Located on just over 200 acres of former farmland, Holts Landing State Park in Delaware offers beautiful views of the Indian River Bay. The park offers plenty of recreational opportunities, including crabbing, fishing, boating, kayaking, hiking and camping. After a wonderful Thanksgiving at my in-laws, it was the perfect place to walk off the meal and get some fresh air.
Holts Landing State Park has two main hiking trails, each just over a mile long. The Sea Hawk Trail (1.3 miles) is a loop trail that starts in the main parking area and has a boardwalk that crosses the marsh and leads into the forest. The Seahorse Trail is also a loop trail. The loop itself is slightly shorter at 1.2 miles but it can only be accessed from the Sea Hawk Trail, so it combines for a longer hike.
The park offers a really great digital trail guide. By scanning the posted QR code, you could access the trail map and follow the self-guided hike using Google Maps. Along the way, pin drops marked significant spots on the route, providing interesting facts about the nature or history of that area. I thought this was a really interesting addition to the hike.
The boardwalk across the marshland was long… and apparently terrifying for some dogs, as my mother-in-law’s dog had to be carried across. There are beautiful views of the bay off to the side, and we spotted some heron wading in the shallow waters. We even got to watch one go fishing. It stood frozen in place, waiting for just the right moment to quickly thrust its neck and beak downward, catching the unsuspecting fish in a move known as “the deathblow”. It was impressive to watch how quickly the bird could strike.
On the other side of the boardwalk, the surroundings changed quickly from marsh to forest. The trail wound through mixed hardwood and conifer forest, and the surface changed from gravel to sandy dirt covered in pine needles. The trail is completely flat, making for an easy walk suitable for all ages and varying mobility levels.
We passed several freshwater ponds. Previous road construction in the area had left behind “borrow pits”, which filled in with water over time to form these surprisingly scenic ponds. The surrounding forest reflected beautifully in the clear blue waters.
With the overlapping loop trails and some unmarked connector trails, I somehow got turned around despite the digital trail guide. But there was little reason to worry about where we were – all trails were short and eventually led back to the same place. So I just followed along as the kids ran ahead and explored off trail. It was a beautiful day to just be out wandering.
When we made it back to the parking area, we headed over to the pier. The 220 foot pier is a great crabbing and fishing spot and has some amazing views for those who just want to take in the scenery. The shallow waters beside the pier are also great for clamming (although probably not in November!).
Holts Landing State Park apparently fell upon some hard times about 10 years ago. Due to its low number of annual visitors, the parked received little funding and fell into disrepair. A volunteer organization called the Friends of Holts Landing State Park formed in 2014 and has helped to revitalize the park. Now it seems like somewhat of a hidden gem. The boardwalk and pier are in great condition. A new boat ramp offers public boat access to the Indian River Bay. The trails are clean and offer plenty of wildlife-spotting opportunities and pretty scenery. We spent about an hour and a half there and found it to be a perfect spot to walk the dogs and spend time with family out in nature.
