Fenwick Island State Park

Fenwick Island State Park (FISP) is located between  Bethany Beach to the north and Fenwick Island and Ocean City, MD to the south. This three-mile stretch of Delaware State beach is a great place to spend a relaxing day on the beach to swim, soak up some sun, fish, or hike. 

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A lone surf fishing vehicle on the beach at Fenwick Island State Park. A late Sunday afternoon in Fall.

Before the area became a park, the forces of nature constantly changed the narrow strip land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Little Assawoman Bay. Fenwick Island is not an island. It  is  in fact joined to South Bethany and Ocean City, MD. Because of these forces,  the area that is Fenwick Island State Park have remained largely undeveloped.

In 1966, the property was assigned to the State Park Commission as the southern portion of Delaware Seashore State Park (DSSP) and was renamed in 1981 as Fenwick Island State Park.

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Yearling harp seal on Fenwick Island today … Leah Reynolds

Today, Fenwick Island State Park covers 344 acres of Atlantic Ocean and bay shoreline. Popular activities on the ocean side include swimming and sunbathing.  The soft sand beaches slope gently into the ocean, offering a wide swimming area. Lifeguards patrol the swimming beach daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 9am to 5pm. FISP features a modern bathhouse which offers showers and changing rooms, a gift shop, and a snack food concession. During the summer months, umbrellas, chairs, and rafts may be rented on the beach. 

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Marc Turner caught this bluefish at Fenwick Island on a DS Custom Tackle Mullet rig … photo from Fenwick Tackle

The Atlantic side is also a favorite spot for surf fishing. Three dune crossings offer access for surf fishing vehicles with the proper permit to drive on the beach. Surf fishing vehicle permits may be purchased at the gift shop during the summer months or at the Indian River Inlet Park Office. 

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York Crossing the northern most ORV access at Fenwick Island State park

The first access road is at York Beach just below South Bethany. Middle Crossing is approximately one-mile north of the main park entrance. The South Crossing is 1/4 mile north of the  main park entrance. Each of the beach crossing areas offers an air station.