Gone Hikin': DE Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Showing posts with label DE Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Show all posts

Friday, November 18, 2016

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, DE - Pine Grove Trail

ABOUT THE PARK:
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge - US Fish and Wildlife Service

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 38.82175, -75.25952

Parking at Turkle Pond

TRAIL MAP:
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge Walking Trail Map - US Fish and Wildlife Service

HIKE DISTANCE:
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge: 5 miles
   hiked together with (.7 mile drive away):
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge - Pine Grove Trail: 1.25 miles
   hiked together with (15.7 mile drive away):
Cape Henelopen State Park - Herring Point/Gordon's Pond Trail: 3 miles
   hiked together with (.9 mile drive away):
Cape Henelopen State Park, DE - Fort Miles/Pinelands Nature Trail: 2.25 miles

THE HIKE:

First things first, lunch at the Turkle Pond parking lot.

I had a fake chicken salad sandwich. Shawnee had quite an aromatic tub of Whole Foods "Whole Paws" chicken dinner which....

.... as I was taking this picture and noticed something out of the corner of my eye ...

... someone else had apparently caught a whiff of. "Did someone say chicken for lunch?!?!?!?" Then the fox disappeared as fast as she had appeared.

On with the hike. It is not very clear from the parking lot where the trail starts. Walk a little farther in on the road and it will be on the right. The sign makes it look like you keep straight but it is actually a right turn just after that Trailhead sign.

It's a very pretty trail and because it was only about 1 mile long, Shawnee did it without her wheelchair.

A short side trail to an overlook where there really is not much to see.

Coming up on a parking lot which is at the end of the road we drove in on. That Honda Fit straight ahead, had his car door open blasting the stereo, he did. How rude in the middle of the woods where you go for peace and quiet.

Coming out into the parking lot, to the right is Fleetwood Pond with ...

... a boardwalk out into the pond.

Fleetwood Pond

Again it is not clear where the trail continues. Walk along the road out of the parking lot and watch for the trail on the right.

The trail comes out directly across from the trailhead.

A right turn back to the parking lot.

A few more shots of Turkle Pond.

Turkle Pond

Now on to Cape Henelopen State Park about 17 miles away. I had considered taking the ferry over from Cape May and drove right by it on the way to Cape Henelopen State Park but it would have involved lots of time waiting on the ferry, time that was better spent hiking, so I drove instead.

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, DE

ABOUT THE PARK:
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge - US Fish and Wildlife Service

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 38.82416, -75.25431

Parking at the Black Farm Trail trailhead on Turkle Pond Road.

TRAIL MAP:
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge Walking Trail Map - US Fish and Wildlife Service

Starting on the Black Farm Trail.

A short distance in, the trail splits; we turned right.

This trail is mowed paths and ...

... sandy woods roads.

Fall colors.

Flock after flock of birds flew over.

There are hunter stands everywhere. With it being a week day, I called ahead of time and was told hunting takes place away from the hiking trails so it was OK to hike. They close the trails on days when hunting takes place in the trail areas so if you are going during hunting season, call first.

After looping around the fields keep right where views open up to the water.

At the end of an observation area, zooming in to water birds that were really far away.

Coming up on ...

... the visitor center.

Osprey nest and cam behind the visitor center.

Also to the left behind the visitor center, the Dike Trail.

A red-bellied woodpecker.

Song Sparrow

Viewing area at the end of the Dike Trail.

Not happy that I left her tied to my backpack.

So I went back and got her and let her on the accessible portion.

A great blue heron with his head twisted so far it looks like his neck is in a knot.

Heading back.

A tattered wing but he was still flying OK. So were the mosquitoes. Lots and lots of Kamikaze mosquitoes with no respect for Deep Woods OFF in November!

At the end of the Dike Trail, right on to the Boardwalk Trail.

A short distance in on the left ...

... Morris Cemetary.

I put a picture of each of the legible tombstones. Looks like three of Mary and John's children died in their late teens and one in her early twenties.

The mother's tombstone.

The father's tombstone.

On the the boardwalk. The beginning of the Blue Goose Trail where I was heading next was on the left just before the boardwalk but had to pass that up and loop around again to get the entire Boardwalk Trail.

A large flock of sandpipers swirled overhead and landed a distance away.

Had I not seen them land, I would have never known where to zoom in to see what they were since they practically disappeared into the background when they landed.

Another Great Blue Heron.

I accidentally dropped a trekking pole and when it clanked on the boardwalk, he took off...

... and landed over by those sandpipers, maybe thinking he could camouflage right along with them.

Having looped completely around back to the beginning of the boardwalk, now turning left on the Blue Goose Trail.

Just around the bend ....

... two turkey vultures on a hunter stand.

On the grassy woods road of the Blue Goose Trail.

The trail comes out at a gravel service road but the trail marker is blank.

I turned left, which happened to be correct, and then saw the continuation of the trail a short distance ahead on the right.

A short side trail to...

Turkle Pond

The trail continues and you can walk from the end to the Pine Grove Trail at the other side of Turkle Pond but it involves a half mile road walk on a gravel road so I figured we would save the mile for more hiking to come and drive over.

Took the spur back to the parking lot.