Best Tent Camping near Ellendale, DE

The tent site was big with lots of choice locations for your tent. There is a lot of privacy between the tent sites because of the trees.

The bathrooms were clean and modern. The camp store had lots of little items that I needed. And there was a Little Library.

The hikes in the campground are beautiful. The historic aspect of the Cape amazed me. It was a site for WWII soldiers to watch for enemy invaders. The towers are still there.

The ocean is beautiful but a bit of a walk from the tent campsites.

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.

My first time visiting TPSP. The site is gorgeous throughout. The camp store is small but has everything that you need. Personnel were warm and friendly, very helpful for a first timer... spent some time chatting with them. I stayed at a tent site. The tent sites are walk in only but parking is not very far. The site provided hand trucks and wheelbarrows for you to car your items into your site. I had brought my own wagon which was helpful in keeping some of my gear off the ground during a rain storm. The site I stayed at was clean, level and well appointed; a t bar for hanging trash or a shower pack. Fire pit with grill. The tent sites are far enough from each other that you are not disturbed by neighbors, lots of trees between sites. There are water pumps every few yards, some are a Bit tricky to get working but I did not have an issue. The campground has trash and recycling bins so you do not have to carry out. I checked out some of the drive in and RV sites. They are large and well maintained, good for camper or tent camping, although fewer trees separate you from adjacent spots, so if you’re interested in more privacy opt for a tent site. The weekend I stayed we had torrential rain for about six hours but my site did not flood. Be sure to bring a large enough footprint to account for rain however, as I needed to really clean my tent and fly when I got home due to splash back of mud and leaves. Thee bathhouse was clean and the playground looked pretty good as well. Hoping that for my return trip the new bathhouse bear the tent sites is completed. If you’re not keen on using port a Johns or hiking to the bathhouse near the camper sites I suggest bringing a travel composting toilet. I hiked the full Bob Trail which is breathtaking. Easy level hike that winds all around the park and connects to the campground. I also rented a kayak for about three hours and was able to travel the full pond and connecting Terrapin Trail and back. The recreation area(where you rent boats and kayaks) has a nice picnic area and playground. I have camped at Henlopen State Park in the past and can say that TPSP is my new favorite in delaware. I enjoyed my time so much that I am already booked to return in late September and again in early November.

This is our favorite campground! It is close enough to ocean city we can enjoy the beach daily but far enough to relax in the woods! This campground is the small sister campground to frontier town. They have a free shuttle bus to provide transportation to assateaque island, frontier town, and ocean city. Campers here are eligible for discounts at frontier town as well! We tent camp but there are RV sites and cabins as well. There is an arcade, camp store, heated pool, playground, dog park, and mini golfing! The main pavilion has rentals for recreational equipment at no extra cost (hula hoops, balls, etc.) There are also themed weekends and scheduled activities throughout the week! The bathhouses are cleaned many times a day and the showers are spacious enough. The staff here is friendly and welcoming. Each tent site is far enough away from the other that you feel spread out and private. This is definitely a place I recommend to friends and family.

We had a great experience at Trap Pond. Price was reasonable. D Loop sites were a good size. Comes with a fire ring and picnic table. Site wasn't super level, so just bring enough leveling blocks if you're in a camper. D14 specifically is the last site on the row with an unobstructed view of the pond- we loved it. All sites in D loop had great tree coverage. It was also right near the showers, which were clean & warm, just what was needed. Tent sites are more secluded and are walk-in; our buddies tent camped the same weekend. There was a dock within walking distance of our site. Canoes were available for rent & I highly recommend canoeing water trails through the beautiful Cypress trees. No sewer connects, but there are 2 dump stations and we didn't wait long at the dump station heading out on a Sunday in July. Camp store has all the necessities, yet still simple. Free concerts at the nature center every Saturday in the summer. Nice walking/hiking trails around the grounds also. Dog friendly was a plus!! Lots of dogs were on leads at campsites including ours.

