Big Stone Beach is an unincorporated beach community located southeast of Frederica. When you visit, you’ll experience the quieter side of the Delaware Beaches.  Here you can beachcomb for sea-glass and shells, or if you’re a birder or photographer, take advantage of the Big Stone Beach’s seclusion allowing for plenty of bird sightings and beautiful, open scenery to capture.

The beach is separated from the agricultural land to the west by a forested area.  A single road that passes through the forest and over marshes adjacent to the beach, will be your entry point.

Despite its name, the beach does not feature any big stones. It is distinguished by the presence of seventy-foot steel observation tower, built in preparation for World War II. Four other towers were built at the same time at South Bowers Beach, Cedar Beach, Fowler Beach and Broadkill Beach, which are no longer in existence.  The towers were built for siting enemy positions.  Information on the positions was then relayed to the nearby Fort Saulsbury, where it was used to aim the fort’s guns.  Today, the tower offers residents and visitors, like yourself, an interesting focal point in a picturesque landscape of beach and marshland.   Unfortunately you aren’t permitted to access Big Stone Beach’s observation tower.

You’ll see that a few homes remain at the end of Big Stone Beach Road and the area has a quiet natural atmosphere. Land to the north of the road is privately owned by non-profit conservation organizations and public access is limited.

Along the south side of the road, most of the lands are owned and managed by the Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife as part of the Milford Neck Wildlife Area. The Main Tract of the Milford Neck Wildlife Area offers a number of opportunities for you to step out of the car and into nature.  If you’re a hunter, you’ll also be drawn to this  area due to a mix of shrubby and forested habitats that will provide you with opportunities to harvest deer, waterfowl and turkey. Birders and wildlife viewers among you will also enjoy this area where bird life can be abundant year-round, which is why Milford Neck is one of the locations on the Delaware Birding Trail.

Note: During the summer days  the southern part of the beach may not be open to the public. Look for signs indicating accessibility.

Parking:  Parking is limited to roadside parking along Big Stone Beach Road, making sure not to block access. Visitors should be mindful of where they park and to avoid trespassing on private property to access the beach.

Getting Here:
Big Stone Beach is located in Frederica, in Kent County, Delaware.
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