Parks · New Castle County

Fort Delaware

Historic island · Delaware City · 249 acres

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Nobody has sent me a picture of Fort Delaware. If you have been, that is the one thing I cannot get by ringing anyone up —send one and it goes on this page with your name on it if you want it.

A Civil War fortress on Pea Patch Island, reached only by ferry from Delaware City. The island also holds one of the largest wading bird nesting grounds on the east coast.

What's there

Facilities

6/22 confirmed

Beach: No
Guarded swimming: No
Surf fishing: No
Camping: No
Cabins: No
Trails: Yes
Boat launch: Not confirmed
Boat rentals: Not confirmed
Pier: Not confirmed
Disc golf: Not confirmed
Playground: Not confirmed
Fishing: Not confirmed
Kayak or canoe: Not confirmed
Crabbing: Not confirmed
Water park: Not confirmed
Ropes course: Not confirmed
Climbing wall: Not confirmed
Horse trails: Not confirmed
Tennis: Not confirmed
Golf: Not confirmed
Riding stables: Not confirmed
Restrooms: Not confirmed

Getting in

Entry, 2026: Not confirmedAdmission and the ferry are charged separately, and neither is included in ordinary park admission.
Annual pass: $50 for a Delaware-registered vehicle, $100 out of state.Discounted passes are available for active-duty military and veterans; the discounted amounts are not confirmed. Deauville Beach has its own annual pass at $115.
Where to buy: Delaware State Parks — passes and permitsOnline at destateparks.com, which issues a virtual pass usable for 30 days from purchase, or at a park office.
Hours: Seasonal, and the ferry schedule decides itThe 2026 season opened 25 April. Reaching it means the ferry from Delaware City — there is no other way on, and the ferry runs to its own schedule.
Getting there: Open in Google Maps to Fort Delaware State Park (opens Google Maps)
Park office: 302-834-7941

Dogs

Ferry access only — confirm the ferry's pet policy before planning around it.

Other parks in New Castle County

Lums Pond — pond, Bear
White Clay Creek — creek and woodland, Newark
Brandywine Creek — creek and woodland, Wilmington
Bellevue — estate and woodland, Wilmington
Alapocas Run — creek and woodland, Wilmington
Fox Point — riverfront, Wilmington
Fort DuPont — historic, Delaware City
Auburn Valley — estate and woodland, Yorklyn
Wilmington State Parks — urban, Wilmington

Where it is

Fort Delaware State Park, Delaware City, DEDirections →

Read from the source — not yet confirmed by phone

Read from Delaware State Parks on 2 Aug 2026 · not yet confirmed by phone

Delaware State Parks — Park roster and facilities.
Delaware State Parks: passes, permits and fees — 2026 fee schedule, effective 1 March 2026.
Delaware State Parks: park office phone numbers — DNREC's own contact page, read 8 August 2026. Lists an office number for every state park.
Delaware State Parks, confirmed 8 August 2026 — Standard day-use hours of 8 a.m. to sunset, and which attractions are charged separately from park admission.
DNREC: passes, permits and fees — Read 12 August 2026. The daily entrance fee 'allows your vehicle and its passengers to enter any Delaware State Park on the date of purchase, except for Fort Delaware, Fenwick State Line Beach and the Brandywine Zoo.' So no fee band applies here by the state's own rule; admission is its own ticket.

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