A complete guide to camping in Delaware

Delaware is the second-smallest state in the country, and its camping scene fits within a coastal plain that never rises above 450 feet. The entire state sits on the Delmarva Peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean, Delaware Bay, and the Chesapeake watershed. Beach camping at Delaware Seashore State Park and Cape Henlopen State Park near Lewes and Rehoboth Beach accounts for most of the camping demand. The Atlantic coastline draws summer visitors from the Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington DC metro areas.
Inland Delaware holds a quieter camping character. Lums Pond State Park near Bear provides the closest camping to Wilmington and Newark. Trap Pond State Park near Laurel protects the northernmost natural stand of bald cypress in the US. Killens Pond near Felton serves the Dover area. The state park system is well-maintained and affordable, but the limited number of campgrounds means summer weekend reservations are competitive.
Mar-May
Beach campgrounds open in April. Temperatures reach the 60s and 70s. Horseshoe crab spawning on Delaware Bay beaches peaks in May. Migratory shorebird viewing draws birders to Bombay Hook and Prime Hook.
Jun-Aug
Peak beach season. Delaware Seashore and Cape Henlopen fill daily. July averages 76 degrees. Ocean water warms to the low 70s by August. Humidity builds. Thunderstorms occur but less frequently than inland.
Sep-Nov
September extends beach season with warm water and thinner crowds. October brings comfortable temperatures and fall color in the interior. Campgrounds stay open through October at most parks.
Dec-Feb
January averages 35 degrees. Most campgrounds close by November. Cape Henlopen stays partially open year-round. Beach walking and birding replace swimming. Winter is quiet and uncrowded.
| Season | Months | Avg High | Avg Low | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Mar-May | — | — | Beach campgrounds open in April. |
| Summer | Jun-Aug | — | — | Peak beach season. |
| Fall | Sep-Nov | — | — | September extends beach season with warm water and thinner crowds. |
| Winter | Dec-Feb | — | — | January averages 35 degrees. |
Source: NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals

| Region | Terrain | Key Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Coast | Coastal | Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach |
| Southern Delaware | Plains | Millsboro, Laurel, Seaford, Georgetown |
| Northern Delaware and Delaware Bay | Plains | Dover, Bear, Felton, Smyrna |
Coastal · Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach
Delaware Seashore State Park between Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach sits on a barrier spit between the ocean and Indian River Bay. Cape Henlopen at the north end of the coast provides pine-forest camping near the beach and the Lewes-Cape May ferry terminal. The primary camping destination in the state. Tall Pines Campground Resort and Big Oaks Campground near Rehoboth Beach provide the primary private options along the coast.
Plains · Millsboro, Laurel, Seaford, Georgetown
Trap Pond State Park near Laurel protects bald cypress swamp with paddle trails and campground. Millsboro and the Nanticoke River area provide a quieter, more rural camping character. The terrain is flat coastal plain with agricultural surroundings. Sun Outdoors Rehoboth Bay near Millsboro and Trap Pond State Park campground near Laurel serve the southern half of the state.
Plains · Dover, Bear, Felton, Smyrna
Lums Pond State Park near Bear has the largest freshwater pond in the state with camping and a zip line course. Killens Pond near Felton serves the Dover area. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on Delaware Bay draws birders. More suburban-adjacent than the beach parks. Lums Pond State Park Campground near Bear provides the closest camping to Wilmington, while campgrounds near Dover serve the capital area.

Delaware Seashore State Park and Cape Henlopen State Park both provide camping within walking distance of Atlantic beaches. Delaware Seashore sits on a spit with ocean on one side and bay on the other. Cape Henlopen has sites in pine forest near the beach. Both fill quickly for summer.
Delaware state parks open reservations three months in advance. For summer weekends at Delaware Seashore or Cape Henlopen, book on the first available day. Weekday availability is better. September offers warm water with less competition.
Trap Pond near Laurel protects the northernmost natural stand of bald cypress trees in the US. The park has camping, paddle trails through the cypress swamp, and a disc golf course. It is quieter than the beach parks and rarely fills except on holiday weekends.
Every May, hundreds of thousands of horseshoe crabs come ashore on Delaware Bay beaches to lay eggs. The eggs fuel the migration of shorebirds including red knots flying from South America to the Arctic. Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges are the primary viewing locations.