Delaware parks and beaches - Middletown (Dover, Smyrna: home, neighborhood, buy)

[hmarochka]

Hi again,

We've recently moved to Middletown and for the most part really enjoy the area. My main gripe right now (I remember I've been warned! ) is the lack of shady places. Where do you Middletowners get away from the sun? All the playgrounds that we tried here didn't offer much shade. We've been going to the Odessa Memorial Park and the Lums Pond Park. I'd like to hear about more places though. Interested in parks w/some shade and playgrounds..

And now that we're entering the beach season, what beaches to you favor? We've been to Cape Henlopen, which was fantastic, but would like to know about others too, maybe something closer...

Thank you!

[Bac0s]

I haven't found any shady parks. We sometimes go to Levels Rd, but that's not shady, at all (but there are covered pavilions). Neither is our neighborhood playground. Sometimes we go to Big Oak Park in Smyrna. The playground area is not shaded, but there are pavilions and a walking trail that goes through the woods.

My kids like Rehoboth Beach the best, so far. Sometimes we take them to Augustine (on 9, just north of Middletown) but it's not a swimming beach. We got to skip rocks and play in the sand. There are always a lot of people fishing there, ample parking, and portapotties (ick, lol).

[queenofbavaria]

we like the red oak park too, awesome playground.

we only go the cape henlopen state park, when the dog is coming. usually we go to dewey beach, which is a state park, too. nice showers and bathrooms, a little kiosk and not not too crowded, if you are willing to walk 100 ft left or right off the path.

no good news about the shady places around here. too bad. on hot summer days we never go to any parks before 6 pm - too hot for everybody, the kids can't use the boiling hot equipment anyway.

our neighborhood is pretty new, so no mature trees here either. we bought a pergola for our shed and .... a pool - since a nice, not crowded pool was also something hard to find

[longnecker]

Cape Henlopen is the closest ocean beach to your home and would be my first choice. Rehoboth would be nice occassionally if you want to take he kids on the boardwalk.Pay close attention to the 25mph speed limit in town and read the parking signs. If you are parking in a nonmetered area you must buy a permit.
There are also some nice beaches in the state park south of Dewey. (Tower Road and Indian River) but to me it is not worth fighting the traffic if you come on the weekend.

[rdlr]

Killens Pond is an absolutely beautiful shady park, south of Dover and close to Felton. It's accessed from Rt. 13, through Dover - follow signs. From Middletown, you can reach Killens Pond in half the time it would take to go to Rehoboth. And, there's no traffic problems.
They also have a nice water park for the kids, hiking, and beautiful trails. Here's the link:
Killens Pond State Park, Felton, Delaware

[raven302]

Lums pond...

[beachliz]

I'd go for Cape Henlopen unless you really want to drive even farther south (over the IR Inlet Bridge)--gorgeous beaches, nice trails, and just very scenic in general. Not as big of a cluster as Rehoboth (unless you want to go there for the rides, shopping, and boardwalk).

[hmarochka]

Thank you all for the replies!

We too go to the Levels Road Park sometimes, but I can't imagine it'd be much fun in the summer. Would there be any place for the kids to splash around? We'll check out the Red Oak Park in Smyrna, thanks. I also see there's a Silver Lake Park on the map, but the last time we went behind the Silver Lake Elementary we only saw one playground with a bench out in the sun (I get very annoyed at the sight of benches that are not in the shade ). I must've missed something, is the park behind the school, how do you get to it?

Killens Point sounds great, we'll check it out too. Unfortunately, the distance wouldn't make it a place we could go to often (and I mean we like to go to parks at least several times a week). Eventually though we plan to see all Delaware parks and beaches! This is a nice site... Experience Our Parks: History, Beaches, Ponds, Scenic Views

It's a shame Augustine beach is not a swimming beach, but it's still on my list to check out. Are there any swimming beaches north of Cape Henlopen? We really have to explore the shore next...

[jcraig10]

Have you ever tried Betterton Beach in Kent Co, MD? Its about 40 min from Middletown. It is on the Sassafrass River where it opens into the Chesapeake Bay...nice clean beach, family friendly, free parking, and you can get in the water.

[hmarochka]

Oh, what a great idea to explore the bay side of MD too! Don't know why I haven't thought about it before. I'm just so excited to live here...