Skip to content (press enter)
Donate
They are how we protect our special coastal places

03 • 21 • 2014

Restrict Vehicle Access near Naval Jetty in Cape Henlopen State Park

To restrict vehicles on the beach in Cape Henlopen State Park near the one surf spot in that park, and one of the few surf-able spots left in Delaware

Driving on the beach and fishing from your vehicle is allowed in Cape Henlopen State Park, but one must be actively fishing.  Increasingly, beach-goers were driving down to the beach and throwing an empty line into the water, just to avoid walking down to the beach.  These lines are crowding out other forms of recreation including surfing, swimming, and skim-boarding. 


In the Autumn of 2013 the Chapter wrote to the State's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and requested that the State not allow vehicles and therefore fake fishing within 40 meters of the Naval Jetty Groin. 


The State had meetings and discussions through the winter and responded in writing to the Chapter.  They declared that an area just north of the Naval Jetty would be a saftey zone where vehicles would be excluded.  Pedestrians and all forms of recreation would still be allowed in the vehicle-free area, but this should address the issue of fake fishing to avoid walking and overcrowded beach areas.