Delaware's Former Military Fort Is Now A Haunted Fall Escape With Colorful Foliage And Ghost Tours

With fall just around the corner, the trees will soon be displaying their most striking colors of the year, and the seasonal pastime of ghost hunting will be upon us. All the better if you can combine the two at the same time, which is entirely possible at Fort Delaware State Park. Located on Pea Patch Island in the middle of the Delaware River, the imposing granite and brick walls of Fort Delaware can only be reached by a short ferry ride from Delaware City on one side or New Jersey on the other. If the fort looks familiar, you may recognize it from its appearance on the television series "Ghost Hunters" and "Most Haunted."

The present fort was completed in 1859, and at the time, was the largest fort in the U.S., its strategic position preventing enemy ships from sailing upriver into Wilmington and Philadelphia, one of the most underrated cities in the U.S. Just three years later, it became one of the Union's largest military prisons, housing more than 33,000 confederate soldiers during the Civil War, and sometimes over 12,000 prisoners at a time. Notoriously grim, even for a prison, it was under the command of Brigadier General Albin F.Schoepf, nicknamed General Terror. In total around 2,500 prisoners suffered miserable deaths here as disease and extreme temperatures set in.

Visitors have reported all manner of paranormal activity, hence its reputation as one of the most haunted places in the world. Lending some contrasting autumnal color to the fort's stark exterior, the 248-acre island contains woodlands of red maple, sweetgum, sassafras, and quaking aspen. The remaining land is mostly protected wetlands, salt marshes, and reed beds, as well as being one of the East Coast's most prominent bird nesting sites.

Fort Delaware State Park is open from late April through September, although opening hours and ferry times change throughout the season. Standard adult tickets cost $15, and that includes entry and the ferry. Once on the island, a tram takes you over the marshland, giving views of the imposing fort. Wander around the restored soldiers quarters and barracks, with costumed staff present to retell its history. You can climb the ramparts and hear the cannon fire before taking a peaceful walk along the Prison Camp Trail.

For the halloween tours, the fort opens its doors on selected evenings in October. Run by Diamond State Ghost Investigators, the three hour paranormal investigation tours visit places within the fort where previous ghostly activity has been reported. Tickets cost $40, but are limited and must be reserved in advance. An extended five-hour investigation for serious ghost hunters costing $100 is available on October 31, and again must be reserved. Note that participants must be aged over 13 years for both tours.

For the more sceptical among you, you'll be pleased to know there are living residents on the island too. Home to a protected heronry, which although you can't enter, has an overlook giving views of several species of herons, egrets, and the glossy ibis. It's also Delaware's only known breeding grounds for cattle egrets and little blue herons, who nest among the reeds in the marshland. The birds are most active in spring and summer when you can sit and watch them while having a picnic. You'll need to bring food with you though, as there is no café on site.

When the prisoners died at Fort Delaware, their remains were taken to the cemetery at Finn's Point next to Fort Mott on the New Jersey side of the river. Now a state park, it adds another historical step to your day, and you can reach it by way of the ferry. Unlike Fort Delaware, Fort Mott is open all year round and is free to enter. Explore the batteries or walk beside the river to see Pea Patch Island from a different perspective. The Finn's Point Trail leads to the cemetery, where an 85-foot monument bears the names of 2,436 soldiers who perished at Fort Delaware.

On a lighter note, right next to Fort Mott is Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Filled with nature trails passing through forests and marshland, it's another ideal place to bask in the warm colors of the changing leaves. There's lots of wildlife to look and listen out for, and if you take the Forest Habitat Trail, you stand a good chance of hearing the vastly different songs of the southern leopard frog and wood thrush.

If you're returning to the Delaware shore, Fort DuPont makes up the trio of forts built to defend these eastern shores, and it too is now a state park. For more nature trails and a fun variety of outdoor adventures, head to the East Coast state park of Lums Pond. In fact, you're spoilt for choice for parks in Delaware, which also has one of the best national parks on the East Coast.