Gordons Pond Trail
A level Cape Henlopen route threads pine, salt marsh, and an elevated boardwalk beside a waterfowl-rich coastal lagoon.
Artwork inspired by Ethel Pennewill Brown Leach
Gordons Pond is a saltwater lagoon behind the dunes. From the southern parking area, the path first offers an approach to an overlook; farther north it crosses an elevated boardwalk through marsh toward Herring Point. Give the water time. Ducks and other migrants change with season and tide, and the quiet view is the point, not merely the mileage.
The state park map labels the core Gordons Pond Trail at about 3.2 miles one way. A Delaware Greenways description counts a longer 5.2-mile connected outing between Lewes and Rehoboth, so decide which endpoints you actually want before setting off. Crushed gravel and narrow boardwalk sections are shared by walkers and cyclists; ring a bell or call out well before passing.
- Core named trail
- About 3.2 miles one way
- Longer connection
- About 5.2 miles with town links
- Landscape
- Salt lagoon and marsh
Quick guide
- Start south for the lagoon
- A shorter approach reaches the waterfowl overlook from the Rehoboth access.
- Yield on the boardwalk
- Its narrow crossing needs slow cycling and clear advance warning.
Know before you go
- Scan the water
- Bird activity varies with migration and tide.
- Compare the edges
- Pine and dune scrub give way to marsh and open lagoon.
- Use the overlook
- Pause without blocking other trail users.
- Check the return
- The Herring Point and Gordons Pond parking areas are far apart.
Good to know
Distance listings differ because some count only the named park trail while others include connected routes. Do not plan a 3.2-mile round trip from the 3.2-mile one-way figure.
Notice these
- Lagoon overlook
- Elevated marsh boardwalk
- Flat coastal gravel