Hike the Burton Island Trail

The Burton Island trailhead and parking lot are located on the north end of the Indian River Marina inside the Delaware Seashore State Park. Burton Island is the largest island in a group of islands separating the Rehoboth Bay from the Indian River Bay. Raised boardwalks will take you over the salt marshes with open views of the bays. Keep your eyes open for horseshoe crabs, osprey and other marsh wildlife. The flat, packed earth trail passes through woods and shrub forests. This trail is best enjoyed in the fall, winter or early spring. Summer time is way too buggy on the marsh to enjoy the trail. Burton Island is a nature preserve and provides important nesting grounds to the Diamondback Terrapin, so be sure to stay on the trail so these areas are not disturbed. There are also certain times of the year when the trail is only accessible on Sundays due to hunting the rest of the week. Check destateparks.com to make sure you can access the trail before heading out. A park entrance fee is charged daily from March 1st to November 30th. Delaware residents pay $5 per day and out of state visitors $10 per day. The Delaware State Park annual pass is also accepted here.

After you walk the Burton Island Trail, be sure to check out the Indian River Inlet and beach within the same park.