Bethany, so you can sample both beach personalities without changing campgrounds. If you want a genuinely different day, the drive inland to Trap Pond is short and worth it — a totally different landscape than anything on the coast.