Cape Henlopen State Park Campground

Bike to the ferry and Rehoboth. Some sites too close together..check camp map before booking

  The 5th & last state on our East Coast trek is Delaware! 

 We took the ferry from Cape May & it was a novelty for us. We enjoyed it so much! 

  The state park is just a half mile on the left when you pull out.

   For Delaware I had my heart set on Cape Henlopen State Park. The sites go fast & I felt lucky to get the site I ended up with. When we got there we found out a water main broke& there was no water. Fortunately, we only went a day without. 

 There are cabins  & primitive sites with their own bath house. The water/electric sites are in rows A-F. We were in B 14.The sites are laid out at an angle, but some were a straight backin. The even A sites- you park your rig or car on the road in a straight line & you get a big wooded site. Not sure if these sites have electricity.

There's 2 dump stations on the way out. 

There's shower houses for E/F/T, the G loop& on the B loop road. They were clean. There's an asphalt trail leading through the main sites for bathroom access. It's clearly marked on the map, so keep it in mind when you pick a site.

 There are some pullthroughs that can take big rigs. The sites are not uniform, some larger, some smaller. Watch the site dimensions or you might not be able to fit your vehicle AND camper on the site. It HAS to all be on the asphalt behind the white line.

  There are combo toilet/showers which I'm not fond of. You're a tenter & want to go for your morning BM& all the doors are locked with people showering. :(  They're clean.

The camp store/ laundry is the building next to that. The playground is also right there.

 This was my husbands favorite campground on our trip. It was a very enjoyable place!

   This park has a LOT of activities: the beach, a nice nature center. Fort Miles for WW 2 history. Biking is hugely popular & they have bike rentals at the nature center if you forgot yours. You can climb a WW 2 watchtower. There's hiking trails, a fishing pier. So much to do.

Lots of good restaurants in the area also.

We had a great time there. Sorry we had to leave...

Love Henlopen. Beautiful setting, all blacktopped sites, clean functional bathhouses, great hike/bike trails. Also close to the beach and Rehoboth has great restaurants and shopping. Lewes is one of the coolest little towns in America. I rate it a 10!

Love this campground.  Very hard to snag a spot for a weekend.  It's always busy.  Sites are small.  Lots to do, there's the beach, the WW2 lookouts, walks, biking and the surrounding area.  Easy access to Rehobeth and Lewes.  Always love going there!  The bathrooms can be a bit groady, but it doesn't matter too much to us now as we can take a shower in our unit if it's too bad.  We like camping here in the spring and fall….even with all the people, we can find peace.  Definitely recommended!

This campground is beautiful!! There are paths to the beach that we rode our bikes on. Breathtaking sites for camping.

Had a clean bathhouse, allows tent campers to use RV sites if you want electricity. Camp store was nice but basic. I proposed to my wife on the lookout Tower next to the campground, so I have a soft spot.

We love this park! There are many things to do and see! The campground is well maintained! We’ve stayed here several times this year!

This is a beautiful park with stunning views of the coast and sunrise. There is a bike path too that offers equally breathtaking views of the area. The only reason I gave this 4 stars is I thought the campground store was on the smaller side compared to other campgrounds that I’ve been to. Also, there are no sewer hookups at the individual site but there are three dump stations upon exiting the park. Electricity and water hookups were available. Since this is a woodsy campground, there were definitely more mosquitos - so bug repellant is a must. Cell coverage was spotty in case that’s important to you. Based on views and location, I would highly recommend staying here.

Partial shady site. This state park is a favorite.

Nice paved roads and tons of trails, sites clean, nice bathrooms with private showers, dog friendly, free bike rentals, well stocked campstore. Only downside is sites are SUPER tight and close so no privacy. But the state park is great so worth it!

We spent the last three nights camping and hiking at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes Delaware. They have a very nice campground with clean bath houses and a nice camp store. There are excellent bike trails and great places to hike and enjoy the area

We’ll kept campground with all the amenities. The camp store is centrally located and has a nice selection. Bath houses are clean and have mini split ac and heat.

Love of great trails to walk or bike.

My only complaint is that the sites are packed in fairly tight.

General: Large park with both hookups and non, plus cabins, located right on the Atlantic Ocean. 

Site Quality: Paved pads but many were covered with pine needles when we were there. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Sites in the B Loop have the advantage of the camp store (which was only open on weekends when we were there in early November) and the bathhouse. Some of the sites have good separation between them but not all. 

Bathhouse: Separate “pods” with toilet, sink, and shower. The floor in the one I used upon arrival was completely wet, either by design flaw or a messy user but the one I used the next morning had a dry floor. Did not use the shower. There were detailed instructions with photos on how to lock the doors but even though I thought I followed the photos, the door still wasn’t locked (as I discovered when someone opened the door!). This led me to believe others have struggled with this too! 

