![]() During the span of 6 months, visitors were encouraged to use the pay stations to purchase their daily entrance passes. More often, there was a good amount of money missing all together, both from visitors forgetting to pay and theft.Ī trial took place in 2018 in which two Flowbird pay stations were placed along 2 main Park entrances Alapocas Run and Holts Landing State Parks. Sometimes things would get jammed into the money slots. Parks staff would need to routinely go empty out the honor boxes of cash. Honor boxes came with challenges of their own. “They were cash only with no change back,” says Jennifer Pase, Assistant Manager of Administrative Services for Delaware State Parks, “There was no other option but for people to wait in line to pay at the attendant booth, or with exact cash at the honor boxes.” Visitors could forego the lines at the park office…if they had exact cash to pay the honor boxes scattered throughout the parks. With a steady increase in popularity and visitation, the State Parks team began to see a need for updated park pass transaction methods for the busy seasons and when park attendants were away.ĭuring the busy season, parking lots in some parks would hit capacity by 10am and lines outside of the park offices would become increasingly longer, taking up valuable day time from visitors. Ready for a change, the Division sought out an upgraded form of fee-collection – one that would both increase revenue to maintain the parks and allow Parks staff the time to perform their most important duties. This age-old method of ‘honor box’ fee collection worked part of the time, with only a percentage of visitors paying the right amount. When fee attendants were not on duty, visitors deposited their fees in self-registration envelopes provided at park entrances and placed them in designated secure drop boxes. Prior to 2018, visitors purchased their entrance passes on-site at a park office, or from a designated state park retailer. Revenue generated from park entrance fees is utilized to operate and maintain all 17 parks, including trail maintenance, environmental and recreational programs, visitor amenities, guarded beaches, management of campgrounds, cabins and more. ![]() Roughly 5 million visitors from around the country pay a small entrance fee to visit the scenic destination, many purchasing annual passes to come back again and again. The vast land and nature preserves offer 5 different campground sites, along with recreational opportunities such as hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, and nature tours. Lying in America’s ‘First State’ are Delaware State Parks, where the Division of Parks and Recreation oversees 17 scenic outdoor parks spanning across 200,000 acres. Meet at the Paper Mill Parking Lot on Benge Road.įor more information about the Delaware State Parks First Day Hikes and to see maps of the park trails beforehand, go to or call 30.How Delaware State Parks Streamlined Fee-Collection in the Post-Covid Era – Auburn Valley State Park – Easy – 1 mile 2.5 miles – Moderate/Difficult – Twin Valley Trail.2 miles – Moderate – PennDel/Pomeroy Trail.2 miles – Moderate/Difficult – Arc Corner Monument Loop.1.3 miles – Moderate – Millstone Pond Trail.– White Clay Creek State Park, Newark – 1 to 2.5 miles – Multiple Difficulties – Brandywine Creek State Park, Wilmington – 2-2.5 miles – Moderateġ p.m. – Auburn Valley State Park, Yorklyn – 1.1 miles – Moderate Pets are permitted but must be on a 6-foot leash. – Lums Pond State Park, Bear– 2.5 miles – Easy/Moderate – Killens Pond State Park, Felton – 1 to 3 miles – Varying Difficulty – Holts Landing State Park, Bethany Beach – 1.7 miles – Easy – First State Heritage Park, Dover – 1/4 mile – Easy This hike is for all ages and is stroller friendly. – Bellevue State Park, Wilmington – 1.5 to 3 miles – Easy
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