The Overland Directory

Tires in Delaware

Tire and wheel shops that understand load ratings, airing down and what a loaded overland vehicle asks of its tires.

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Delaware by the numbers

of Delaware is federal land 1: 2.4%; 29,934 of 1,265,920 acres. No Bureau of Land Management ground and no national forest
federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 2: 0; Our build of the federal recreation database finds none in the whole state
Ebright Road, the state high point 3: 448 ft; USGS, footnoted to the National Geodetic Survey. The state survey measures the monument itself at 447.85 ft and the ground just west of the road at around 450
drive-on surf fishing beaches 14: 12; Four at Cape Henlopen, four at Delaware Seashore, three at Fenwick Island, plus Beach Plum Island north of Lewes
a non-resident year on the sand 7: $180; A Delaware resident pays $90. Two year permits are $360 and $180; off-peak permits $140 and $70
tools every beach vehicle must carry 6: 5; Shovel, jack, a board to stand the jack on, tow rope or chain, and a low pressure tyre gauge
acres in the three state forests 19: 20,000+; Redden more than 14,000, Blackbird over 6,000, Taber 1,309. Off-road vehicles are barred from all three
mean annual precipitation 39: 45 in; Delaware Climate Office. Mean annual temperature runs from 54.0°F in northern New Castle County to 58.1°F on the Atlantic coast

Tyres, and the gauge the law requires

Delaware writes tyre equipment into its beach regulation. A low pressure tyre gauge is one of the five items a surf fishing vehicle must carry, and it is the one people forget because it does not look like recovery gear. Buy one that reads accurately at the bottom of its range.

The state publishes no pressure to run, so the choice is yours and the consequence is yours too: the same regulation caps you at 15 miles an hour and asks for whatever speed maintains traction and steerage. A wide all-terrain that floats aired down will do more for you here than any tread pattern designed for mud.

The full guide to overlanding Delaware

What a good tire shop does

Tires are the only part of the vehicle that touches the ground, and on a loaded rig they work close to their limits. A good tire shop starts with load rating and size, then tread. It will also tell you when the tire you want will rub, need different wheels or throw off your gearing.

Expect help with

01Choosing a tire by load, terrain and season
02Wheels with the right offset and load rating
03Mounting, balancing and tire pressure sensors
04A matching full-size spare
05Alignment, rotation and repairs

How to choose tires for overland travel

Tread pattern is the last decision, not the first.

01Match the load rating to your real axle weights, not to the badge on the fender.
02All-terrain tires suit most overland travel. Mud-terrains are louder, heavier and wear faster, and earn it only in real mud and rock.
03Buy five. A matching full-size spare that you rotate in is worth the money when the nearest tire shop is a day away.
04Check the wheels too. Wheels have load ratings, and the wrong offset stresses bearings and rubs.
05Ask whether the shop can move or reprogram your tire pressure sensors.

What to have ready before you ask for a quote

A tire quote is quick when the shop knows what the tire has to carry.

01Vehicle, current tire size and wheel size
02Lift height, if any
03Loaded weight, or a list of what is on the vehicle
04Where you drive most: pavement, gravel, rock, sand, snow
05A budget range for five tires

Questions people ask

What does load range mean?

It describes how much weight a tire can carry at a given pressure. Heavier builds, vans and truck campers usually need a higher load range than the vehicle came with. The tire's sidewall and the placard in the door jamb are the places to start, and a tire shop can work through the numbers with you.

How big can I go?

Every platform has a size that fits at stock height, a size that fits with a modest lift, and a size that needs trimming and gears. Tell the shop your lift and wheels and ask what fits without rubbing at full steering lock and full compression.

Should I air down?

On washboard, sand and rock, lower pressure gives a better ride and more traction and is easier on the vehicle. It also means you need a way to air back up before pavement. How low depends on your tire, your weight and your speed, so ask your tire shop and start conservatively.

How high is Delaware?

From Rehoboth Beach at 1 feet to Ebright Road, at the Pennsylvania line at 448. Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.

Towns

Wilmington The Brandywine Valley byway, and thirteen Underground Railroad sites on the Tubman route 91 ft
Harrington Taber State Forest country, and the inland pond parks 59 ft
Georgetown The county seat below Redden State Forest 53 ft
Smyrna The turn for Bombay Hook and for Blackbird State Forest 32 ft
Dover The capital, and the John Dickinson Plantation out on the bayshore road 28 ft
Laurel Nanticoke byway country and the southern end of the Woodland Ferry run 27 ft
Millsboro Inland services on the Indian River, west of the inlet 24 ft
Seaford The Nanticoke River crossing and the northern ferry approach 23 ft
Milford Mid-state services between the bayshore refuges and the coast 13 ft
Lewes The ferry landing, Cape Henlopen and the Beach Plum Island crossing 13 ft
Milton The approach to Prime Hook and the bayshore marshes 11 ft
New Castle The northern end of the Delaware Bayshore Byway 10 ft
Bethany Beach The break in the state park between Delaware Seashore and Fenwick Island 6 ft
Fenwick Island The southernmost drive-on beaches and the Maryland line 5 ft
Dewey Beach The northern end of the Delaware Seashore barrier strip 5 ft
Rehoboth Beach Full services between Gordons Pond and the Delaware Seashore beaches 1 ft

Passes, high roads and summits

Ebright Road, at the Pennsylvania line The state high point, in New Castle County. USGS publishes 448 feet, footnoted to the National Geodetic Survey; the Delaware Geological Survey measures the benchmark at 447.85 and the ground just west of the road at around 450 448 ft
Iron Hill Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in New Castle County 335 ft
Chestnut Hill Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in the piedmont of New Castle County 297 ft

Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates), retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.