Activities: If you bring a bike, there are a plethora of bike trails throughout the park that are good for walking as well. Biking will give you the opportunity to get to more areas of the park such as the giant sand dune, the lookout towers, Herring Point, and the Delaware Breakwater East End Lighthouse. If you are interested in World War II history, this is a good park to explore. You are also conveniently located near the Lewes-Cape May ferry terminal. 

Conclusion: We only spent one night here and did not have bicycles so I feel like we could not take full advantage of all the park had to offer (but I did get a good photo of the lighthouse during the golden hour)!

We have always had a positive experience here. It is clean, well kept and "quiet time" is quiet time every time we've been there. We enjoy camping here!

Not a good place for tent camping. All tent spaces very packed together and without any foliage undergrowth separation whatsoever. More privacy in a subway car than these sites. Dogs allowed and poo everywhere. Wash stations a long walk away. Excellent system of paved bike paths.

If you’re going to camp at one of the RV sites, you’d better have an RV. They are neither RTT nor tent friendly. The sites are packed in so closely that if you don’t have the privacy of a camper, everyone will see your business. You’ll hear your neighbor’s conversations even if they’re being polite. Kids are running around all over and riding bikes, which is fine, until you realize you have no privacy. This campground is great if you’re looking for a resort feel with its museum, bike friendly trails, frisbee golf, beach, etc. if you’re looking for a rustic, quiet campsite, then go elsewhere.

We stayed in the G loop which is the group loop off the side of all the main loops. We were tent camping. If staying in the main loops, the center rows barely had room for tents and looked aimed for RVs. It would have been very tight if we tent camped at some of the inner loop sites. The tent sites were along the sides on the T sites and the even numbered A sites. The bathrooms were clean enough and there were ample showers that were free. There is a coin operated laundry facilities, a dish washing station and a playground in the middle of the loops. The wood was a bit wet and sappy. It was about a mile walk to the beach. There are multiple parking lots if you want to drive a bit closer to a beach entrance. We have two young kids and it was a bit too long a walk for them from the camp site. Bikes are prevalent and a great way to get around. We were there in July and it was very hot which is obviously to be expected. Friendly staff.

This is a great state park with nice campground and lots to do within the parks' 7,000-acre boundary. And, we do mean LOTS! Yes, there are the standard 13 miles of hiking and biking trails but there are also basketball courts, disc golf, boat launch with kayak rental, ranger-led programs, a nature center, food concessions, camp store, playgrounds, fishing pier(with a bait and tackle shop), and miles of Atlantic Ocean beachfront to enjoy. The property was historically a military instillation(the largest one on the east coast during WWII) so there are many bunkers, observation towers, and other structures some of which are museums open to the public. 

The newly renovated campground has 162 RV/tent campsites with 50/30/20 amp electric, fire rings and picnic tables. There are also rental cabins for those who do not have camping gear. Sites range in length from a 15’ back-in to a 105’ pull thru and are paved as are the roads. Not all sites are level so this may be a problem for some and the availability of big-rig friendly sites is limited. Roads are fairly tight and there is a one-way traffic flow to alleviate congestion so you’ll have to be patient if you are behind someone who is backing into their site. We were able to get plenty of antenna over the air television stations but those with satellite may have trouble with the shade trees. Our Verizon phone and internet service worked great. The showers and bathhouses were clean but were heavily used since no campsites have sewer and there are a number of tenters. 

Reservations can be made online and you can book a site for up to 14 days. For the dates we were interested in there was only one site available and it was an ADA site. I called the park and asked if being disabled was a requirement for occupying an ADA identified site and they said no so we were able to book it. We really could not figure out why it was classified as ADA in the first place but were glad to get the reservation since only 13 of the 162 campsites can accommodate an RV 40' and over. 

Camping in state parks does not mean they are at the bargain basement price and this was no exception. Depending on season, residency, and site the nightly costs range from$20 (for a tent in off-season) to$59 (for a water/electric site in peak season).

There is plenty to do in the area. Lewes is a charming town with a few museums and historic buildings and a great restaurant Heirloom. The nearby town of Rehoboth is a beachy town that is fun to stroll the streets and mile long boardwalk. Rehoboth is quite a bit larger than Lewes with more shopping, restaurants, and activities and numerous breweries. We really liked this campground for a number of reasons– our site was nice, there are plenty of hiking trails, you can walk to the beach, and it is close to downtown Lewes and things to do. The only downsides would be the cost which was$47/night and that there was no sewer but we would definitely stay here again.

Great state park with the beach on one side and the bay on the other. All reachable on bikes. Town of Lewes is right there and has cute shops and places to eat. Rehobeth is 5 miles away by bike on the trail, and has a boardwalk and great shopping. Campground also has Fort Myers tours and lots of other sites to see. We go back every year for the past 4 years. Worth going to see and stay. Tent sites, rv sites and cabins available.

