Season Visited: Summer
Trail Length: Hidden Pond is a 2.8-mile loop. Indian Springs is 1.9; also a loop. I estimate my confused combination of the two to be about 2.8 miles.
Time to Hike: 1.5 hours
Difficulty Level: 2 (3 if you factor in the trail confusion)
Brandywine Creek State Park is a pleasant and interesting state park with a few nice hiking trails. I decided to try hiking the Hidden Pond trail on a perfect August afternoon. Unfortunately, as you will understand, trying to hike one particular trail in Brandywine - especially Indian Springs or Hidden Pond - is nearly impossible. Join me on my confusing journey through the two of these trails. And don't bother to bring a map - it probably won't help.
I began my trip at the Thompson's Bride parking area, but I would probably park at the office if I had to do it all again. I walked down a short, unmarked path to Hidden Pond trail and made a left, and thus began my descent into trail crossroads madness. Now, I had been warned by a nice worker at the parking lot that the trails in this area were difficult to navigate. He told me that he had never been hiking around Hidden Pond/Indian Springs without getting lost, and looked at me skeptically when I grabbed a map and said I'd take my chances. I assumed that by carefully following the map I would make it through the Hidden Pond loop without mishap. I was wrong.
This is the general path I think I followed. Purple is Hidden Pond trail and yellow is Indian Springs trail, but the trails do not correspond to the map in many places. The place where my arrows stop is where I think I turned right and re-traced my steps back the way I came.
The X on the map is the parking area, and the circle is where the unmarked trail that leads to the Hidden Pond trail begins. I made a left upon coming to Hidden Pond trail for absolutely no reason. It just looked like a nice way to go.
This is a very easy section of the trail that follows the lovely Brandywine Creek. Along the way I came upon the first of many small highlights of my hike - a spined micrathena spider. I am not sure if I have discussed this in this blog, but I have an obsession with spiders. These trails were filled with two spiders that I know and love: the spined micrathena and the venusta orchard spider. If you like spiders then this is the trip for you! But be advised if you don't - they really are everywhere.
This first of about five spined micrathenas that I spotted along the way.
The Brandywine.
As you can see on the picture of the map, I then decided to turn right to follow Hidden Pond trail (which is also a section of Indian Springs trail). The trail immediately became overgrown, but it soon widened a bit and headed uphill.
A few feet behind my dog the trail narrowed to about five inches wide and was covered with growth.
It widened out soon after, however, and began a moderately steep uphill climb. This does not last long enough to be challenging.
After crossing through numerous unmarked sections of trail, guessing my way through intersections (sometimes correctly, sometimes not), and having to backtrack once due to the impossibility of walking any further down a section of trail without becoming covered in spined micrathenas (micrathenas are harmless but I never wreck a spider's web unless I absolutely have to - like to get inside my own house or something), I made it to the nature center, which is about the half-way point on the map. There I used the facilities (rare to hike a trail with a bathroom - kind of nice but also reminds you how un-wildernessy this park is) and related my trail woes to a sweet older lady at the front desk, who told me how to take Hidden Pond trail back to the parking area. Her advice was, of course, completely useless once back on the trails, but it made me feel better to have it anyway.
And thus I hiked down a section of trail where I had not been before, and then somehow ended up exactly where I had been before. It took me a bit to get my bearings, but eventually I re-traced my steps and got back to the parking area safe and sound, but not before taking a few more pictures of the scenery.
Venusta orchard spider
Pretty cool fungus.
As you can see by the pictures, the hike was beautiful even through the confusion. The spiders are exciting enough for me, but add a section of old-growth trees and you've really got my attention. This is enough to make Brandywine Creek a pleasant place to hike, but it's certainly not one of my favorites. I get annoyed when parks don't maintain their trails (or their maps), and you're never really very far from cars and malls and the like when you're in this part of Delaware. Still, when you're craving a walk in the woods and can't travel more than an hour to do so, Brandywine Creek is a fine place to go.
Enjoy your hike, and keep wandering.
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