Best Campgrounds in Delaware

Phone rang last week, feller from Pittsburgh asking where to take his grandkids camping in Delaware. I about said "Delaware?" the way you might if somebody asked where to find a moose in Kansas. But the truth is the state has some real nice campgrounds, and a few of them are better than what I see folks fighting over out west. Small state, but the shore parks alone are worth the drive.

I spent a couple summers helping a buddy run a trail crew down through the Delmarva back in the early 2000s, and Sadie and I have rolled through most of these spots one time or another. Mostly state parks here — Delaware doesn't have the federal land you get out my way, so the state parks system is who you'll be dealing with for permits and sites. They run a tight ship, all things considered.

Below is the short list of campgrounds I'd actually send someone to, with the honest version of what each one is like. Not "best" — I dont much believe in that word — just the ones that earn their keep.

Cape Henlopen State Park — Lewes

If you only get one shot at camping in Delaware, this is probably the one. Cape Henlopen sits where Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic, right outside Lewes, and the campground is tucked back in the pines a short walk from the beach. About 150-some sites, a mix of tent and RV, some with hookups and some without. Bathhouses are clean, which I notice because I've seen the alternative.

What makes it work is the country itself — old artillery batteries from WWII, the observation tower you can climb, and miles of beach where you can actually walk the dog in the off-season. There's a bike path that connects to Lewes proper if you want crab cakes and don't want to drive. Reserve early, this one books out fast in summer, and I mean fast. Used to be quieter — internet found it.

Delaware Seashore State Park — Indian River Inlet

Right down Coastal Highway from Cape Henlopen, between Dewey Beach and Bethany. This is the one where you camp with the ocean on one side and the bay on the other, and if the wind comes up right you can hear both at once. Big campground, lots of RV sites with full hookups, and a separate tent loop that's a little more civilized than some of the rigs would suggest.

The catch — and there's always a catch — is that it's exposed. Not much shade, and when a summer storm rolls through off the Atlantic, you'll know about it. Stake your tent like you mean it. Good fishing right there at the inlet, surf or pier, and the beach access doesnt get much easier. Family I sent there last June called me from the road on the way home, said it was the best week they'd had in years.

Trap Pond State Park — Laurel

Now this one's different. Trap Pond is down in Sussex County near Laurel, almost into Maryland, and it's got the northernmost natural stand of bald cypress in the country. Real cypress trees, in Delaware. I didn't believe it the first time somebody told me either. You can paddle a canoe through the swamp like you're in Louisiana.

The campground has about 130 sites, some right on the pond, and there's a few cabins and yurts if your back has been talking to you the way mine has. Quieter than the shore parks by a long shot. Bring bug spray — and I don't mean the polite kind, I mean the stuff that voids your jacket warranty. Sadie hated the mosquitoes, loved the water. Fair trade.

Killens Pond State Park — Felton

Middle of the state, just off Route 13 outside Felton. Killens Pond is the one I'd send a family with kids who've never camped before. Small enough not to be overwhelming, a water park right there if the trip needs a bailout option, and the pond itself is good for a kayak or a fishing pole. Sites are a mix of tent, RV, and cabins.

The trails around the pond aren't long — maybe four miles total if you walk it all — but they're pretty walking, mature hardwoods, and easy enough for little legs. If you've got folks who think they want to try camping but aren't sure yet, this is the gentle introduction. And if it rains, Dover's twenty minutes north and you can find a movie.

Lums Pond State Park — Bear

Up in New Castle County near Bear, which is the part of Delaware most folks forget exists if they're not from there. Lums Pond is the largest freshwater pond in the state, and the campground sits back in the woods on the south side. Sixty-odd sites, decent spacing, real trees overhead which I appreciate after a week at the shore.

The draw here is the variety — there's a disc golf course, the Go Ape zipline outfit if you've got teenagers who need wearing out, and a 7-mile loop around the pond that's flat and easy and good for hiking or biking. It's close enough to Wilmington and Newark that you get some day-use traffic, but the campground stays pretty calm once the sun goes down. I'd send my brother's grandkids here without a second thought.

The Private Campgrounds — Tall Pines, Holly Lake, Big Oak

Delaware's got a handful of private campgrounds, mostly in Sussex County catering to the beach overflow. I'll be honest with you — these aren't really my speed. Most of them lean RV-heavy, the sites are tight, and a few have gift shops, which as a general rule makes me suspicious. But they fill a need when the state parks are booked solid, which is most of the summer.

• Tall Pines Camping Resort — outside Lewes off Route 9. Pool, planned activities, closer to the beach than you'd expect. RV-friendly, tent sites available.
• Holly Lake Campsites — near Millsboro on Hollyville Road. Big place, lake on the property, lots of seasonal rigs. Family-oriented.
• Big Oak Family Campground — Smyrna, off Route 13. Convenient stopover if you're driving through and the state parks are full.
• Sun Retreats Rehoboth Bay — Millsboro area, bay access, more of an RV resort than a campground proper.
• Yogi Bear's Jellystone Tall Pines — same Lewes complex, themed for kids. You know what you're getting.

If you want hookups, a pool, and don't mind neighbors close, the private ones do what they do. Just don't expect wilderness. You're paying for convenience, not solitude.

What to Know Before You Book

Delaware State Parks runs its reservations through their own system, not Recreation.gov like the federal stuff. Most folks don't realize that and waste an hour looking in the wrong place. Go straight to destateparks.com and you'll save yourself the headache. Reservation windows shift, so check before you go — but as of recent seasons you can book most sites about a year out, and the shore parks go quick for summer weekends.

Few other things worth knowing:

The shore parks have a separate beach-access fee for non-residents during the season, though if you're camping at Cape Henlopen or Delaware Seashore it's bundled in. Quiet hours are taken seriously at the state parks — I've heard rangers there enforce them, which is more than I can say some places. Pets are allowed at all the state park campgrounds I've mentioned but check the leash rules and the beach rules separately, those are two different things.

For gear, the shore is windy and the inland parks are buggy, so I'd rather have a sturdy tent with good stakes than a fancy one. A decent sleeping bag rated to maybe 40 degrees handles most of the shoulder season, and a reliable camp stove matters more here than at a lot of places because fire restrictions come and go depending on conditions. Full gear list is on the site if you're starting from scratch.

Honest Take

If I had a week and I'd never been to Delaware, I'd split it between Cape Henlopen and Trap Pond. Three nights at the shore, three nights inland with the cypress trees, and a travel day in between to drive the long way and eat somewhere on the bay. That's the trip. You don't need anything fancier than that.

Delaware isn't going to feel like Yellowstone, and anybody telling you it is hasn't seen Yellowstone. But for a quiet week with a fishing pole, a kayak, and a dog who likes the water, the state parks here are doing the job better than a lot of places three times the size. And the people running them, in my experience, actually care. That counts for something. For more general park info, the NPS finder won't help you much in Delaware proper, but it's worth a look if you're road-tripping the region — same with our parks roundups if you're combining states.