Lewes-Rehoboth Canal Zone – Paddle Coastal Delaware

Click here for a Google Map of launch sites and paddling trails in the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal Zone. For a Google Map of all launch sites and paddling trails, click here.

Lewes Boat Ramp to Canalfront Park trail &

Canalfront Park to Tower Road trail

Local information

Fees & Parking: There is no fee to launch from the Lewes Boat Ramp. Please do not park you vehicle in a space designated for a vehicle with a boat trailer at the Lewes Boat Ramp. The launch area can be very busy during peak fishing season (usually April-October), with most traffic in early morning and mid-afternoon. If you choose to launch from Canalfront Park, parking meters are in operation seasonally. There is a daily park entry fee for Tower Road (part of Delaware Seashore State Park), and costs vary for vehicles registered in Delaware and out-of-state. To avoid the daily fee, you can purchase an annual Delaware State Parks pass.
Tides: The nearest tide tables are for Lewes, Breakwater Harbor for Lewes Boat Ramp and Canalfront Park, and Indian River Inlet for Tower Road.
Weather: Check the forecast for Lewes, DE and Rehoboth Beach, DE.
Trail Towns: Lewes, Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach
eBird checklists: Roosevelt Inlet and Tower Road
Paddlers’ notes: Be mindful of the tides when paddling close to the Roosevelt Inlet near the Lewes Boat Ramp and near the narrow opening in the canal just north of the Route 9 bridge south of Lewes. You may experience heavy currents at peak high and low tides. When paddling near Canalfront Park, be sure to check out the large red boat known as the Lightship Overfalls. Most of the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal runs through the marshes of Cape Henlopen State Park before coming to Henlopen Acres and Rehoboth Beach. A canoe/kayak launch at Grove Park near the Rehoboth Beach Museum has been constructed and is slated to open soon. Before you reach the beach at Tower Road, you will pass by the Thompson Island Preserve. If you want a launch site in Rehoboth Bay other than Tower Road, you can paddle to Mulberry Knoll at the mouth of Love Creek.