RV travel in Delaware

Delaware is the second-smallest state and you can cross it north-to-south in under three hours, but its Atlantic beaches anchor an outsized RV culture every summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day. There are no National Forests, no BLM, no mountain passes, and the state's only NPS unit is First State NHP -- a multi-site cultural park, not a campground. The whole RV story is Cape Henlopen and Trap Pond on the state-park side, a clutch of commercial parks along Coastal Highway (DE-1) on the Lewes-Rehoboth-Bethany corridor, and the I-95 toll plaza at Newark that everyone heading from the Northeast to the South has to pay. Plan around summer-weekend crowds and Delaware is a quick, easy, surprisingly satisfying stop.

Last verified: 14 May 2026

Free RV PDF guide to Delaware

Driving rules, RV-friendly and RV-restricted highways, NPS reservation rules, BLM and NF boondocking, propane, dump stations, weather, and emergency contacts. Save it to your phone for offline use on the road.

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Driving rules

Interstate (cars + RVs)65 mph

Interstate (towing)65 mph (matches posted; no separate limit)

US/State highway (cars)55 mph (typical)

DE-1 Coastal Highway (RVs)55 mph rural, 35-45 mph through Lewes/Rehoboth/Bethany

Built-up areas25-35 mph (posted)

Drive onRight

SeatbeltsRequired for all front-seat occupants and all under-16

Cell phone use while drivingHands-free only (banned hand-held statewide)

RV-friendly and RV-restricted highways

RV-friendly

I-95Northeast-corridor spine through Newark and Wilmington. Tolls at the Newark Toll Plaza (Delaware Turnpike) -- E-ZPass strongly recommended. Cash lanes back up badly on summer Fridays.

I-495Wilmington bypass for through-traffic avoiding downtown. Easy, mostly empty.

US-13North-south spine through Dover and the western farmland. Big-rig friendly, quieter than DE-1.

US-113Inland alternate to DE-1 between Dover and the Maryland line. Truck route, easy.

DE-1 (Coastal Highway)Dover to Fenwick Island via Rehoboth Beach. Easy north of Lewes; in beach towns it narrows and crawls in summer traffic. Big rigs OK with patience.

DE-9 (Coastal Heritage Greenway)Scenic alternate hugging the Delaware Bay through Bombay Hook NWR and Port Penn. Slower than US-13 but quiet and pretty.

RV-restricted

Lewes-Cape May Ferry approach roads (downtown Lewes)Narrow colonial-era streets near the ferry terminal. Use the dedicated ferry approach from DE-1; not the downtown shortcut.

Many Rehoboth + Bethany Beach side streetsTight beach-town grids with parked cars on both sides. Stick to DE-1 and Coastal Highway, park outside town, walk or shuttle in.

DE-9 north of New Castle through Wilmington riverfrontLow-clearance railroad bridges and tight industrial roads. Use I-495 instead.

National parks and monuments

First State National Historical ParkFree entry (all sites). Multi-site park spanning Beaver Valley, Dover Green, New Castle Court House, Fort Christina, Old Swedes Church, John Dickinson Plantation, and the Ryves Holt House. No NPS campgrounds in Delaware. Day visits only; park at the visitor center in New Castle or use nearby commercial / state-park camping.

Boondocking and dispersed camping

BLM: Delaware has no BLM land. Federal-land dispersed camping is not a Delaware option. Practical workarounds: Walmart / Cracker Barrel overnight (call first -- several Sussex County Walmarts have signs forbidding it during summer), Harvest Hosts at Delaware wineries and farms (Nassau Valley, Pizzadili, Fifer Orchards), Boondockers Welcome hosts in Kent County, casino lots at Delaware Park, Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway (gambling-resort rules; ask first).

National Forests: No National Forests in Delaware. Closest NF dispersed camping is George Washington NF in Virginia (3+ hour drive) or the Pinelands in NJ (state forest, not federal). State Forests (Blackbird, Redden, Taber) exist but do not permit overnight RV camping -- day use and licensed hunting only.

Stay limit: typically 14 days per location.

Service stops

Propane: Available statewide but thinly. Reliable refills at Tractor Supply locations in Dover, Smyrna, Milford, Seaford and Georgetown; U-Haul in Wilmington, New Castle, Dover, Lewes and Rehoboth. Most KOA and Good Sam parks fill on-site. Coastal beach towns thin out for refills mid-summer -- top up at Tractor Supply in Milford or Georgetown before the final leg to Rehoboth or Bethany.

Dump stations: Adequate density given the state's size. Cape Henlopen, Trap Pond, Killens Pond and Lums Pond state parks all have free dump stations for registered guests. Flying J in Smyrna (I-95 / US-13) is the main interstate dump option. Several commercial parks along DE-1 (Big Oaks Family Campground, Holly Lake, Sea Air RV Park) accept non-guest dumps for $10-15.

Fuel: Diesel and gas widely available along I-95, US-13 and DE-1. No notable fuel gaps -- the state is too small to have any. Delaware has no sales tax, which makes fuel and supplies cheaper than neighbouring Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania -- worth a stop on the way through. Fuel prices lowest along US-13 in Kent County, highest in the summer beach corridor.

Weather windows

Best monthsLate April through mid-June, and September through October. Daytime highs in the 65-80 F range, manageable humidity, beach towns uncrowded.

Avoid monthsJuly and August on the coast unless you have a reservation locked in -- beach-town traffic, full state parks, 90+ F and 80%+ humidity. January and February inland are damp, grey, and many seasonal commercial parks are closed.

Cape Henlopen and the Lewes-Rehoboth-Bethany corridor are exposed to nor'easters Oct-Apr and the tail end of Atlantic hurricane tracks Aug-Oct. Coastal flooding warnings on DE-1 are common -- check DelDOT 511 before driving the coastal corridor in any named storm.

Emergency and road conditions

State patrolDial 9-1-1 for emergencies; (302) 739-5901 for Delaware State Police HQ non-emergency

Road conditionshttps://deldot.gov/travel