Port Penn is a fascinating town full of notable historic architecture. The town still retains much of its 18th and 19th-century character. There are self-guided walking tours you can take that feature the historic homes of Port Penn and the scenic marshlands surrounding the village. It’s the perfect way to learn about this wetland town’s important past.

Other places you’ll have to visit in this Discovery Zone are the Port Penn Interpretive Center, a former schoolhouse that has been turned into a museum, and the Stewart Cemetery, created in the 1800’s as a family burial ground for the town’s founder. [Summer 2023 Update: The Center is currently closed due to structural damage/repairs.] 

The Augustine Wildlife Area consists of six large land tracts totaling over 3,100 acres near Port Penn and the Delaware River.  That’s a lot of land for you to be able to explore!  The Augustine Wildlife Area – Ashton Tract Viewing Platform is an especially favorite place for novice and professional birders of all physical abilities*, and those simply enjoying the scenery.  You’ll spot beavers, deer and many species of birds including bald eagles!  For other nature adventures you can visit Thousand Acre Marsh or hike the Port Penn Trail – a one-mile path that snakes its way between a tidal marsh and the Delaware River.

*A 700-foot wheelchair-accessible trail leads to the observation deck that overlooks the Thousand Acre Marsh.

The Delaware Bayshore Byway, as it travels through Port Penn, also becomes a section of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. A byway that tells the story, through the locations that have been preserved, of the impactful events and courageous people that traveled the Underground Railroad seeking freedom for themselves and others. 

Note: A Conservation Access Pass is required for any registered motor vehicle that’s used to access State Wildlife Areas, which include the Ashton Tract, for hunting, bird-watching, photography and similar recreational activities.

Getting Here:
Port Penn and the Augustine Wildlife Area are located in Southern New Castle County.

Get Directions to Port Penn from Google
Get Directions to Augustine Wildlife Area from Google