Tidbury Creek Park is tucked away in the woods in South Dover with next to no information offered online regarding the amenities there so it is understandable if you’ve never heard of it before. I probably would be unfamiliar myself had my parents not brought me here to hike as a kid.
My childhood dog, Blayze the chocolate lab, loved to swim so this was one of the closest places to us to bring her. In 2010, a dog park was installed at Tidbury with both large and small dog areas and water fountains. In fact, during our most recent visit, we had one of our foster dogs with us so she could make friends and play. If you like to bring your furry family members on adventures with you, this is the perfect place for that!
There is a short loop trail surrounding the pond and even though this is Delaware, there is actually a bit of an incline if you start on the trail to the right of the parking lot, but it’s still manageable with a stroller.
If you go left, it’s pretty flat and gets you to the picnic area, playground and dog park a little quicker.
When you have reached the halfway point on the trail, it brings you out to the creek where you may be able to spot birds or other wildlife by the water. If you’re into fishing, you’ll want to try your luck in the pond though. There are plenty of access points around it and in the Spring, it is stocked with thousands of trout so you’re almost guaranteed a bite! Because of its accessibility, and proximity to the playground, you will want to keep a close eye on littles so they don’t have an impromptu swim.
As we made our way around the loop, I happened to notice quite a bit of English ivy overtaking all of the native vegetation. This, and other commonly used landscape plants like butterfly bush, burning bush and many more are considered to be invasive species. They spread easily by seed (after birds have eaten them) and quickly choke out ecologically beneficial plant species while offering nothing in the way of a food source to animals and insects the depend on those plants for survival. This is why it is SO important to do some research when selecting plants for your home landscape. I just so happen to be a landscape designer should you need any assistance in that area 🙂
Scavenger Hunt!
1) Tulip poplar leaf
2) Paw print in the mud
3) A mushroom
4) A picture of a fish
5) A giant mound of dirt with trails on it
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