Fort Miles Historical Area
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MilitaryHistoryHistoric BuildingGuided TourEducational
Overview
Fort Miles was a United States Army World War II installation located on Cape Henlopen near Lewes, Delaware. Although funds to build the fort were approved in 1934, it was 1938 before construction began on the fort. On 3 June 1941 it was named for Lieutenant General Nelson A. Miles.
Practical Info
Mon10:00AM – 4:00 PM
Tue10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wed10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Thu10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Fri10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sat10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sun10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Suggested Duration1.5-3 hours
Best TimeSpring and autumn weekends are ideal for touring this critical WWII coastal defense fortification built into the dunes. Schedule a bunker or artillery tour between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM to step inside the subterranean battery chambers and ascend the concrete fire-control towers.
Getting ThereNestled deep inside Cape Henlopen State Park. Drivers must pay park entry and follow internal directional signs for Fort Miles to reach the dedicated historical area parking lot. The historic cantonment and trails require walking on sand and pavement, so athletic footwear is highly advised.
Travel Tips
- Interior access to the core WWII coastal fortifications, including Battery 199 and the subterranean bunkers, is exclusively restricted to official guided tours. Visitors lacking a time-stamped tour ticket secured via the Delaware State Parks portal will be stopped at the security gates and limited to peripheral dune overlooks.
- The historic artillery control spaces and the Observation Tower utilize original, near-vertical iron ladders that lack modern climate controls. Summer conditions inside are intensely humid and prone to storm-related power trips; closed-toe high-traction athletic footwear is mandatory to ascend structures, and skirts are highly discouraged.
- The military complex is embedded within the wild dunes of Cape Henlopen State Park, a dense habitat for venomous eastern copperheads and deer ticks. Straying off the paved asphalt loop or marked aggregate paths into the high dune grasses for firearm photographs is illegal and triggers heavy ranger-issued citations.
Reviews
Positive
- Located within Cape Henlopen State Park, the preserved WWII coastal defense guns and watchtowers offer great historical weight and visual impact.
- You can book a guided tour to climb the historic observation tower, which grants breathtaking panoramic views of the Delaware Bay.
- The military history volunteers are experts who offer deeply detailed and professional accounts of WWII coastal and anti-sub defense history.
- The outdoor exhibits are completely free; signs around tanks and artillery are clear, and paths are flat enough for family strollers.
Heads up
- The main underground bunkers can only be entered via paid scheduled guided tours, which are hard to book for last-minute walk-ins.
- Outdoor artillery areas lack shade sails; the ground gets scorching hot in summer, and there are no vending machines nearby to buy water.
- Deep in the state park, you cannot drive here without paying the overall park vehicle entrance fee, adding to the hidden cost.
- The museum lacks multilingual, multi-angled reflections on wartime hardships, focusing heavily on traditional American military hardware displays.