Our annual winter InstaMeet at Cape Henlopen State Park returned for 2020! Over 115 people joined us on a chilly day in February to hike the Point at sunset, take photos, and connect with other photographers and outdoor enthusiasts. It was a very windy day, but the sunset was stunning!

 

What is an InstaMeet? These free events (with paid park admission) allow our State Parks social media community the opportunity to come together, meet new people, take photos, and enjoy some of the best experiences in our parks! There are usually 3-4 InstaMeets throughout the state each year, and the events correspond with seasonal experiences in the state parks. The Delaware State Parks marketing team has been hosting InstaMeets since 2017, and this one was our biggest yet!

 

For this InstaMeet, we all braved the weather to hike the iconic Point at Cape Henlopen State Park. This hike is an annual tradition for the winter InstaMeet because the Point is only open to people from October-February, and closes each year in March to protect nesting shorebirds. During the hike, a park naturalist shared information about the natural and cultural history of the park, and we ended the evening with hot chocolate and cookies.

 

We started the evening by learning about the purpose of InstaMeets and the history of the park. Everyone wears a nametag so that it is easier to meet new people.

We learned how the Point formed, and that the Point is a dynamic, ever-changing environment that serves as a nesting ground for migratory shorebirds.

 

Then we hiked out to the end of the Point! It was very windy, but the photo opportunities were fantastic. During the hike it was low tide, allowing us to walk out on the sand bars in the Delaware Bay.

Part of the fun of InstaMeets is the opportunity to meet other photographers and outdoor enthusiasts!

 

 

At the tip of the Point, we had a great view of the Delaware Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse.

 

 

The sunset was spectacular, and we had a beautiful view of the sunset and East End Breakwater Lighthouse while hiking back. It was an amazing photo opportunity!

Check out these incredible sunset photos! We love seeing how everyone captures the sunset differently.

 

 

 

After the sunset, we ended the night with hot chocolate and cookies.

 

The moon was beautiful too! Check out this awesome photo by @ryanshootsphotos.

 

Keep an eye on Delaware State Parks social media sites for info on our next InstaMeet. If you couldn’t make it this time around, you can still join the conversation and share your adventures in Delaware State Parks by using the hashtag #DEStateParks. We love to see what our guests are up to and may even feature your photo!