State parks attendance surpasses 8 million
Delaware State Parks set another attendance record in 2022, welcoming more than 8 million visitors.
While other state park systems saw declines in visitation in 2022, Delaware State Parks continue to experience stellar, if not skyrocketing, growth, said Shauna McVey, state parks community relations coordinator.
Visitor attendance at Delaware State Parks has increased each year since 2015, making this the eighth consecutive year a new visitation record was set. In the past five years, visitation is up 37%.
The most-visited state park in 2022 was Cape Henlopen with 1.9 million visitors. That's up from 1.7 million visitors in 2021.
Cape Henlopen State Park – with nearly 5,200 acres – not only has beaches on Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, but also offers camping, fishing, a variety of water sports including kayaking and surfing, cycling, hiking, programs and events, and disc golf. The park also offers a nature center and is home to the Fort Miles Historic Area and Museum and Artillery Park.
The park's system includes nature trails and bike/pedestrian trails connecting the park to nearby Lewes and also Rehoboth Beach via the Gordons Pond Trail, one of the most unique seaside trails found anywhere. The Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park group provides a borrow-a-bike program.
Alapocas Run, Auburn Valley, Brandywine Zoo, Fort Delaware and Killens Pond state parks and the First State Heritage Park all saw visitation increase by more than 10% in 2022.
State parks are under administration of Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's Division of Parks and Recreation.
“We are excited that the public is getting out to Delaware State Parks more than ever, and discovering the many attractions and offerings the parks provide,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin. “Not only is attendance up, but I am extremely proud of the high marks our division staff receives for customer service, thanks to their dedicated efforts.”
Division of Parks and Recreation programs, volunteer hours and amenities all saw increases in 2022 compared with 2021. These included a 28% increase in school program participants, a 23% increase in volunteer hours, a 12% increase in visitors to Deerfield and Garrisons Lake golf courses with nearly 60,000 rounds of golf played, 40,000 visitors for events in 2022, and a 10% increase in visitors to the Killens Pond Water Park.
In light of the parks’ continuous growth, McVey said that anyone who plans to camp or host events in state parks is encouraged to make reservations as early as possible, as spaces are booking faster than pre-COVID-19 visitation levels.
State parks annual passes and surf-fishing permits are on sale and can be purchased at any state park office from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or online at www.destateparks.com/Know/PassesTagsFees.
Job openings in administration, enforcement, interpretation, lifeguarding, maintenance, park leadership and more are available, and job postings can be found at www.jobapscloud.com/DE.
Also in 2022, the Division of Parks and Recreation achieved accreditation from the National Recreation and Park Association’s Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies. Fewer than 2%, 199 out of 12,000 parks and recreation agencies, are accredited.
