When the lands that currently comprise Delaware were granted to William Penn in 1682, Penn proclaimed Cape Henlopen and its natural resources for the common usage of the people of Lewes and Sussex County. In effect, Cape Henlopen became the nation’s first “public land.”

The Delaware Breakwater was the first structure of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. The breakwater, built to provide an area of calm water at the entrance to Delaware Bay, has been an important aid to navigation. The breakwater and the lighthouses that stand on it are visible from the Point parking lot.

The Cape Henlopen Lighthouse once stood on the north side of the Great Dune at the Cape. This lighthouse was built by the British Colonial Government in 1764. The builders of the lighthouse did not know that the Great Dune was moving westward at a rate of three to five feet per year. On April 13, 1926, a strong wind toppled the lighthouse. The spot where the lighthouse stood is estimated to be one-half mile out from the current shoreline of Cape Henlopen.

Cape Henlopen is the site of the former Delaware Breakwater Quarantine Station. From 1885 until the beginning of World War I, immigrants on their way to Wilmington and Philadelphia would pass through this station to be checked for signs of disease. If a passenger on a ship showed any signs of contagious disease, he or she would be removed from the ship and detained at the hospital on shore at Cape Henlopen. This quarantine station was officially abandoned in 1926.

In 1941, the U.S. Army established Fort Miles at Cape Henlopen. Fort Miles was well concealed and protected against enemies trying to reach the cities along the Delaware Bay and River. Concrete observation towers were built along the coast to spot enemy ships. These towers still stand in Cape Henlopen State Park and at other coastal locations to the south. When the U.S. Department of Defense declared 543 acres of the Cape to be surplus property, the state accepted the land and established Cape Henlopen State Park in 1964.

Today, the park’s 3,769 acres provide a variety of recreational and educational opportunities for visitors. Swim, sunbathe, or just walk along the Cape’s sandy beaches. Surf fishing and crabbing are other popular activities.

Explore nature on your visit to Cape Henlopen. A walk along the Pinelands Trail will take you through a maritime forest to observe the shift in the plant communities from sun-loving to shade-tolerant plants and trees. Gordons Pond, in the southern section of the park, features a saltwater lagoon. Along the coast, the Great Dune rises 80 feet above sea level, and further inland, the famous Walking Dunes slowly move across the pine forests.

The Seaside Nature Center provides environmental education through its marine aquarium, exhibits, and programs. The Nature Center is also a good place to stop for park information; trail guides and informational brochures are available at the Center. The Nature Center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, call (302) 645-6852.

Cape Henlopen State Park is open from 8:00 a.m. until sunset daily; an entrance fee is charged. Public restrooms are available in the Nature Center and in other locations within the park. For more information call the park office at (302) 645-8983