The "First State" is the Last State

Forty nine states include at least one national park unit. You'll even find national parks in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa. So who is missing? If you guessed Delaware, then you probably either work for the National Park Service or you should try out as a Jeopardy contestant and hope that all the categories are about parks. Even though the "First State" doesn't include any national parks, it does include 14 state parks, that encompass a variety of natural, historical, and recreational areas. Delaware's historic parks include Cape Henlopen, one of the nation's first public pieces of land, proclaimed by William Penn in 1682; Fort Delaware, a Union fortress dating back to 1859, originally built to protect the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia; and the the historic estate of Bellevue Hall. Scenic and natural resources are featured at Brandywine Creek SP, which includes the state's first two nature preserves; Fox Point SP, which serves as the northern terminus of the 90-mile-long Coastal Heritage Greenway; Holts Landing SP, combining bay shore beach, grassy fields, and hardwood forests; and Trap Pond SP, which features the northernmost natural stand of baldcypress trees in the United States. Parks that offer outstanding water-based recreational activities include the 2,018-acre Delaware Seashore SP, the three-mile-long Fenwick Island SP, and Lums Pond SP, built around the largest freshwater pond in Delaware.

Camping is also available at five of Delaware's state parks, and family cabin rental is available at Killens Pond SP. Yurts are also available at Lums Pond and Trap Pond. Recreational activities available at Delaware's state parks include boating, fishing, swimming, hunting, hiking, and wildlife observation. White Clay Creek SP includes twenty miles of trails leading to scenic vistas overlooking lush valleys and rock outcrops.

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Useful travel resources for Delaware include:

Delaware Tourism Office - Covers attractions and historic sites, accommodations, outdoor & sports facilities, performing arts, scenic towns & drives, state parks, and events calendar.

Delaware Calendar of Events - Lists scheduled events and other information happening throughout Delaware and the surrounding areas; covers beaches & resorts, parks & recreation, galleries & museums, and business activities.

Delaware State Page - Includes information on Delaware government, state facts and history, economy, education, and community interests.

Central Delaware Travel Information - includes information on scenic towns, attractions, accommodations, and events for Kent County.

Southern Delaware Tourism - provides information on beach resorts and historic towns, attractions, lodging and dining, directions, and a calendar of events.

Wilmington Convention and Visitor Bureau - covers accommodations, attractions and recreation, restaurants, events, historical sites, and other travel-related resources.

Delaware includes two national wildlife refuges (neither maintains a web site):

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
2591 Whitehall Neck Road
Smyrna, DE 19977
302-653-9345

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge
Route 3, P.O. Box 195
Milton, DE 19968
302-684-8419

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