Imagine you’re in the balmy tropics, sipping a piña colada under the swaying palm trees. Well, no, it’s not that kind of island. But this one is right off Route 1—no TSA lines, flight delays, or lost luggage. It’s Burton Island in the Delaware Seashore Park, just north of the Indian River Bridge.
Burton Island is located between Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay. According to legend, the island was once connected to Long Neck, but a farmer cut ditches to keep his cattle from straying. The ditches widened over time and now form the mouth of Rehoboth Bay.
The island offers a variety of habitats — including sandy beaches, salt marshes, and upland maritime forest — which visitors can explore along an easy 1-mile hiking trail. Raised boardwalks will take you over salt marshes with open views of the bays. Along the way, you’ll see shallow waters and salt marshes that provide critical habitat for osprey, snowy egrets, laughing gulls, glossy ibis, and—let’s just get this out there—mosquitoes and ticks. (Be sure to dress accordingly and spray up.) The bay also acts as a nursery for marine life such as horseshoe crabs, Atlantic blue crabs, diamondback terrapins, and many saltwater fish species.
Enter the Delaware Seashore Park, North Inlet (just north of bridge). Snake your way around the Indian River Marina. Just when you think you’re in the wrong place, you’ll come to a small parking area and the trailhead that leads onto the island. Look for a sign with the QR code for the trail.
In season, the park is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 7 days a week. Park fees are $5 for in-state vehicles, $10 for out-of-state.
Burton Island is right off Route 1 in Delaware Seashore State Park, nestled between Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay.
Nancy Sakaduski is a local award-winning writer and editor who finds inspiration in the natural world.
