Delaware Seashore State Park offers summer programs for the whole family

Every summer, millions of people visit Delaware’s beaches and drive the undeveloped stretch of Route 1 between Bethany Beach and Dewey Beach.

Many enjoy Delaware Seashore State Park’s multiple access points to the beach, bay and inlet, but some are unaware of the wide variety of educational programs offered by park staff throughout the summer.

Located about a mile north of the Indian River Inlet is the Indian River Life-Saving Station Museum. This site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, not only introduces visitors to Delaware’s maritime history, but also acts as the base for all educational programs held in Delaware Seashore State Park, which range from kayaking and hiking to crafts and lantern tours.

Each week this summer, from June 18 to Aug. 17, park staff will offer programs to allow visitors to experience the natural beauty and ecology of the coast, to learn about Delaware’s rich maritime heritage and to try new recreational activities. Pontoon boat tours will be offered on Thursdays, so families can get out on the water and explore Delaware’s Inland Bays. Kayak tours, offered four times each week, provide another opportunity to experience the bay side of the park.

To learn about critters of the coast, visitors should check out Squid Dissection, Terrapin Talks and Seining programs. There will also be some indoor craft programs, such as a Make-Your-Own Sea Glass Jewelry program, a great way to escape the heat and sun.

Delaware Seashore State Park will also offer several evening programs that are either free or inexpensive. A great activity for children is the Wild Crab Chase, held three times each week, where families use flashlights to try and spot nocturnal ghost crabs. Lantern Tours, held on Wednesday evenings, allow visitors to tour the Indian River Life-Saving Station by lantern light and to experience what it was like to be a surfman patrolling Delaware’s coast more than 100 years ago.

On Thursday evenings, park staff will host a different guest speaker each week, with presentations ranging from fish cleaning and knot tying to storytelling and lighthouses.

A full calendar of all of Delaware Seashore State Park’s summer programs can be found at destateparks.com. For more information and to register for programs, call the Indian River Life-Saving Station at 302-227-6991 or stop by and pick up a program guide.