Gordons Pond Trail opens in Cape Henlopen State Park

The new Gordons Pond Trail opened June 7 to the delight of hundreds of weekend visitors to Cape Henlopen State Park. The new, 2.6-mile trail links Herring Point and Gordons Pond, offering sweeping vistas of the marsh and dunes and close-up views of herons rising above marsh waters or at the moment mud flats, as it happens when we don’t have rain.

It also takes visitors through shady, pine-sweetened forest, giving runners, hikers, cyclists, families with strollers and people who use wheelchairs an opportunity to enjoy the many gifts of nature that lie in that short distance between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, the very heart of our Cape Region.

Of special note is the raised boardwalk spanning a half-mile of an environmentally sensitive section of trail. Carefully designed to be smooth enough for both cyclists and wheelchairs to pass over – so smooth one cyclist commented it feels like a downhill both ways – it also allows light and rainwater to filter through, protecting rare plants and habitat below.

The trail is a spectacular addition to the many attractions our region has to offer, but it represents far more than a few miles of new walkways. The trail extension links to the existing, 5-mile Junction and Breakwater Trail, completing a 15-mile loop that is certain to become a destination trail for a rapidly growing segment of the tourism industry: people who want to get out into nature and those who wish to help their children explore the outdoors, staying active on vacation as they explore the natural world.

Gov. Jack Markell is expected for the grand opening of the trail June 18, an event that is certain to celebrate the growing success of the governor’s First State Trails and Pathways Initiative, an investment that encourages pathways connecting neighborhoods, towns and communities and promotes cycling and walking throughout the state. The initiative aims to stimulate tourism and active-lifestyle jobs while also promoting a healthier, more active First State. In May, Delaware was named the fourth-most bicycle-friendly state in America.

The opening of our spectacular new Gordons Pond Trail offers a magnificent way to celebrate.