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The Delaware Bayshore Byway is comprised of unrivaled vistas of unspoiled marshland and beaches. The pristine and well-preserved Bayshore is the largest stopping point for migratory birds on the east coast, and is a well-known destination for serious birders.
Once you visit it will be no surprise as to why these birds come back year after year. So, unplug and experience the natural beauty of the Delaware Bayshore.
Birds & Wildlife
Beach Combing
Walking Trails
(North to South)
(South to North)
Stretching eight miles along Delaware Bay and covering 16,251 acres, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge provides habitat for wildlife. Four-fifths of the refuge is tidal salt marsh with a mix of cordgrass meadows, mud flats, tidal pools, rivers, creeks, and tidal streams. The upland area includes forests, freshwater impoundments, brushy and timbered swamps, and fields of herbaceous plants. This diversity of habitats is reflected in the diversity of animal life.
The refuge offers visitors a 12-mile wildlife drive, five walking trails (two accessible to people with physical disabilities), three observation towers, wildlife photography, hunting opportunities, a variety of nature and educational programs, and interpretative displays. Bring your binoculars, and bug spray if you’re visiting from June to August, because the birding experience is spectacular and the refuge is designated a Globally Important Bird Area. The Bombay Hook Website also provides a monthly schedule to tell visitors what animals they can expect to see.
The refuge is also the site of an 18th century dwelling called the Allee House which is visible from the driving path.
2501-2599 Refuge Entrance Rd.
Smyrna, DE 19977
818 Kitts Hummock Rd.
Dover, DE 19901
Head south along the byway through the farmland surrounding the state capitol, Dover, and eventually you will come to the St. Jones Reserve, a Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve. The St Jones Center for Estuarine Studies at the Reserve is open to the public and provides hiking trails, hands-on interactive activities and exhibits, restoration demonstration areas as well as a variety of programs and volunteer opportunities for the community, teachers, students, and families.
The Center also supports ongoing research and monitoring, field studies, citizen monitoring programs, and training opportunities for coastal decision makers.
Just down the road is the Ted Harvey Conservation Area. This open space consists of over 2,600 acres of natural area consisting of tidal marsh, forest and agricultural fields dedicated to wildlife management.
The primary objective of this area is to provide public hunting and fishing, including a fishing pier exclusively for people with physical disabilities.
Leipsic, DE 19901
Milford, DE 19963
The next stop is Fowler Beach in the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The beach, which feels untouched by humans, is accessible only via a short half mile walk from a public parking lot.
This pristine beach is an official sanctuary for our state marine animal – the horseshoe crab. Put your toes in the sand and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere.
Finally, we arrive at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The
refuge is an important stopover site for migratory birds traveling the Atlantic Flyway and provides a protected breeding habitat for threatened and endangered species. One can find salt marsh, freshwater marsh, ponds and impoundments, wooded swamps and upland grasslands and forest.
Hundreds of native plant and animal species thrive in this mosaic of diverse cover types that provide habitat for 308 species of birds, 51 species of fish, 45 species of reptiles and amphibians, 37 species of mammals, and an array of rare insect and plant species. Lecture
programs, bird walks and educational activities are continuously updated and can be found throughout the website. The refuge may be visited half-an-hour before sunrise to half-an-hour after sunset seven days a week.
11978 Turkle Pond Rd.
Milton, DE 19968
Delaware Greenways extends its thanks to the Delaware Department of Transportation, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and Delaware Tourism Office for their generous support in the development of the Delaware Bayshore Byway website.
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