Primehook Beach
Milton, DE
Primehook Beach, also known locally as Shorts Beach, sits at the end of Prime Hook Road east of the national wildlife refuge that shares its name. It's a small, residential bay community with no commercial services, drawing mostly the people who own a place here or know someone who does.
A real, if minor, piece of the bay shore for the handful of people who live here, but the lack of any public parking or facilities makes it a stretch for anyone else to plan a visit around.
How we score beachesThere's no public parking lot, so this one's really for residents and their guests. If you're passing through for the refuge, use the official Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge entrances instead.
Parking is limited to the road shoulder near the community; there's no dedicated public lot.
Beach access is informal, over sand from the road, with no paved path or facilities.
Bay water follows the same pattern as the rest of the Delaware Bay shore, comfortable by June and through the June to November hurricane season.
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.