SUP Guide to Coastal Delaware
Every year, Meredith’s family spends about five days at the Delaware Seashore. It started as a special trip for our niece Becca when she was 3 years old. Over the years it’s evolved and more family members join in on the fun. This was Scott’s first time staying for the full trip, so we decided to maximize our time by getting on our boards for a few sunrise paddles.
We love paddling coastal Delaware. It’s a relatively short drive from DC, there’s a lot of wildlife, stunning views, amazing sunrises and sunsets, and a lot of different waterways to explore. Here’s what we think you should know.
Delaware Seashore State Park
This is always a go-to spot when we’re on these family trips. We camp at the south campground at Indian River Inlet and the put-ins are just a short trip over the inlet bridge (which just might be Meredith’s dad’s favorite piece of architecture in the U.S. Ask us about the tattoo we’re lobbying for him to get!)
The state park runs from Indian River Bay north through Rehoboth Bay. While Rehoboth Bay can get pretty windy, you can find some protected spots, especially if you go early in the morning. Keep in mind that some of these spots may charge a small parking fee depending on the time of the year.
We recommend:
Burton Island Trailhead: 9 times out of 10, we’re launching here. There’s a newly improved launch site at the Indian River Inlet Marina north side, just before Burton Island. Paddling here gives you great views of the Indian River Inlet Bridge and morning sunrises. Depending on the tide, you can paddle around Little Cedar and Big Cedar Islands. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife. We’ve seen dolphins and otters back here!
Savage Ditch: This launch site is just to the north at the top end of Little Cedar Island. It can be a muddy and buggy walk to the put-in, which is really most accessible at high tide.
New Road and Tower Road: We’re adding these to the list because we know they exist and we want to check them out. They’re much more exposed to Rehoboth Bay, though, and likely options to explore only when the wind isn’t howling.
Assawoman Canal
The canal system in the town of Bethany Beach is a really beautiful, protected area to explore. It’s a great option for windy days when the the bays are too blown out to enjoy a paddle. Don’t be fooled, however. The canal is still a tidal, dynamic area. Keep this in mind when you choose which direction you start your paddle and the time of day.
There are a few launch sites to choose from. Keep in mind that parking can be limited and a small fee is required during parts of the year:
Kent Avenue: From here you can explore the canal and paddle a short distance south to Little Bay.
Assawoman Canal Trailhead: This is another great spot to explore the canal and is just a short paddle from Salt Pond. If the conditions are in your favor and you’re feeling adventurous, you can paddle north towards White Creek, a distributary of Indian River Bay.
Indian River Bay
In our experience, this has been one of the windiest locations to paddle in the area. We’ve paddled many times out of Holt’s Landing State Park and every time, it’s been windy. We understand there’s also a launch site at James Farm Ecological Preserve, but haven’t tried it ourselves yet - add it to the bucket list!
While this is still a lovely place to explore, it’s just not the greatest spot for a leisurely paddle because of the full exposure to the bay.
The Atlantic
You can’t talk coastal Delaware without talking about padding in the ocean! Even if you’re not looking to SUP surf, this can still be a great place to drop in, especially on calm mornings. In addition to the conditions, keep in mind seasonal surfing and paddling rules. Not all beaches allow it, especially during the summer season. Tower Road and Inlet North are year-round surf beaches, but we’ve also paddled out of 3 Rs Road, a surf fishing beach, early in the morning. Keep in mind that many of these spots are pay-to-park.
There are a ton of other spots on our coastal Delaware bucket list. With more time, we’d love to go north to Broadkill River as well as Cape Henlopen State Park and the Lewis Canal, which are both places we’ve explored just not by SUP, and south to Assawoman Wildlife Area.
As always, we generally refer to the Go Paddling app for intel into local launch sites. Another great resources to check out for this specific area is Paddle Coastal Delaware. It provides suggested paddling routes up and down coastal Delaware.
Where have you paddled in Delaware that we should check out next time?
