James Farm Ecological Preserve, DE

ABOUT THE PARK:

James Farm Ecological Preserve - Delaware Center for the Inland Bays

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 38.57542, -75.07949

TRAIL MAP:

HIKE DISTANCE: 

Delaware Seashore State Park, DE - Fresh Pond - 5.9 miles

James Farm Ecological Preserve, DE - 2 miles

Delaware Seashore State Park, DE - Burton Island Nature Preserve - 1.5 miles

St. Jones Reserve, DE - 2.15 miles

THE HIKE: 

This hike was much more interesting than the Fresh Pond hike.

Heading to the left of the kiosk on the red trail to hike a perimeter loop clockwise.

There were three observation decks along the way.

View from the first observation deck.

Beach access at the canoe launch.

From the second observation deck Brodie saw ...

... a great blue heron.

Crossing Cedar Neck Road to more trails on the other side.

Three turkey vultures in an unoccupied osprey nest.

View from the third observation deck.

Taking the meadow loop.

Coming back out at Cedar Neck Road ...

and crossing over back to the parking lot.

Delaware Seashore State Park, DE - Fresh Pond

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Delaware Seashore State Park - Delaware State Parks

Fortunately I did not have to pay the fee.  This hike would not have been worth $10.

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 38.55830, -75.06419

Route 1 Trailhead Parking

TRAIL MAP:

Delaware Seashore State Park Trail Map - Delaware State Parks

HIKE DISTANCE: 

Delaware Seashore State Park, DE - Fresh Pond - 5.9 miles

James Farm Ecological Preserve, DE - 2 miles

Delaware Seashore State Park, DE - Burton Island Nature Preserve - 1.5 miles

St. Jones Reserve, DE - 2.15 miles

THE HIKE: 

Heading to Delaware where there is bare ground while anything closer is still a frozen tundra of snow and ice.

To access the trails right on the power cut road over the bridge.

The Fred Hudson Road Trail crosses over.  We went to the left first.

Passing by oyster shell recycling.

Zooming in to the mountain of oyster shells.

The trail is a wide pine needle road through pines.  Nice at first but turns out that is all this hike was so it was not very interesting after a while.  The bonus was getting some miles in without 8 inches of snow and ice.

This trail comes to the Fred Hudson Road Trailhead where we turned around and headed back.

Crossing over that power cut road to the other side where the Fred Hudson Road Trail continues.

One of the two viewpoints along the way ...

... with the resident great blue heron.

There are some side trail that we explored but they all lead to hunting stands.  (Deer hunting ends February 1 here.)

An unofficial side trail that leads to a view with a power station behind the tree on the left.

The second fire hydrant I saw along the way.

Coming up on the Fresh Pond trailhead parking where we turned right on the Prickly Pear Trail.

This was pretty much it for the rest of the way.

Balloon #1 of the year.

View #2 at the far end.

Back at the Fresh Pond trail head parking, left to retrace on the Fred Hudson Road Trail.

The great blue heron is still there.

Now on to more interesting hikes nearby.