All Along the Watchtower — A Walk Through Fort Miles
Before I even set foot in Cape Henlopen State Park, the towers had already made an impression. Driving along Route 1 toward Lewes, they appear like sentinels from another time—tall, cylindrical, weathered by salt and sea air, and strangely beautiful. I’d seen them countless times in passing, but this time, I finally stopped to take a closer look.
My visit to Fort Miles began with one of those towers—the kind used during World War II to scan the horizon for enemy ships. From the ground, they look solid and stark, but climbing to the top offers something unexpected: stillness, sky, and a sweeping view of the coastline. You can see the ocean stretch out in one direction and the soft blur of dunes and forest in the other. It’s a reminder of just how much this landscape has seen.
From there, I followed the sandy paths deeper into the fort area, where massive concrete bunkers and artillery pads are scattered across the pines. These aren’t polished historical exhibits—they’re raw and quiet, partially reclaimed by nature and softened by time. Grasses grow around the structures, and wildflowers bloom in places once built for war.
Signs along the way give just enough context: Fort Miles was a major coastal defense site during WWII, meant to protect the Delaware Bay and nearby ports from naval attack. But what stayed with me wasn’t the military might—it was the contrast. The hush of the woods. The way the fort seems to watch, even now.
There’s a rhythm to walking here—step, read, look, imagine. The structures don’t say much on their own, but they spark something if you pause. A sense of scale. A moment of reflection. A glimpse of the past, standing quietly in the present.
My Creative Path has taken me to the Delaware coast many times now. But if you’ve ever driven the Delaware coast and wondered about those towers dotting the shoreline, go visit them. Climb one. Walk the fort. You don’t need a guided tour to feel the weight of history here. Sometimes all it takes is being still long enough to listen.