General: 129 sites with water and electricity, eight tent sites, one island site, two yurts, and eight cabins. 

Site Quality: All are level and sand/grass. There are many trees and reasonable separation between sites (although you can easily see your neighbors). A large picnic table and fire ring complete the site. Our site had a water view and was peaceful. 

Bath/Shower house: Bathhouses are located in the A and C loops plus additional ones by the tent camping area. All seemed to be reasonably clean and were cleaned on a rolling basis, starting at 10 am for the A loop. The shower had immediate hot water, but you only get about 30 seconds of water before you have to push the button again. A little clunky but a good way to save water. 

Activities/Amenities: So much to do! Bike rentals are free (donations accepted), there are several hiking/biking/horse trails, disc golf, and canoe/kayak/peddle boat rentals (in season). 45-minute Pontoon boat tours are available on weekends Memorial Day– Labor Day. There are several boat docks if you bring your own boat. There is a small camper store/office that closed shortly after our arrival. There is a single washer/dryer in Loop C. I was mystified that you could only use liquid detergent (I use laundry sheets). Because there is only one for the entire campground, I wouldn’t count on doing laundry. If you have kiddos, try and get a site in Loop A – there is a nice and educational play area (plus a game I’d never heard of– Gaga ball). There is an additional playground in the day-use area, plus a volleyball net. There is also a nature center. Recycling and dumpsters between Loops A and B and another between Loops C and D. 

We camped here several years ago but in the off-season, and wanted to kayak among the bald cypress trees (I highly recommend this). Glad we came back!

Doesnt allow tent camping

Rv and tent camping. Kids activities. Adult fun. Campstore and bathrooms.

This campground is situated tightly between route 1 and the bay but very low laying ground. This campground is perfect, but only with PERFECT weather. One medium rain/thunder storm will turn the tent camping area into a water covered mess! We were in 'spot 45' avoid this area if there's even the slightest chance of rain!

The amenities are great however, free hot showers, close to beach and bay and very friendly volunteer staff.

Will not go tent camping here again and cannot recommend this camp ground for tenters!

Nice drive on sites for tent camping. A few well managed trails. A little heave on the rules(must use the wood they sell, clotheslines must come down overnight.

Been tent camping here since I was a child caught my first fish there such great memories. It's also not a far ride to the ocean.

Family friendly, clean, spacious, wonderful outdoor showers and sink for washing dishes. A lot of campers, but it was nice for tent camping too. The horses were magestic!!

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.

There were so many great things about this campground. It was beautiful and had so many different amenities including a little man made beach in the center of the campground. Our only issues were it was pretty pricey for tent camping (65 a night) and the mosquitos were INSANE! Also, a few of the showers were down, so it was difficult to get in there and everything cost extra. It was a quarter run shower. The location was perfect if you wanted to visit Cape May or go into Wildwood only 15 minutes away. I’d say it is perfect for RV’s, campers, or if you are renting a cabin for your family, but as a tent camp location it was a little extravagant for what we were looking for with our trip.

Two thumbs up on this small campground with spacious, wooded sites!

We stayed here on a Thursday when the campground was almost empty, but there was a reservations list that showed the campground would be full for the Columbus Day weekend. We have good luck walking up to campgrounds during the week, but we look ahead to weekends and make reservations.

Spacious, Wooded Sites

- Lots of shade and trees on large sites and space between sites make this a pleasant campground.

• Parking pads on the electric loop are asphalt.

• There's very finely crushed rock on the non-electric loop. This includes the parking pad and tent pad.

• There are 8 camper cabins, 4 on each loop. There are beds for 4 or 6 people, and the cabins have air conditioning, a ceiling fan and electricity. These are a nice alternative to camping in a tent.

• Bathrooms are located in the middle of each loop, and there are spigots on the loops with potable water.

