Indian Springs to Hidden Ponds Trail, Brandywine Creek State Park, Deleware

ACTIVITIES: Hiking, picnicking LENGTH OF HIKE: 2.25 miles OUT AND BACK OR LOOP: Loop DIFFICULTY OF TERRAIN: Easy ELEVATION GAIN: No PARKING FEE/PASS: $8 TOILETS: Yes (limited hours) CHANGING TABLE: No NURSING BENCHES: Yes DOGS ALLOWED: Yes BIKES/HORSES/MOTORS ON TRAIL: No CELL RECEPTION: Good DRINKING WATER AVAILABLE: Yes POTENTIAL CHILD OR BABY HAZARDS: Ticks, poison ivy, rocky trail terrain, close to a river GEAR SUGGESTIONS: Baby carrier, water, insect repellent (Delaware is a high tick/lyme disease state.) With miles and miles of flat trails to explore and ranger-led tours, this is a great park for toddlers. The hike starts behind the park office. Head down on the Indian Springs Trail (yellow markers). Once down by the river, the best return is via the Hidden Pond Trail, making the loop about 2.25 miles. Less than 0.5 mile into the hike, you’ll come to a large, flat, “climbing rock” that’s perfect for toddlers to play around on. It’s just high enough to make them feel like they are adventuring, but not so high as to give you a heart attack if they fall. This is usually a required Hike it Baby stop on hikes in this park, so be sure to stop and let your little one climb. Continue on and you’ll find another required stop that’s down by the river: a really cool “peephole” tree that is the size of a toddler. Delaware has very minimal elevation compared to the rest of the country. There are some rocky trail surfaces and minor elevation changes on this hike, but nothing that requires trekking poles on this trail. Corey Heacock says her toddler has hiked the entire trail on his own legs, so if you have a hiker in training, you should do great on this trail. If you get rained out, there is a nature center, but the report back is that while it’s not super exciting, it’s still nice to have available if the weather shifts. Outside of the nature center, there are benches and picnic tables that can be used for picnicking and changing a baby. If you need to change a baby or nurse midhike, there’s another bench by the river about halfway through the hike. If you like great blue herons, this is a great hike to spot them. Also, keep your eyes open for whitetailed deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and in the summer there are lots of monarch butterflies migrating. The hike ends at an open field with a picnic table, so plan to take a break there at the end. Don’t worry if you forgot water. There’s a water fountain available both inside and outside the nature center. Just note that the one outdoors is turned off in the winter. WHY IT’S A FAVORITE “The Indian Springs Trail was the first I hiked after moving to the Wilmington area, and I consider it to be our hiking base. Between the rocks, the river, and the seasonal changes, the trail is always exciting for my son.” —COREY HEACOCK INSIDER’S TIP Head up to the hawk watch parking lot. The views from up there are some of the best in Delaware.