Delaware Seashore State Park Beach
Rehoboth Beach, DE
Delaware Seashore State Park runs six and a half miles of Atlantic beach between Dewey Beach and Fenwick Island, split by the Indian River Inlet into a north half backed by high dunes and a south half anchored by a bathhouse, restaurant, and the inlet's fishing pier. Ten separate access points cover the ocean and bay sides.
Six miles of beach and ten access points means there's a stretch of sand for whatever you're after, from a lifeguarded family day to a 4WD surf fishing trip, though the inlet's currents demand real respect.
How we score beachesThe South Inlet lot fills first on summer weekends because it has the only bathhouse and restaurant. 3Rs Beach and the other unpaved lots to the north stay open longer and allow 4WD access onto the sand with a surf fishing permit.
The South Inlet Day Use lot and Tower Road lots are paved with a seasonal park entrance fee. The more remote lots at 3Rs, Key Box Road, and Conquest Road are unpaved and require a surf fishing vehicle permit to drive onto the sand.
Paved lots at Tower Road and the South Inlet Day Use Area lead to a boardwalk ramp at the sand line. The northern access points are gravel or dirt lots with a short walk over the dune.
Leashed dogs are banned from the park's lifeguarded beaches May 1 through September 30 under state law, but are welcome on the non-lifeguarded stretches year round.
Water climbs into the low to mid 70s by August, alongside the same June through November hurricane season that shapes the rest of the Delaware coast. Currents run strong near the inlet jetties, so even confident swimmers should respect the posted flags.
This isn't one entrance, it's a stretch with a few. Here's where locals actually meet up.
South Inlet Day Use Area
The park's main beach, south of the Indian River Inlet, with the only bathhouse and restaurant on this stretch.
Parking: A large paved lot with a seasonal entrance fee; it fills by mid morning most summer weekends.
Access: A boardwalk ramp leads from the bathhouse straight to the sand.
Local tip: Arrive before 10am in summer or expect to circle the lot waiting for a spot.
Get directions →3Rs Beach
A multi-use beach north of the inlet, popular with anglers and 4WD surf fishing permit holders, with a more relaxed feel than the lifeguarded lots.
Parking: An unpaved lot just off Route 1 with no entrance booth; dirt and gravel.
Local tip: This is one of the few park beaches where dogs are welcome even in summer, since it's not lifeguarded.
Get directions →Tower Road Bayside
The bay side counterpart to the Tower Road ocean beach, across Route 1, set up for kayak and paddleboard launches rather than sunbathing.
Parking: An unpaved lot with portable toilets in season.
Access: A short carry from the lot down to the water, unpaved.
Get directions →More Atlantic Coast beaches
Coast Guard Beach
Eastham, MA · Atlantic Coast
A National Seashore beach backed by grassy dunes and a tidal marsh, with clean Atlantic surf and one of the Cape's most scenic approaches on foot from the parking area.
Surfside Beach
Nantucket, MA · Atlantic Coast
Open Atlantic swell and a wide sandy shoreline about three miles from Nantucket town, popular with locals for its bodysurfing waves and quieter, less commercial feel.
Jones Beach State Park
Wantagh, NY · Atlantic Coast
A classic Long Island beach with six and a half miles of shoreline, a landmark water tower, boardwalk, and a large outdoor amphitheater that hosts concerts through the summer.