Nice sunny spot, clean facilities, right next to a bike path that takes you directly to the beach which is about a 20 minute walk. Campsites clustered a bit and a lot of families.

Nice facilities, most of the walking trails would have been much for our little guy. It would be an awesome place to have bikes and cruise around. Nice beaches, an awesome playground, and you’re super close to Lewes and Rehoboth beach towns. We loved exploring them. Pretty pricey for a weekday we paid 96$ for two nights. That’s with power and water though.

Great campground with lots to offer for families with children. Nice walking and biking trails. Trails and campground well maintained. Several beach access points and nice fishing pier. Nature center, historic military structures and watch towers. Very nice playground designed for varying ages and basketball courts. Great place for active families and those who want to relax. Only down side to RV camping is there are no sites with sewer hookups, however, bathhouses are located fairly close to most sites.

This was our inaugural trip with our new trailer! We were super excited to stay at Cape Henlopen because we had visited our cousins the year before, which is what got us hooked into the camper life! 

We stayed in Row D - was a great location- nearest the cabins. 

The play ground area is great - smaller, but still a good area for the kiddos to hang out. There are a number of different biking/walking trails. We decided to take the kids to the Rehobeth Boardwalk via bike - about 6 miles there and back again. We only spent about 15 minutes on the actual car road - in a bike lane - the rest was all trail through the marsh and it was beautiful. There are some overlook sites as well and lots of benches to take breaks, if needed. 

Campstore has some goodies and sells wood, just be sure to check that it's not wet - they do not accept returns. Also, some of the hosts will drive around in golf carts and offer the wood for sale if the store is closed. 

Shower house is decent, clean, and great for after beach visits. Don't forget your shower shoes! 

There are two areas of the beach that you can visit - 1st is for all visitors with the shower house and snack stand. This area tends to be more crowded. You can bike or drive to this one.  2nd - is our choice - you can drive, but still need to walk a ways or bike all the way to the beach area. This is a "private" beach for the campers. It's not nearly as crowded as the other site - but it does not have the amenities. 

We plan to return to this site once a year!

Great beach and bike bike paths. We could have spent so much longer here and explored

4 stars because of how close together the sites are. Especially the inner tents of T loop.

G loop has more space over all

We brought our 2 weimaraners here for a couple years now. It's dog friendly with a dog friendly beach. Alot of the local restaurants are also dog friendly. This is a beautiful park with lots of walking trails . Some of the spots a kinda small so book accordingly.

My husband and I went camping here a few years back. It's such a great place because it's near the beach, it has nice picnic spots and playground areas for children. There is a learning center where you can see different sea creatures. There is a fishing pier, it's close to outlet shopping and restaurants if you need a change. There are lots of walking and biking trails. There is a ferry that will take you to Cape May but you want to explore that area . There is also a fort where you can walk around and see a tank and some other neat things. You definitely won't be bored on this trip trust me!!

One of the few campgrounds that offer beach sites

Clean place, great for activities , disc golf , fishing , bike riding , bird watching.

This was a favorite place while living on the east coast.  The campground is nicely laid out for a state campground.  Plenty of bike trails, places to explore, places to swim both in the bay and ocean.  I love the Atlantic in the summer...way more swimable than our Pacific Ocean.  I would gladly go back if I'm in the area.

We arrived at our hike-in site just after midnight and was pleasantly surprised that we were one of two groups of campers on that Thursday night. Firstly, the walk to hike in is gloriously short for car camping. We were able to schlep all of our gear in three trips. We had considered taking a wagon but I'm glad we didn't. The check in process the following day was very short, but be forewarned that if you leave the campground and return prior to getting your camping tag you may have to pay the park entrance fee (we did not but were warned).
There is sand everywhere (you are almost at the beach) so a small dustpan and brush will keep your tent tidy. The bathroom and showers are just outside the hike in parking lot, but could use an upgrade. The shower stalls don't have a private changing area, just a long bench on the opposite wall from the row of push-button showers. Also, the drain for the shower isn't in each stall so water tends to flood the area between the bench and the showers; bring a pair of shower shoes.  The water pressure was good and the shower was hot.  It may be a bit too much for little kids, though.  As the campground is usually fully booked, it would be nice to not have to leave my clothes and glasses on a public bench while I shower (I've had my Rx glasses stolen from a campground bathroom before). This is my only reason for the 4 star review. At night, we were able to hear the waves crashing on the beach, but have no ocean views. It was very soothing and I slept like a log! The camp store has wood for purchase, and scavenging dead wood wasn't a very successful for us outside of kindling.
There are plenty of walking and biking trails, a free nature center with a touch tank (tank closed on our visit due to Covid), and historic Fort Miles.
We would definitely stay again.