Dover Parks and Gardens

(Dover, Delaware - DE, USA)

Many of the most useable green spaces and public parks around Delaware's capital tend to be found lining the St. Jones River and its source, Silver Lake.

The City of Dover Recreation Division, based at the John W. Pitts Recreation Center on Electric Avenue, manages all of the public parks and gardens. Many of these are central to local communities and come with flowerbeds, playgrounds, seating areas and mature trees.

Visitors to Dover will soon realize that Silver Lake Park is amongst the city's best. Its convenient location, close to the very heart of the city center and the shops of the North Dupont Highway, means that it is certainly easy to locate.

General Information

Silver Lake Park covers a little more than 73 hectares / 180 acres and comes with many enticing recreational activities, which include a small sandy beach area, pavilions for picnicking, barbecues and plenty of pathways. Locals from Dover come here for the boating and fishing, while for the more adventurous, water skiing on the lake is another attraction.

Also to be found around downtown Dover and next to the river is the Memorial Park, off East Lockerman Street, as well as the St. Jones River Greenway by the South Dupont Highway, and Richardson Park, to the north and next to North State Street.

If you are looking to experience some native Delaware wildlife in its natural habitat, then a 30-minute drive northeastwards will take you to the enormous Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Spread over close to 6,500 hectares / 16,060 acres, this nature park fronts Delaware Bay and was officially established in the late 1930s, as a place for waterfowl to rest and breed during their Atlantic Flyway migration.

A visitors center is on hand at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge and offers maps showing its network of lengthy nature trails. Of note, the Bear Swamp Trail has good access for those with disabilities. Worth looking out for is the historic brick-built Allee House, which dates from the middle of the 18th century and enjoys superb views across the marshes, being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are also a number of observation towers, along with endless opportunities for keen wildlife photographers.