Dewey Beach
Dewey Beach, DE
Dewey Beach sits between Rehoboth and the Indian River Inlet, Delaware's real nightlife beach, where bars like the Bottle & Cork and the Starboard have anchored the summer scene since the 1930s and 60s. It's the only Delaware beach town that lets dogs on the sand every morning of the year, no seasonal exception.
The nightlife and the year-round early morning dog access are genuine draws found nowhere else on this stretch of coast, though the bar scene means summer weekends get loud fast.
How we score beachesDogs need a town-issued license from Dewey Beach Town Hall before hitting the sand, even for a single morning visit. Grab one online in advance rather than at the beach.
Street parking is free most of the year but limited and paid in summer. The ParkMobile app handles payment at most spots.
The beach is flat and open, an easy walk from most street parking.
Dogs are welcome on the beach before 9:30am and after 5:30pm during summer (mid-May through mid-September), and all day the rest of the year. A town dog license is required.
Water warms into the mid to upper 70s by August, inside the same hurricane season, June through November, that affects the rest of the Delaware coast. The bar and music scene runs hardest June through August.
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