LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Out and About in Delaware's State Parks |
by Steven Schilly |
Delaware's State Park Beaches Are Ready for Another Great SummerEverywhere I look there are hints that the summer season is just around the bend. For one thing, the resort area is full of people frantically working on their homes or rental properties to have them looking perfect for the coming summer months. My partner Bob and I have found ourselves caught up in this same routine. What should be relaxing weekends have turned into marathons of lists, chores and projects. Our only hope is that Memorial Day will arrive and rescue us from our labors! I just know there is a small patch of beach out there calling our names! The past few weeks have been equally busy in all of Delaware's 14 state parks as the dedicated staff rushes to put the finishing touches on improvement projects and get facilities in "tip top" shape in time for the holiday weekend, the unofficial kickoff of the summer season. I think visitors will be pleasantly surprised by what awaits them! Cape Henlopen State Park has been especially busy. A major reconstruction of the boardwalk at the main bathhouse was recently completed. And, with renovations nearing completion, we appear to be on schedule to meet our goal to reopen the Gordons Pond parking lot for Memorial Day weekend. Barring unforeseen problems, visitors will be greeted with a newly configured and freshly paved parking lot! World War II buffs, especially, will be interested in the park's latest acquisition-a 97-ton, 12-inch naval cannon. Plans are to refurbish this historic gun and to use it in future living history programs to interpret the period when the park was an active military base known as Fort Miles. Thanks for all the e-mail responses to the articles I've written in Letters. Please keep them coming-it's helpful to get your feedback! Many have included questions concerning various park policies that impact beach users. Here's a brief rundown of some areas of interest. Park fee season: Entrance fees are collected May 1 through Oct. 31. Most areas have self-payment sites for use when fee collectors are off duty. Daily entrance fees are only $2.50 for a Delaware-registered vehicle and $5 for an out-of-state vehicle. For frequent visitors, season passes are an even more incredible bargain-just $20 for a Delaware-registered vehicle and $40 for an out-of-state vehicle! Park entrance fees are essential for the operation of the state parks. You might be surprised to learn that state taxes support only 35 percent of the Division's budget, with visitor fees generating the other 65 percent. In times of "tight" economies, these fees are essential to keeping our programs running and our parks open. Amazingly, despite rising costs and inflation, the price of a park annual pass has not been increased since 1986! We encourage visitors to support the parks by purchasing an annual pass. Pets on beaches: State law prohibits pets on swimming or sunbathing beaches from May 1 through Sept. 30. The Division defines prohibited areas as designated swimming beaches, surfing and sailboarding areas. Pets are allowed in surf fishing areas but they must be on a leash not more than six feet in length at all times. Pets are not permitted to run free on the beach or in the surf. Owners are required to clean up after their pets. Lifeguards: The Division provides lifeguards at designated swimming beaches from Memorial Day through Labor Day. These locations include the main bathhouse and Gordons Pond in Cape Henlopen; Towers Ocean and South Indian River Inlet in Delaware Seashore; and the main bathhouse and state beach area at Fenwick Island. Staffing shortages, typically at the start or end of the summer, may result in an area being "unguarded." Unfortunately, it is not possible for the Division to guard the entire coastline. Lifeguards post orange flags to indicate the area of beach they are guarding. For your protection, we strongly recommend you swim in these guarded areas. "Carry-in, Carry-out": This program was initiated in 1994 to help make our parks "trash free." Thanks to the cooperation of park visitors, it's working! With no trashcans in the parks, logic might lead you to believe there would be more litter, but the fact is, the state parks are actually much cleaner. Look for the trash bags that the Division provides at designated locations. Bird Nesting Areas: Several species make their summer "homes" on Delaware's beaches, nesting in the sand on or near the dune lines. Unfortunately, this is also where beachgoers want to recreate or sunbathe. For these birds, there is no other place they can go to establish their nests. In recent years, a number of these species have declined dramatically. As part of a recovery plan for the threatened piping plover, a species that had only six nesting pairs in Delaware last year, the Division closes sections of beach to pedestrians, beach vehicles and pets when nests are discovered. At press time, nests had been discovered north of Gordons Pond and on the Point of Cape Henlopen. Indecent exposure: State law and state park rules and regulations prohibit indecent exposure anywhere at any time. Contrary to what you might read elsewhere, there are no "clothing optional" beaches in Delaware. This prohibition extends to other areas of the parks including parking lots and trails. So, there you have it. I hope this information is helpful as you get ready to "hit the beach" or discover the attractions at the other state parks- from kayaking or canoeing among the bald cypress trees at Trap Pond State Park to evening concerts at Bellevue. Whatever you choose, summer is a great time to visit our parks. Check the state parks website: www.destateparks.com. for information, suggestions and directions. And if you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, please e-mail me at sschilly@state.de.us. Or look for me at the beach! Stephen Schilly is the Park Operations Administrator of the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 12, No. 05, May 17, 2002. |