Cape Henlopen State Park
Camping at Cape Henlopen
The campground has about 155 sites, sits inland of the ocean beaches, and was rebuilt from the ground up a few years ago — which is why it does not feel like a state park campground from the 1970s.
What kind of sites there are
| RV sites | More than a hundred, on paved pads, with water and electric. Pads are sized for 20-, 40- and 50-foot rigs, and some are pull-through. |
|---|---|
| Walk-in tent sites | About twenty, next to the Walking Dunes Trail. You park and carry your gear in, which is exactly why they are the quiet ones. |
| Cabins | In a secluded spot at the edge of the campground. Each sleeps six. |
Every site has a picnic table and a fire ring.
The electric here is unusually good. Sites carry 30-, 50- and 100-amp service, and the 100-amp hookups were the first in any Delaware state park. If you have been turned away from campgrounds for pulling too much power, this is the one to try.
The cabins
They are not rustic shelters. Each cabin has real beds in both bedrooms and an oversized screened dining porch, which on this cape — where the evening bugs off the marsh are a genuine consideration — is the feature that matters most.
One rule catches people out: cooking is not permitted inside the cabins. Plan to cook outside.
What else is on the grounds
The 2017 rebuild added a camp store, expanded laundry, a camper washing station, a playground, a new bathhouse and a trail system that connects the campground to the rest of the park on foot and by bike. There is also an amphitheater, a dump station, a ranger station, and a bait and tackle shop.
The Seaside Nature Center is inside the park and runs the programs most camping families end up doing at least one of — and it lends bikes.
Where it sits
The campground is set back from the ocean beaches rather than on them, near the Walking Dunes Trail. That is the trade: you are not falling out of your tent onto the sand, but you are inside the park gates, which means the beaches, the fishing pier, Fort Miles and the start of the Gordons Pond Trail are all a short ride away rather than a drive.
On booking: rates, reservation windows and season dates change every year and this site does not publish them. Go to Delaware State Parks for current information. Summer weekends here go early.
Booking, minimum stays and the rules that catch people out
| How far ahead you can book | Up to one year |
|---|---|
| Weekend minimum | Two nights, and three on some holiday weekends |
| Maximum stay | 14 nights in any 21-day period |
| Quiet hours | 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. |
| Firewood | Outside firewood is no longer permitted. Buy it on site. |
| Dogs | Allowed, attended at all times. Only Cabin 12 takes dogs, $25 per dog per night, two maximum. |
The firewood rule is recent and it is the one that surprises returning campers. It exists to keep tree pests — spotted lanternfly and others — from travelling in on a bundle of logs from Pennsylvania or New Jersey.
What it costs
Rates vary by site type, season and day of the week, and Delaware charges non-residents more. As a guide, a summer weekend night in 2026 runs to roughly $56 for a Delaware resident on an RV site with water and electric, or $70 from out of state. A cabin on the same night is around $136 resident, $170 non-resident. Off-season and midweek nights are cheaper.
RV sites come with water, a choice of 30, 50 or 100-amp electric, a fire ring and a picnic table. Walk-in tent sites have no hookups. Cabins sleep six, with a screened porch, air conditioning and a fridge, and are available year round — which makes them one of the few ways to stay inside the park in winter.
Book through Delaware State Parks. Confirm the current rate when you do: the figures above were checked on 28 August 2026 and the fee schedule changes between seasons.
Getting around from the campground
The paved Bike Loop runs past the campground and connects it to the beach bathhouse, the nature centre, the observation tower and Fort Miles. You can borrow a bike free of charge from the nature centre. For what it costs to get in and where else to park, see fees, hours and parking.