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Sources for this page

Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2, data as of September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export, the site’s own build of it. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition. Delaware: 448 feet on Ebright Road at the Delaware-Pennsylvania state line, New Castle County; lowest point the Atlantic Ocean at sea level. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Geological Survey, University of Delaware. Highest point in Delaware: the Ebright Azimuth benchmark at 447.85 feet, Centreville at 445.58, and LiDAR contours around 450 just west of Ebright Road. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware State Parks, DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation. Surf Fishing: the vehicle permit rules, the required safety equipment, the speed limit, the definition of actively engaged in surf fishing, and the fines. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware State Parks, DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation. Passes, Permits and Fees: annual, two year and off-peak surf fishing permit rates, daily entry fees and the annual pass. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware State Parks, DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation. RV Camping: the 14 day stay limit, one vehicle per site, the three rate seasons, the change freeze, firewood and fire rules. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware State Parks, DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation. Tent and Yurt Camping: the five campgrounds and the general camping policies. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware State Parks, DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation. Delaware Seashore State Park: six and a half miles of ocean and 20 miles of bay shoreline, ten access locations, the two campgrounds and the 1939 jetties. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware State Parks, DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation. Fenwick Island State Park: three miles of ocean beach and the three dune crossings that take surf fishing vehicles. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware State Parks, DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation. Cape Henlopen State Park: the 5,000 acre figure, The Point and Beach Plum Nature Preserve. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Division of Parks and Recreation: more than 20,000 acres in 17 state parks and easements over more than 4,000 acres. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. DNREC Drops Surf Fishing Reservations for 7 of 12 Drive-on Beaches, July 7, 2025: the twelve beaches named, and which five still need a reservation. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. The Point at Cape Henlopen Oceanside Beach Reopens Sept. 1 to Anglers and Beachgoers, August 25, 2026: the March closure since 1993 and the species it protects. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife. Conservation Access Pass: the per-vehicle requirement for state wildlife areas, its rates and its exemptions. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife. Wildlife Area Maps and Regulations: approximately 68,000 acres at 19 public wildlife areas. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
DNREC Division of Air Quality. Open Burning: the 1 May to 30 September ozone season prohibition, its camping and cooking exemptions, and the Air Quality Action day rule. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Forest Service, Delaware Department of Agriculture. Delaware State Forests: three forests over 20,000 acres, the tract and trail figures for Redden, Blackbird and Taber, and the prohibition on off-road vehicles. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Forest Service, Delaware Department of Agriculture. Forest Campsites: tent-only camping, the site counts, the fee, the three night maximum and the two vehicle limit. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Code Online, Delaware General Assembly. Title 21, Chapter 68, Registration and Control of Off-Highway Vehicles: §§ 6801, 6803, 6807, 6810, 6814, 6819 and 6821. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Code Online, Delaware General Assembly. Title 21, § 101(50): the statutory definition of an off-highway vehicle. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Code Online, Delaware General Assembly. Title 20, Chapter 31, Subchapter III, § 3116: the Level 1 Driving Warning, Level 2 Driving Restriction and Level 3 Driving Ban. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Emergency Management Agency. State of Emergency Driving Restrictions: the Level 2 waiver system and its 21 day lead time. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Department of Transportation. Delaware Byways: the six designated byways and the 2000 legislation that created the programme. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Department of Transportation. Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway: 12.25 miles, Rodney Square to the Pennsylvania line. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Department of Transportation. Red Clay Scenic Byway: approximately 27 miles in northern New Castle County. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Department of Transportation. Delaware Bayshore Byway: 100 miles or more from New Castle to the resorts outside Lewes. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Department of Transportation. Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway: approximately 95 miles including the loops. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Department of Transportation. Historic Lewes Byway, Gateway to the Bayshore: 12.35 miles on six named roads. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Department of Transportation. Nanticoke Heritage Byway: about 35 miles in western Sussex County, ending at Trap Pond State Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Department of Transportation. The Woodland Ferry: DelDOT owned and operated, free, six cars, and its weekday hours. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Visit Us: the 12 mile wildlife drive, 16,251 acres, the three observation towers and the daily hours. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge: established 1937, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and a Globally Important Bird Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge: more than 10,000 acres, roughly 80 percent wetland, and 7.5 miles of hiking trails. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Visit Us: the four state roads crossing the refuge, the daily hours and the absence of an entrance fee. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
National Park Service. Over-Sand Vehicle Use, Assateague Island National Seashore: permit prices, the four-wheel drive and size requirements, the equipment minimums, the Maryland vehicle cap and the plover closure. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
National Park Service. First State National Historical Park, Basic Information: the six sites and their locations. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Delaware Climate Office, University of Delaware. Delaware’s Climate: land area, mean annual temperature range, mean annual precipitation and the nor’easter and tropical storm pattern. Retrieved September 25, 2026.

Reviewed September 25, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.