Bethany Beach Boardwalk, Fresh Pond, Holt Landing State Park

Bethany Beach, which is situated between Ocean City and Rehoboth Beach, is known for its boardwalk-backed beach and some area trails and birding areas. Here are our recommendations for the best places to run in Bethany Beach.

Main Town, Boardwalk, & Beach. The highlight of running in Bethany Beach is the classic 0.5 mile wooden boardwalk, a festive scene with great views of the beach & ocean. A fun route is to combine the boardwalk with some of the town’s roads inland from the beach. Do an 0.5 mile loop from the Boardwalk up Garfield Rd., which is the town’s main drag, filled with beachy shops & restaurants. Run north-south along Pennsylvania Ave. & Atlantic Ave., which feature sidewalks and typical beach town homes. The beach itself is runnable — best closest to the water and around low tide. TIDE TABLE

Fresh Pond Trails. Located 1.5 miles north of Bethany Beach, this wetlands area features some pleasant trails for running. Trail access is off the Coast Highway or Hickman Rd. A full loop of the trails is ~4 miles.  Mainly wooded.

• NOTE: It’s possible to run to Fresh Pond from Bethany Beach. Run north along Atlantic Ave., and then an 0.8 mile stretch along Coast Highway (there is a wide shoulder). The full route combining the town, boardwalk, & nature center is up to 8.6 miles.

Holts Landing State Park. This park along the Indian River Bay is popular for fishing and birding. There are also some lovely trails for running, around a salt marsh & maritime forest. Combine the Seahorse & Sea Hawk Trails for a ~3-4 mile run. Located 7 miles northwest of town.