Visit Dover - Fishing Villages and Wildlife Tour

Fishing Villages and Wildlife Tour
A One-Day Tour in Central Delaware

The coast of the Delaware Bay has supported its residents for hundreds of years. Many families lived in small villages, making their living off of the Bay selling their catch to those inland. Others took advantage of the natural beauty and founded resort and recreation areas. The wildlife found homes nestled amongst the reeds and marsh areas created by the waters. Take a drive into the past, where fishermen fished the day away, families played on the shore, and wildlife found a home.

1. Woodland Beach Wildlife Area - The Aquatic Resource Education Center, run by the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, is the perfect place to start your tour. A trail behind the center features a walk through the species and wetlands that live in this area. This is an excellent place to birdwatch!

turn off Rt. 9 onto Rt. 6 for approximately 3 miles.

2. Woodland Beach - Before the advent of cars and highways, Woodland Beach was the playground for Kent Countians. Developed as a resort area by developer James Mott, the Beach featured a boardwalk, concessions, rides, and a dance hall. The road you take into the area, Rt. 6, was built through the marsh by Mott. Using only a mule and mud digger, he was able to pull off an incredible feat of road-making and bring the crowds to his small piece of paradise. Today, a fishing pier and boat ramp are available for recreation.

return to southbound Rt. 9, turn left onto Whiteneck Road and continue for about 2 miles.

3. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge - This refuge, established in 1935 is an important link in the Atlantic Flyway, a trail of wildlife refuges used by migrating birds each year as they travel from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Over 16,000 acres, the area features saltwater marshland, freshwater pools swamp, and grassy and timbered upland to shelter more than 256 identified species of birds, 33 species of mammals and 37 species of amphibians and reptiles.

The refuge includes its own 12 mile round-trip auto tour and several walking nature trails, including 3 with 30 foot observation towers, for visitors to birdwatch, picnic, and photograph wildlife.

return to Rt. 9 , go south and follow straight to Front street in the town of Leipsic.

4.The Town of Leipsic - Founded in 1723 as the town of Fast Landing, the name was changed in 1814 to Liepsic after the famous fur-shipping town of Leipzig in Germany. For a century the town grew as a thriving trapping area due to an abundance of muskrat, a popular rural Delaware dish still served in many restaurants and town gatherings throughout the state.

continue on Rt. 9 south to the Town of Little Creek. Take a left on Rt. 89 to Port Mahon.

5. Port Mahon - Port Mahon once sported an incredible lighthouse and a wonderful beach. What remains is a graphic demonstration of man's losing battle to defy nature. The lighthouse (burned in 1984, leaving the pilings seen today) once stood 200 feet INLAND and the roadside was passable with plenty of room to support fishing shacks, dock, oyster shucking houses and a few residences. Today, the lighthouse pilings stand deep into the Bay and the road is often half flooded by the incoming high tides.

back to Rt. 9 south, through the Town of Little Creek to the Little Creek Wildlife Area

6. Little Creek Wildlife Area - Get the crabbing supplies and fishing gear! Over 4,500 acres, this wildlife area is maintained mainly for waterfowl. It features three photographic blinds, observation tower, two boat ramps, and a boardwalk, along with a popular spot for bank fishing and crabbing.

take Rt. 9 south to Rt 113 south. Continue on Rt. 113 to the Town of Little Heaven. Make a left turn onto Rt. 18 and continue about 4 miles to Bowers Beach.

7. Bowers Beach - A wonderful example of a Delaware fishing village, Bowers Beach is divided by the Murderkill River into North and South Bowers. The town features a working wharf where boats can be chartered, places to fish, and an eclectic collection of homes and businesses.