As beachnesting season ends, The Point at Cape park to reopen

The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, including a stretch of ocean beach and dunes, and a half mile along the bay shoreline, will reopen Saturday, Sept. 1. 

The Point has been closed since March 1 for the benefit of threatened and endangered beachnesters and migratory shorebirds, including red knots, piping plovers, oystercatchers, least terns, and other species, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation said in a release.

The nesting habitat on the ocean side will reopen Sept. 1. The bayside beach will remain closed until Oct. 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter.  

DNREC’s Divisions of Parks & Recreation, Fish & Wildlife and Watershed Stewardship have been working together since 1990 to implement a management plan to halt the decline of beachnester and migratory shorebird populations. 

The Point has been closed annually since 1993. 

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“We appreciate the public’s cooperation in this effort,” said Coastal Regional Administrator Pat Cooper. “DNREC is committed to providing protection for these species, hopefully to prevent them from disappearing in Delaware.”

For more information, contact Cape Henlopen State Park at 302-645-8983.