Fact box
- Length / route type: HQ Headquarters Loop 4.0 miles (loop); forest-wide network over 44 miles across 18 tracts
- Surface: packed earth
- Difficulty: easy (HQ Loop, per Delaware Greenways)
- Parking and fees: no entrance fee, free public access; parking at the Headquarters Tract on East Redden Road. Camping fees on the Delaware Forest Service camping page
- Restrooms / facilities: portable toilets at the camping area; grills, picnic tables, and fire rings at campsites
- Dogs: leashed in the camping area; no general day-use leash rule is published on the state forests page, so confirm current rules first
- Official source: Delaware Forest Service: State Forests
- Last verified: 2026-06
Redden State Forest is Delaware’s largest state forest at more than 14,000 acres, spread across 18 named tracts in central Sussex County north of Georgetown. Free to enter, open year-round, and with over 44 miles of trails through loblolly pine and mixed hardwood. For anyone who wants forest miles without paying a state park entrance fee, Redden is the county’s main answer.
The Delaware Forest Service manages three state forests in Delaware totaling over 19,000 acres: Blackbird near Smyrna, Taber near Harrington, and Redden near Georgetown. Redden is by far the largest of the three.
Trails: what the forest offers
The Delaware Forest Service describes Redden’s trails as popular for hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, and bird watching. The 44-plus miles cover all 18 tracts, but only one has a published length and name on official sources: the HQ Headquarters Loop.
The HQ Headquarters Loop runs 4.0 miles of packed earth through the 1,836-acre Headquarters Tract, and Delaware Greenways rates it easy. According to Delaware Greenways, the loop meanders through dense woods, across bridges, and through swamp and meadow areas. Several smaller trails branch off the main loop, extending your options without adding significant navigation complexity.
Loblolly pine is the primary species here, but the route also passes stands of mixed hardwoods including oaks, maple, and gum. The variety gives the walk more visual interest than the name “state forest” might suggest.
A downloadable PDF trail map is available from Delaware Greenways. The Delaware Forest Service also offers a Redden HQ Trails Map through the Avenza Maps mobile app, which works offline once downloaded.
Sussex County’s best outdoor spots are public land; you just need to know they exist.
The forest’s 18 tracts
Redden isn’t a single contiguous block. The Delaware Forest Service manages 18 named tracts. They are: Appenzellar, Bailey, Barr, Chesapeake, Collins Pond, Day, Deep Creek, Ellendale, Eskridge, Headquarters, Jester, Long, Marvel, Owens, Rayne, Sill, Townsend, and Tunnell.
The Headquarters Tract on East Redden Road is where the Delaware Forest Service’s southern regional office is located. It’s also the most developed tract for recreation, with the HQ Loop, primitive campsites, the Redden Lodge, and a catch-and-release fishing pond. A natural resource education facility occupies a renovated historic carriage house that opened in 2000.
Tract maps are available on the Forest Service maps page.
A note on the American Discovery Trail
According to the American Discovery Trail Society, the American Discovery Trail passes through Redden State Forest after crossing U.S. 113. While it’s in the forest, it crosses the watershed divide between the Atlantic and the Chesapeake Bay.
That’s the same divide that hikers on the ADT’s Delaware segment cross on a 45-mile route between the coast and Maryland. Redden sits in the western half of Delaware’s ADT section, between Milton and Bridgeville. Redden’s primitive camping is available to through-hikers, making it one of the few spots on Delaware’s ADT segment with overnight options on public land.
Practical access: parking, fees, and camping
Access to Redden is free. No entrance fee is listed on the Delaware Forest Service site for day use. That puts it in a different category from the coastal state parks, which charge a seasonal vehicle fee.
The Headquarters Tract has 18 primitive campsites, available year-round, by online reservation only. Tent camping only: no RVs, travel trailers, or motor homes; dogs must be leashed at the campsite. Current fees and booking details are on the camping page.
The Headquarters Tract also has the historic Redden Lodge, renovated in 1996, available for weekend and weeknight rentals at a nominal cost. It has a complete kitchen, is handicapped-accessible, and accommodates overnight visitors who bring their own bedding. A rental application with fees, rules, and a checklist is available from the Forest Service.
Fees, parking, dogs, and restrooms come first, not last.
Seasonal and hunting notes
Redden’s large timbered tracts are used for deer hunting, and hunting is a permitted use across the forest. One rule applies to every visit: Sunday hunting is prohibited on all Delaware State Forest property, per a standing alert on agriculture.delaware.gov.
That means any day of the week except Sunday is a potential hunting day on active tracts during the appropriate seasons. If you’re hiking during fall and winter, check the hunting calendar and consider wearing blaze orange on weekdays.
Off-road vehicles, including e-bikes, are prohibited in all Delaware state forests.
The forest’s interior stays shaded in summer heat more reliably than the coastal park trails. In the off-season, the quiet here is notably different from the beach-area crowds. Shoulder seasons are when this forest is at its best.
Frequently asked questions
Is Redden State Forest free to visit?
Yes. The Delaware Forest Service lists no entrance fee for day use at Redden. The only fees published are for overnight camping and firewood. This is different from the five Delaware State Parks in Sussex County, which charge a seasonal vehicle fee.
How many miles of trails does Redden State Forest have?
According to the Delaware Forest Service, Redden has over 44 miles of trails spread across its 18 tracts. Only one trail has a published name and length on official sources: the HQ Headquarters Loop, 4.0 miles, in the Headquarters Tract near Georgetown.
Can you camp at Redden State Forest?
Yes. The Headquarters Tract has 18 primitive campsites, available 365 days a year by online reservation only. Tent camping only, no RVs or motor homes. Dogs must be leashed. Fees and booking are on the Delaware Forest Service camping page.
Are dogs allowed at Redden State Forest?
Dogs must be leashed in the campsite area, per the camping regulations. The state forests page doesn’t publish a general day-use leash rule. Check current rules before your visit if you’re bringing a dog.
Is hunting allowed at Redden State Forest?
Yes. Large timbered tracts at Redden are used for deer hunting. Sunday hunting is prohibited on all state forest property. Check the state forest hunting page for season dates before visiting on weekdays in fall and winter.
Redden is one piece of a wider free-hiking network; the Sussex County hiking guide maps how it fits with the rest.
Photos: Delaware Forest Service, Redden Lodge (CC BY 3.0) and Forest Education Center (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Last verified: 2026-06.