Photographs
From the end of one of the docks, looking down the pond. Overcast summer day.
The launch ramp. Concrete, with a rail along the side.
The floating docks, on water flat enough to hold the sky.
Across the water from a railing on the far side, willows opposite.
The shoreline in spring, framed by the trees. You can get right down to the water in places.The largest freshwater pond in Delaware, formed to feed the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Campground, a long shoreline trail, an aerial ropes course, and the best-reviewed dog area in the state.
What's there
Facilities
10/22 confirmed- Beach
- Yes
- Guarded swimming
- Not confirmed
- Surf fishing
- No
- Camping
- Yes
- Cabins
- Not confirmed
- Trails
- Yes
- Boat launch
- Yes
- Boat rentals
- Yes
- Pier
- Not confirmed
- Disc golf
- Yes
- Playground
- Not confirmed
- Fishing
- Not confirmed
- Kayak or canoe
- Not confirmed
- Crabbing
- Not confirmed
- Water park
- Not confirmed
- Ropes course
- Yes
- Climbing wall
- Not confirmed
- Horse trails
- Yes
- Tennis
- Not confirmed
- Golf
- Not confirmed
- Riding stables
- Not confirmed
- Restrooms
- Yes
Where things are
- Restrooms
- Yes. Confirmed on site.
- Ranger station
- There is one.
- Boat launch
- A concrete ramp with a handrail, straight into the pond.
- Boat rentals
- You can rent one here — you don't need to own a boat.
- Beach
- There's a beach.
- Pavilions
- Rentable.
- The boardwalk
- A boardwalk trail as well as the long shoreline loop.
Getting in
- Entry, 2026
- $5 in-state · $10 out-of-stateCharged 1 March – 30 November. Free outside it.Go Ape, the treetop course, is charged separately. Park admission does not include it.
- 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
- 8 a.m. – sunset, daily, year roundPark office 8am–4pm daily April to October, weekdays only November to March. The nature center keeps its own hours: Wednesday to Sunday, noon–4pm. Third-party sites publish 7am and 7:30pm times for the dog area — those aren't the state's and aren't here.
- Park office
- 302-368-6989
Dogs
Has the highest-rated off-leash area in Delaware — and it is NOT fenced, and park entry is charged to reach it.
Other parks in New Castle County
- 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 Delaware — historic island, Delaware City
- Fort DuPont — historic, Delaware City
- Auburn Valley — estate and woodland, Yorklyn
- Wilmington State Parks — urban, Wilmington
Where it is
Field notes
What I saw on the day. Not checked with anyone, and it can go out of date faster than the facts above.
Field note · 4 August 2026 · Site maintainer
Beach, restrooms, rentable pavilions, a boardwalk trail and a ranger station. The boardwalk is a separate thing from the long shoreline trail.
Field note · 4 August 2026 · Site maintainer
Restrooms, boat rental and a launch ramp, a beach, and the trails. The rental matters more than the launch for most people — it means you can get on the water without owning anything.
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