Most families book the Delaware shore for the third week of July because that is when they have always gone. It is also the most crowded and most expensive week of the year. If your schedule has any flexibility at all, here is what the season actually looks like.

The quick answer

May

Air is in the 60s and 70s. The ocean is cold, genuinely cold, and most people are not swimming. The town is quiet and rentals are cheap. Our waterpark is not open for the season yet in early May.

Good for: couples, retirees, families with toddlers who are going to play in sand and not care about the water anyway.

June

This is the month we would pick. Air in the high 70s and 80s, water warming up to actually swimmable, everything open for the summer season, and the crowds have not arrived yet because school is still finishing in a lot of districts.

Early June is the sweet spot. Thunder Lagoon Waterpark is running its full 10am to 6pm daily schedule and you can float the 400-foot lazy river without weaving through people.

July

Peak. Hot, humid, water is warm, everything is open and everything is full. Rentals are at their highest, Route 1 traffic is heavy, and Ocean City is packed.

If you are coming in July, the timing advice matters more than any other month. Get to the waterpark at 10am when we open. The 1pm to 3pm window is our busiest stretch, and it is the difference between a good visit and a frustrating one.

August

Still peak, still hot, still busy, but the last two weeks start to thin out as school districts go back at different times. The water is at its warmest all year in August, which is worth something.

Late August is quietly one of the better windows. Warm water, and the crowd is already draining out.

September

The month locals would tell you to take if they were being honest. Water is still warm from August, air is in the 70s and 80s, rentals drop noticeably, and the beach is close to empty on weekdays.

The catch: our waterpark runs during the summer season, so check with us on hours before you plan a September waterpark day. Viking Go-Karts stays open into the fall, and Viking Golf runs 9am to 11:30pm daily.

October

Cool, quiet, and beautiful in a completely different way. Nobody is swimming. The beach is for walking. Rentals are at their lowest.

Go-karts are typically still running into the fall. Call (302) 539-1644 for exact dates, because it depends on the year and the weather.

Crowds and prices at a glance

Our hours across the season

Prices for everything are on our pricing page. Waterpark is on (302) 539-4027. Golf, go-karts and the boardwalk are on (302) 539-1644.

So when should you come?

If you can only do summer because of school, aim for the first two weeks of June or the last week of August. Same weather as peak July, noticeably fewer people, and cheaper.

If you have flexibility, September. It is not close.

The week most families should actually book

If school locks you into summer, the two windows worth targeting are the first two weeks of June and the last week of August. Both give you effectively peak weather with noticeably fewer people and lower rental prices.

The third week of July is the most expensive, most crowded week of the year on this coast. It is also, for reasons of habit more than logic, the week most families book.

What changes when the crowds go

It is not just comfort. It changes what the day costs and how much of it you actually get to use:

• Rentals drop. The biggest line item on your trip, and it moves the most.
• Route 1 moves. The six miles to Ocean City is 12 minutes instead of 25.
• Parking is easy everywhere, not just here.
• Restaurants have no wait. In July a sit-down dinner with kids can be a 45 minute wait.
• Your 2-hour waterpark pass is worth more because you spend it riding rather than queuing.

Weather honestly

Delaware summers are humid. July and August are hot and sticky and the afternoon thunderstorm is a normal event, not a disaster. It usually passes in an hour.

June is warm without the worst of the humidity. September is the month locals quietly prefer: warm water, dry air, empty beach. October is beautiful and cold, and nobody is swimming.

Booking advice

Rentals on this coast go early for peak weeks, often by February. Shoulder season you can book much later and pay less. If you are flexible into September, you can often book in July for a fraction of the peak rate.

Before you lock dates, check what is actually open. The waterpark runs during the summer season. Viking Go-Karts keeps going into the fall and Viking Golf runs 9am to 11:30pm daily. Call (302) 539-1644 and we will tell you exactly what is running on your dates.

Common Questions