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 SP. SheepNotGoats at en.wikipedia
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.
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 SP. SheepNotGoats at en.wikipedia
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.
Scroll Down For Route Maps
Essentials
Route combining Boardwalk, town, & Fresh Pond is 8.6 miles;
Flat
Bethany Beach Boardwalk or other location depending on route chosen
Parking at Bethany Beach. There's also parking at Fresh Pond & Holts Landing to access those trails
Classic beach and boardwalk running. The beach is nearly 9 miles of firm, packed sand, good for running. Many access points. The boardwalk is 2.25 miles from 27th St. south to the Ocean City Inlet.
Pleasant park for running with about 1.5 miles of paths and numerous sports and other facilities. A loop around the perimeter is about 1 mile. Combine with a beach run, 0.5 miles to the east. Nearby residential streets are also good for running.
Some good options for running in Ocean City as an alternative to the beach and boardwalk. Residential neighborhoods near Northside Park, on the bay side and the ocean side. We also recommend the Isle of Wight/Lighthouse Sound area.
A beautiful refuge of sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests and coastal bays, near Ocean City. At Assateague, 4 miles of paved paths and miles of runnable beach. Chincoteague has several trail loops through forests & wetlands, and more beach.
One can run for 10+ miles on this beach, which has fairly firm sand near the water and at low tide. The Boardwalk runs for 1 mile between Queen St. and Lake St., and is festive and fun for running when not too crowded.
In addition to the miles of beach and boardwalk, there are some other good running options in the area. We recommend the pleasant residential side streets off the beach, miles of trails in Cape Henlopin State Park, and Gordons Pond Trail.
Large state park a few miles north of Rehoboth Beach. Terrific beach running and several miles of multi-use paths winding their way through pine forests, dunes, and salt marsh. Gordons Pond Trail is a favorite.
Just north of Rehoboth Beach, in Lewes, runners can hop on the Georgetown-Lewes Trail. It’s currently 7.6 miles of paved path between Lewes and Milton. Can do in conjunction with Cape Henlopen State Park.
Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!
Subscribe
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Essentials
Route combining Boardwalk, town, & Fresh Pond is 8.6 miles;
Flat
Bethany Beach Boardwalk or other location depending on route chosen
Parking at Bethany Beach. There's also parking at Fresh Pond & Holts Landing to access those trails
Review or Comment on This Route/Share a Photo!
Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!