Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve

Park

The Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve, located just west of Slaughter Beach, Delaware, is a 109-acre tidal saltmarsh that serves as a vibrant ecological sanctuary along the Delaware Bayshore. Once accessible only by makeshift wooden pallets, the area was transformed in 2019 with the completion of the Marvel Scenic Byway Boardwalk—an ADA-accessible path that invites visitors to explore the marsh’s rich biodiversity. The preserve teems with life: fiddler crabs, blue crabs, grass shrimp, and a chorus of Marsh Wrens and Clapper Rails fill the air in warmer months, while Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls patrol the skies in winter. An osprey nesting platform, installed with community support, adds to the preserve’s appeal for birdwatchers. Managed in partnership with the Delaware Nature Society, the site not only protects critical habitat but also fosters environmental education and quiet reflection amid sweeping views of saltmarsh grasses and tidal creeks.

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Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve

Park

Suggested Links

The Potomac River Guide	The Hudson River Guide
The Connecticut River Guide