Recreation

Deeded to the city by Mr. and Mrs. William Field in 1895, Kentmere Parkway serves as a half-mile-long greenway between the Brandywine and Rockford Parks. Mature trees are seen along the green median and historic estates line the roadway.

Find Your Adventure at Wilmington State Parks

Now you can learn how to row or improve your stroke right at Wilmington’s Riverfront. The Center offers youth, adult, and inner-city rowing programs. With a current membership of 150 men and women, ages 18 to 80, WRC encourages both recreational and competitive rowing from April through November. The center also sponsors two regattas each year and members travel throughout the East Coast to compete in regional and national regattas.

Come listen to the music at a concert or festival or take in the tranquil grounds of Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park overlooking the Christina River. It is an ideal location for 5K runs/walks, recreation and relaxation. So when the music stops and the crowds return home, the simple gardens and graceful park benches offer visitors a quiet retreat.

The Park was named for Thomas Garrett who lived in Wilmington’s nearby Quaker Hill neighborhood, where slaves traveling the Underground Railroad often found refuge, and for fellow abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Today it serves as a place for celebration and festivals for Riverfront visitors.

Find your perfect hiking trail!

Situated at the southern end of Topsail Island, off the coast of southeastern North Carolina, the Town of Topsail Beach is the smallest of the three communities located on the 26-mile long island. North Topsail Beach occupies the northernmost section, and Surf City, the largest town on the island, is in the center. The Island is just off US Highway 17, about half-way between Wilmington and Jacksonville. Topsail Island has a rich and varied history.

Rockford Park was originally conceived by philanthropist and conservationist William Poole Bancroft.  After the completion of the development of Brandywine Park, in 1889 Bancroft donated 59 acres of his property to form Rockford Park, and he convinced the du Pont family to donate an additional 9 acres of land.

The 100-year-old Rockford Tower is the centerpiece of this park. The historic stone water tower is located amid rolling hills and vistas, offering beautiful views of the city. The tower is open for tours on summer Sundays and during Monday evening summer concerts.

This park, which is located in the Highlands neighborhood of Wilmington, has much to offer in recreation, with its tennis courts, paths and wooded areas. Its open green space, including an off-leash dog park, is a popular gathering place for neighbors and their pets.

Riverwalk Mini Golf is an 18-hole miniature golf course located right along the Wilmington Riverwalk! This beautifully landscaped mini golf course was designed by Harris Miniature Golf of Wildwood, New Jersey and features many of the colors and plant life found along the Riverfront, including the iconic Tom Burke birdhouses. Also available at our golf shack are 9 flavors of soft-serve ice cream, milkshakes, Philadelphia water ice and Coca-Cola fountain sodas.

Guided by The Vision for the Rivers, the report generated by the Governor’s Task Force on the Future of the Brandywine & Christina Rivers, the RDC embarked on its mission of transforming an industrial wasteland into a thriving destination rich in history and filled with recreational, cultural, retail and culinary attractions.

Along with public funds that generated extensive private investment and tax revenues, site investigation and restoration initiatives resulted in environmental improvements on every acre of the redevelopment project. Infrastructure enhancements beautified and improved access to the area. And, while creating a tourism hub for northern Delaware, Riverfront Wilmington has evolved as an important employment center for the city.

The land that became Alapocas Run State Park was donated to the city of Wilmington in the early 1900s by local industrialist William Bancroft. Residents enjoy a leisure bike ride from the Blue Ball Barn in Alapocas Run State Park to Bellevue State Park using the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail in late May.

Located downstream from Brandywine Park, H. Fletcher Brown Park is the smallest of the parks in the Wilmington State Parks. The park features an overlook with scenic views of the Brandywine River as well as the historic millrace that provides a good portion of Wilmington’s water supply.

This small park is at the intersection of South Park Drive and North King Street, the site of the former H. Fletcher Brown Vocational High School and the earlier Old Soldiers’ Park. Named for renowned Wilmington chemist and philanthropist Harry Fletcher Brown (1867-1944), the park attracts a diverse group of visitors. The Park features works of renowned Wilmington sculpture Charles Parks.

H. Fletcher Brown Park is the perfect spot for a quiet lunch or break from a busy day.

Nature and commerce come together at beautiful Fox Point State Park, where cargo ships, cars, and trains pass by on the ground, and birds of prey, like bald eagles fly above. The park was named in honor of S. Marston Fox, whose efforts helped convert the land from a waste dumping site into a waterfront recreational park. As guests walk through the meadows and grassland, they can simultaneously view Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, as well as the Commodore Barry and Delaware Memorial bridges. Pavilions and playgrounds round out the park, making it a perfect place to relax and enjoy the views with family and friends.

Delaware State Parks offer freshwater, saltwater and offshore fishing, as well as clamming and crabbing, and this page will help you plan your perfect fishing adventure! A general fishing license is required for fishing, crabbing, or clamming in tidal and non-tidal waters in Delaware. The Delaware Fishing Guide, a publication of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's Division of Fish & Wildlife, provides comprehensive information about fishing in Delaware.

Delaware Seashore State Park, boasting six miles of ocean and 20 miles of bay shoreline, serves as an important part of the southern Delaware coastline. The dynamic Indian River Inlet connects the Indian River and Rehoboth Bays with the Atlantic Ocean and is the epicenter of the park’s many activities. A beach lies on either side of the inlet, welcoming anglers and beachgoers who stay for the day or overnight at the park’s waterfront campground and cottages. The Indian River Life-Saving Station, built in 1876 for use by the United States Lifesaving Service to respond to shipwrecks, now pays homage to its maritime heritage while doubling as a coastal event space and educational center. The barrier beach and inland bays provide the perfect salt marsh habitat and nesting grounds for birds and terrapins. More than seven miles of trails welcome hikers, bikers and birders.

The Indian River Marina at Delaware Seashore State Park is home to Delaware's premier charter fishing fleet. Contact a Captain today to charter one of the finest fishing trips you'll ever experience!

Situated at the mouth of the Delaware Bay sits Cape Henlopen State Park and its 6+ miles of coastline. The “Point” of Cape Henlopen, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, shaped the history of this landscape. For millennia, native people lived off the land’s abundant and rich resources and in the late 1600s, William Penn granted the land and allowed citizens to harvest many of the same resources. The area’s strategic position led to the construction of Fort Miles during World war II with its iconic fire control towers along the Atlantic coast and, which served as a federal defensive site, training area and testing location both during and after the war. A diverse collection of habitats makes up the coastal ecosystem of Cape Henlopen State Park. Barrier dune, coastal beaches, and maritime forest are home to many species of plants and animals. Visitors can visit the Seaside Nature Center to participate in an interpretive program or learn about the park’s native plants and animals.

The Brandywine Zoo is located along the Brandywine River in beautiful Brandywine Park. As a member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and is one of over 200 accredited zoos and aquariums in North America.

The park maintains trails for fitness, wildlife observation, and photography; try the Rocky Run Trail or the Brandywine Trail that winds along the creek.

The open meadows are excellent for picnics, kite flying, and disc golf, and in the winter, for sledding and cross-country skiing.

An extensive meadow management program, active bluebird population program, and variety of habitats make Brandywine Creek State Park an outstanding place to see wildflowers, songbirds, deer, and other flora and fauna. Many species of hawks can be seen migrating over the valley from mid-September to mid-November.