Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve
Lewes, DE
Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve is a 127 acre barrier spit on the bay side north of Lewes, reached from the end of South Bayshore Drive rather than through Cape Henlopen State Park itself. The water stays shallow and calm enough for small waves and plenty of hermit crabs, and a 4WD permit gets you onto the sand for surf fishing on the northern half.
A quiet, undeveloped alternative to the crowds at Cape Henlopen proper, worth the trip for the shorebirds and hermit crabs, though there's genuinely nothing here beyond a portable toilet and a parking lot.
How we score beachesThe southern end of the preserve closes seasonally to protect nesting shorebirds, so check current signage before you plan a walk that far down the spit.
A small lot sits at the south end of South Bayshore Drive, with a portable toilet but no other facilities. A park entrance fee applies daily from March through November.
A short, flat walk from the lot over a low dune reaches the sand; there's no boardwalk or paved path.
Shallow bay water warms up faster here than the open ocean beaches nearby, comfortable for wading by June. The same June through November hurricane season applies, and fall brings the best light for the birdwatching this preserve is really built for.
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