Light’s cheap during the day. It’s when it starts to vanish as the sun slips below the horizon that it really becomes golden. Hang around until true darkness falls to get the diamondlike brightness of a full moon or the exhilarating flash of a shooting star.
Under the moonlight, a whole collection of creatures emerges while the rest of us crawl into bed. That’s one of the things Joe Sebastiani, director of land stewardship for the Delaware Nature Society (DelNature), enjoys most about our state at night. You might hear an owl hooting, a fox or raccoon rustling through the leaves, or even a coyote howl. And in the spring and summer, a chorus of frogs greets the darkness.
“Delaware is really a great state for amphibians, especially places like Blackbird State Forest or Ashland Nature Center,” he says.
If you revel in these kinds of moments and want to explore more, Delaware offers a plethora of opportunities to experience nighttime wonders.
Let the Moon Light Your Trail
Hiking under a full moon heightens the senses and offers an exciting new perspective on the local landscape. Delaware State Parks boast a variety of recurring full-moon hikes across the state, including at White Clay Creek State Park, which offers monthly full-moon hikes, often on the Friday closest to the full moon. Participate in a group hike and catch a picturesque view of the night sky, says Claire Mickletz, interpretive programs manager at the park. (You can also experience more rolling terrain than you might find in other parts of Delaware.) There’s also a diversity of wildlife and always something to see or hear. “Some bioluminescent fungi are fun to look for in the fall after a rain,” she says. Each hike typically includes a naturalist or two, who are there to explain each trail’s unique surroundings, cultural history, and the constellations in view.
Light up the Skies
The northern lights aren’t exactly the kind of entertainment you can plan for. However, we are close to the solar maximum, a regular cycle of about 11 years when the sun is more active and sends out energized particles that cause more widespread and brighter auroras. When radiation from a solar storm hits the atmosphere, it causes a brilliant glow of greens, reds, purples, and more.
Bennett Maruca, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Delaware (UD), says space weather is notoriously hard to predict, but you can keep an eye on spaceweather.gov, part of the National Weather Service. Sign up for aurora alerts or check out the aurora map and indicators of aurora activity. The planetary Kp index is a key number, Maruca says, with higher numbers indicating greater activity. A number around 7 or higher indicates a chance of viewing this phenomenon in the mid-Atlantic.
Stare Into Space
For a light show that’s much more predictable, consider visiting Mt. Cuba Astronomical Observatory in the countryside west of Greenville. Twice a month, it hosts a public lecture on astronomy, followed by a chance to view the stars through a telescope if it’s clear—plus a visit to the planetarium if it’s cloudy—says Kim Green, programs coordinator at the observatory. Two family nights per month provide a similar program geared toward any age group.
The observatory is home to a new telescope, which is the largest active one on the East Coast, according to UD’s Maruca, who volunteers there. A taste of the kind of information you can learn from a visit: The middle star in the Orion’s Belt constellation is actually a nebula where new stars are being born. “With a pair of binoculars and especially with a telescope, it’s absolutely stunning,” he says.
If you want to look at the skies on your own, Maruca suggests skymaps.com. It offers printable maps customized for your region, explaining what objects you can see with and without magnification.
Catch an Epic Sunset
Delaware might not have the wide-open sunset views of the Midwestern prairies, but there are still plenty of places to sit quietly and revel in the day’s last hurrah.
Watching the sun slowly fall over the water at the beach can be tricky, since the ocean lies to the east, but there are plenty of places overlooking one of the inland bays. Delaware Seashore State Park is convenient for views over the Indian River Bay and Rehoboth Bay. It’s also close to the scenic Indian River Inlet Bridge, which is illuminated by blue lights after dark.
“Both the north and south campgrounds offer beautiful views of the bridge lit up at night,” says Tyler Dreiblatt, the park’s interpretive programs manager. He also touts their full-moon hikes, noting that the full moon in May usually marks peak spawning activity for horseshoe crabs.
Beloved by birders and wildlife photographers, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge (fws.gov/refuge/bombay-hook) is a coastal refuge northeast of Dover that covers more than 16,000 acres, much of it tidal salt marsh. There are many places to grab a canoe and watch the sun drop into a scene of marsh grass and thickets of trees. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes that a number of fields are kept mowed to provide habitat for geese and songbirds, so those offer another sunset vista. There are miles of hiking and driving trails—and even observation towers for an elevated sunset view.
In the north, New Castle’s Battery Park offers a chance to catch the sunset along the Delaware River. (Hours are dawn to dusk, so you can’t linger too long.) Afterward, grab a drink at nearby Jessop’s Tavern & Colonial Restaurant.
The Middletown area is heavily developed, but it’s not far until the homes thin out and large areas of coastline are refreshingly open and solitary. Augustine Wildlife Area has several large tracts along the Delaware River, one near the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal and another farther south bordered by Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area. The tract near Port Penn features a viewing platform overlooking what’s known as the Thousand Acre Marsh. (You’ll need a conservation access pass: dnrec.delaware.gov.)