Small Park But Many Activities

• Canoe/kayak launch between sites 46 and 48. The walk to Tuckahoe Creek from the parking area is very short, and the creek leads to Tuckahoe Lake (no gasoline motors) with more of the creek on the other side of the lake.

• Fishing

• 20 miles of hiking trails are also open for biking and horseback riding.

• Archery range

• Disc golf

• Hunting - as a hiker, I am extremely wary of hiking in parks at a time when hunting is allowed.

We came back for another visit this September and the campground has undergone lots of renovations since I was here last so I wanted to provide an updated review.

As always, the biking and walking trails in the park are top notch! The Gordon's Pond trail offers beautiful salt march views with lots of birds especially first thing in the morning. Beach access is quick and easy from the campground, too!

We stayed in tent site 114 which was among a cluster of tent sites. Here you have to park in a parking lot and cart your stuff into your actual site. It's not a long haul but could be a pain in the neck if you tend to bring a lot of stuff with you when you camp. From our site there was a small path through the back of the site that provides quick and immediate access to the bike trails in the area.

The sites have newly built picnic tables (very heavy and sturdy) as well as new concrete pad fire rings with grates. They sit a little high off the ground than a traditional fire pit but are nice and well maintained thus far. As I mentioned, the tent site we were in was among a cluster of sites spaced out relatively evenly. However, if all of the sites had been full it would have been a bit close together for my liking. One thing that is nice about these sites is the amount of shade, super helpful in the late summer heat.

The bathroom facilities are also nice and well maintained. Be advised that many Delaware state parks require that you pack out all of your trash at most of their day use areas, the campground however DOES have a dumpster available for trash.

If you can get a reservation here it's totally worth the stay!

The amenities are good and nearby nice, but expensive restaurant within walking distance. You can go out on a fishing boat in the ocean on the north side of the inlet. There are virtually no trees here and none in tent camping areas. Bring your own shade.

Beautiful park right across fron the beach. Took a group of 20 tent camping here and it went great! Have done it for multiple years now and every time it is a great experience. However, it does flood in the rain. Also this beach is not to packed and has great sunrises!

This was our first visit to this park and we really loved it. We stayed in a tent site which included a fire ring and picnic table, and we had two tents and plenty of space for everything. While we were there, I believe all of the cabins were full and some other tent sites reserved, but the grounds were still very quiet and peaceful. The bathrooms and showers were modern and very clean and looked to be only a brief, flat walk from most of the sites/cabins in the loop. The loops were smaller than I expected, but that wasn't a bad thing. There is also a large sink on one side of the bathhouse which was nice for cleaning up after cooking. AT&T phone service was slow but available. While in the area, we also visited WorkHorse Farm for a tour, First Fruits Orchard for PYO blueberries, and Denton Station antique mall.

I love this place. It’s hard to get a spot here tho you have to book early! Water was cold the bathrooms wasn’t very clean! I stayed ocean side walk in. We park and drag all your items in for tent camping. FYI you can have a fire right on the beach!

This is a state campground on both sides of Indian River inlet. The south side is more set up for tent camping and the north side is newer and more rv oriented. 

The sites are close together and pretty wide open, but this isn't unusual this close to the beach. Literally a couple hundred yards walk to tje beach. Nearly new bath houses, and shore fishing along the inlet. The south side probably has the better beach facility, but your car pass gets you into any Delaware State Park facility free. We went down to Fenwick Island to meet up with friends. An easy 5 min drive. Full hook ups, clean and well maintained, super friendly staff.

My son absolutely loved this place. There’s anything and everything you could think of available to keep everyone busy. A water park, volley ball field, playgrounds, amphitheater, nature center, nature trails, and boat rentals at the lake.

It is a huge park, with secluded spots available for tent camping, cabins, and regular open spaces for camping rvs with electric hook up. Staff was friendly, campgrounds were well kept. It can get a little crowded but it’s worth it to stay. If you don’t like crowds, I suggest coming during the week days!