It's not free and $10 for out-of-state residents is not too expensive. Thankfully, I stopped in…read morelate in the afternoon and there was no ranger at the kiosk or I would have turned around. I parked and spent about 20 minutes enjoying the beach and the sunshine. The beach is beautiful. No trash, firm sand and a smooth include down into the water. The waves were pretty calm today which was good because I did not spot any lifeguards on duty. A great spot to spend some time at the ocean. [Review 18162 overall - 84 in Delaware - 1684 of 2022.]

We came here for a family photo shoot…read more THE PARK: Parking/entry fee was $10 for state residents and $20 for all others, paid via a machine. By the time we got here the facilities up front were closed so I have no idea what was available sans for restrooms and an outdoor shower. According to the website, shower and changing facilities are available, along with a food concession, chair & umbrella rentals, even a Mobi-Mat which allows wheelchairs to be pushed onto the beach (such a great idea). The sandy area is very wide and stretches for 3 miles with zero shady spots or trees. Lifeguards were gone for the day with their stands turned upside down. I noticed some vehicles actually parked on the beach near the northern end, a very cool perk that is not allowed back home. Ocean conditions were fairly calm but most folks were in waist-high water at most. OVERALL: Spacious real estate, but coming from Hawaii, my expectations are set too high, LOL.

Bethany Beach is adorable. It's small and feels like the little community where I grew up except…read moreinstead of mountains, it's beach. The town is lovingly maintained and cute and clean. Parking on the Main Street where most of the shops and restaurants are is easy to find and there are plenty of cute little shops to browse all with beach-y things. The beach and boardwalk are pretty and the park in the middle of town with beautiful flowers is so charming. We stayed at the Bethany Beach Inn and had some amazing pizza at Pie. Everyone was friendly and welcoming to us.

Don't make the mistake of visiting for the first time and not buying a parking pass for the town…read morebecause they'll ticket you for $65 and if you appeal, they'll charge you extra for "court costs". The cost of mistakenly parking for an hour is more than the town charges for an entire day pass. That's insane. We won't be back which is unfortunate since the area is cute and quiet.

We love it here. Pools are not too crowded, great to walk around. Easy to get tennis reservations…read moresame day. Downside is the staff need to skim and treat the pool during the day. Gets cloudy from sunscreen, leaves and debris. Other than that, very responsive.

BEAR TRAP DUNES RESORT: Our family loved spending a week at The Village at Bear Trap Dunes Resort…read morelast Summer. This is a family oriented resort located in Ocean View, DE and built along side the Bear Trap Dunes golf courses. Great place to spend a family vacation and there are many vacation rental homes available at reasonable prices. Great location less than 3 miles to Bethany Beach with Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Ocean City MD just a few miles away. * RECOMMENDATION: Google the phrase "BEAR TRAP DUNES RESORT BETHANY BEACH RENTALS" to find vacation rental homes available at Bear Trap Dunes, year round. You can also see a very helpful virtual tour of Bear Trap Dunes resort by going on YouTube.com and doing a search for "Bear Trap Dunes Resort Vacation Rentals". Village at Bear Trap Dunes Amenities: * Private Beach Shuttle that travels from Resort to Beach and back (in season) * 25 Meter Olympic Sized Indoor Heated Pool * 2 Large Outdoor Pools (open in season) * 2 Kiddie Pools (open in season), * Pools are Staffed w Lifeguards, * Jacuzzi, * 2 Saunas, * Basketball and Volleyball Sport Courts * Outstanding Fitness Gym * Free Weights Room * Locker Rooms w Private Showers * Bear Trap Dunes Resort Features 'Clay Tennis Courts' * Tennis Lessons Available * There is an asphalt tennis court open year roun * The Community was the winner of the "Best in American Living Award" * Lovely, modern vacation rental homes are available for weekly vacations or weekend getaways. * The Village at Bear Trap Dunes resort recreational passes provide unlimited access to resort amenities including indoor / outdoor pools, kiddie pools, beach shuttles, fitness gym, Jacuzzi, saunas, basketball, volleyball, tennis, etc. The rates for recreational passes at Bear Trap Dunes in 2009 are: $10 per pass per wk Sep 26-May 15 $15 per pass per wk May 16-June 5 and Sep 12-Sep 25 $35 per pass per wk June 6 - Sep 11 Notes: You do not have to purchase any passes if you don't want to You don't have to decide how many passes you want until after you arrive Children under age 4 do not need a pass Buy passes based on the MAXIMUM number of people in your group, at any one time, that will be utilizing the resort amenities. Thus, if you have 8 people in your group but only 4 people in your group (4 yrs or older) will be utilizing the resort amenities at any given time, then you only need 4 passes.

This is the perfect family pool in the Ocean Pines area. There is a kiddie pool, a smaller…read moreshallower area for those who can kinda swim and just need to be standing, and an area for adults and kiddos who are good at swimming. It was not that crowded when we went. The lifeguards were attentive and even told people walk, or not throw their kiddos. The bathrooms and showers were clean and they were even being cleaned that evening before closing. The staff all together were kind and helpful. If you are looking for a pool that is quiet, good lifeguards, no alcohol and is clean this is for you.

My teenaged and young adult kids had a decent time here during the late morning/early afternoon…read more Not too many little kids, no rowdies, but also not "too quiet" like the Yacht Club pool was today. They were at first going to try the Yacht Club. That one is 18+ (more like 48+) which is not a bad thing except my young adults said they were afraid that if they even laughed people would stare. Not perfect due to the pricing for those renting a home at Ocean Pines. I understand there is an expense in maintaining pools, and that the owners pay fees, but the $9 per person per day without the ability to pool hop among their many pools if you don't like the one you started in is a bit steep. I think maybe $6 for adults and$3 per kids would be more reasonable, especially since the average stay is around 2 and a half hours. Still, it was clean , the people were pleasant, and my family had a decent time.