Pitch and Paddle
Trap Pond State Park is one of Delaware’s most renowned natural spots—and with good reason. “The pond is beautiful, with the cypress trees rising above the waters. Park visitors feel the tranquility as they paddle the pond,” says Will Koth, interpretive programs manager at the park near Laurel. “Campers can enjoy the night sounds while on an evening paddle,” he says, adding that on a clear night, you can see the Milky Way.
Koth also suggests the park’s Jason Beach as a great spot to watch the sun set over the trees. It’s closed to vehicles after dark, but campers can walk there.
On the other end of the state, Lums Pond State Park, near Bear, is a great camping getaway. It’s one of the only public campgrounds in New Castle County, says the park’s interpretive programs manager, Samantha Bosserman. “The campground has some dark areas throughout, which offer prime [stargazing] from any site you choose,” she says.
The park also offers evening and night programs, like a sunset kayak tour, hayrides, and one labeled “Calling All Frogs.” “The chorus of frog calls coming from the wetlands in spring is an amazing thing to hear and witness,” Bosserman says. “You probably won’t spot one, but nocturnal flying squirrels also make the park their home.”
People don’t realize that flying squirrels are actually very common in the state, DelNature’s Sebastiani says. These little creatures come out at night and glide from tree to tree, using a flap of skin like a small parachute—much like the wingsuits some cliff jumpers use.
See It Glow
Glowing seawater created by bioluminescent dinoflagellates is a phenomenon famous in places like Puerto Rico. But while Delaware’s waters have them, they aren’t typically abundant enough that you’d notice the light, according to UD’s Jonathan Cohen, a professor in the School of Marine Science and Policy.
Occasionally, however, bioluminescence is visible in the Chesapeake Bay, according to the Chesapeake Bay Program, especially on summer nights as the water is disturbed by waves or sea creatures. Photos show a beautiful yet eerie blue glow hugging shorelines and docks. According to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, this is caused by Alexandrium monilatum, algae that was previously found farther south but has expanded its range northward into the mid-Atlantic. When large blooms do happen, it’s typically from July through September.
Your best chance to see bioluminescence in Delaware is in larger creatures similar to jellyfish, the comb jellies (ctenophores), Cohen says. “They produce a fairly bright, sustained glow within canals running through their body.” They only do this when touching something or agitated by water, and it needs to be dark.
You have a fairly good chance of spotting one of these glowing creatures here, especially in the lower bay and ocean, Cohen says. At night, search the seashore where they wash up or look for them along docks. Swishing the water around can make them light up.
Take a Tour
Delaware’s coastlines and waterways are two of the state’s best features. You can experience both with Cape Water Tours out of Lewes. They offer evening and nighttime trips on the Delaware Bay, including cruises focusing on dolphins, sunsets, or the full moon. You can even get a package with all three. “This tour starts with a dolphin watch, followed by a stunning sunset and full moon,” says Kelli Dunt, general manager. “It’s a favorite for wildlife and nature enthusiasts.” They even offer a cruise in August to catch the Perseid meteor shower.
Cruises can fill up fast, so Dunt recommends booking them one to two weeks in advance during busy times.
Outdoor Film Fest
If you like your night-light artificial, Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach, and Fenwick Island present summer movie nights, often with marine themes—“Finding Nemo,” “The Little Mermaid”—but sometimes with other family-friendly titles like “Wicked” and “Inside Out.”
“We typically get a great turnout for these events,” says Kate Banaszak, town clerk at Dewey Beach, which offers a slate of family-friendly movies from June through August. By around 8 p.m., you’ll see people moving down Dagsworthy Avenue with blankets and beach chairs to get set up for the show, she says. The town also offers a free community bonfire on Wednesday evenings during the summer.
Fenwick has three movie nights over the summer, with games beginning at 8 p.m. and the movies starting at dusk, says Erin Ellinger, town clerk.
All three towns allow people to bring their own food and drinks but discourage or prohibit alcohol. “It’s very cool to see a diverse group of all ages be able to enjoy something like this together,” Banaszak says.
Pull the Moon’s Energy
Before the pandemic, spiritual healer Mandie Stevenson (founder of Mandie’s Magical Marketplace in Lewes, which has since shuttered) drew hundreds of Delawareans to her monthly Full Moon Gatherings for sound healing and restorative energy. This season, she sprinkles more magic in the sand, where she invites the community to play music, meditate, and manifest their desires by tossing scribbled wishes into a bonfire. Bring a blanket and an instrument.
June through August, Carole Seibel and Dave Elder of Dewey Beach Yoga invite you to roll out a beach towel on Dickinson Avenue for a 1.5-hour gentle yoga class. Elder drums while yogis flow under the full moon. The duo provides healing crystals during Savasana, and afterward, everyone is invited to join in the drumming and “let go” during a transformative bonfire ceremony. – Ashley Breeding
Related: Here’s What to Do at the Delaware Beaches This Weekend
