Slaughter Beach Is The Best Place In Delaware To Pick Up Seashells

If you find yourself wanting to expand your collection, take your kids on a seaside adventure, or hunt for beautiful sea glass, but you dread the thought of fighting crowds in the resort towns, you’re in luck! Slaughter Beach, the bayside shore famous for horseshoe crabs, is also the top spot in Delaware to pick up unique seashells.

This quiet bayside beach sits at the mouth of the Murderkill River, on the Delaware Bay.

Flickr / Brenda Reddinger Though the name is a little concerning, it dates back to the area’s original postmaster… or so they say.

Another local rumor regarding the name has to do with the thousands of horseshoe crabs that show up on the beach during their mating and migration season.

Flickr / Victoria Pickering Slaughter Beach is home to more horseshoe crabs than any other beach in the world.

This beach is noteworthy for other reasons too, and was recently named the best beach in Delaware for seashells and sea glass.

Flickr / Kyle Hartshorne

Unlike popular spots along the Cape or in Rehoboth Beach, this sleepy bayside beach is a low-traffic spot, which means the best shells hang around for a bit before someone comes by to swoop them up.

Flickr / Mike Mahaffie

You’ll also find plenty of sea glass, which you can make into jewelry or home decor, and other interesting relics of ocean life washed up on the sands.

Flickr / Kyle Hartshorne

Keep an eye out for evidence of crustacean life! You might even find some fossils in the rocks and shells.

Flickr / Kyle Hartshorne

The best time to go seashell hunting is an hour before or after low tide, when there is plenty of beach to comb.

Flickr / Victoria Pickering After a storm, you’ll find a huge number of treasures churned up from the water laying out, waiting to be discovered.

For more information on beachcombing and tips for finding seashells and sea glass, read the Milford Beacon’s feature piece, here.

Flickr / Brenda Reddinger

Though the name is a little concerning, it dates back to the area’s original postmaster… or so they say.

Flickr / Victoria Pickering

Slaughter Beach is home to more horseshoe crabs than any other beach in the world.

Flickr / Kyle Hartshorne

Flickr / Mike Mahaffie

After a storm, you’ll find a huge number of treasures churned up from the water laying out, waiting to be discovered.

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Address: Slaughter Beach, DE 19963, USA