Click on the counties below to see the best of the great outdoors.
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Ultimate Guide to Recreation
—by Emma Way
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Dave Small
Secretary, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
One of Small’s favorite outdoor spaces is the Little Creek Wildlife Area—and not just because of its views. His daughter was proposed to there, surrounded by its diversity of wildlife and far-reaching views of the Delaware Bay. “It’s an incredibly rich, ecologically diverse area—and it’s special to me,” he says. Small also enjoys Killens Pond State Park and his neighborhood park, Brecknock, in Camden, where he can get up close and personal with nature in his own backyard.
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Barbara Woodford
DNREC
With the outdoors as her office, Woodford is constantly immersed in nature. Every season offers something new, she says, whether it’s “taking spring wildflower walks, being serenaded by a frog chorus on a summer evening, catching swirling fall leaves while wandering the forest trails or hiking through the soundless snowfall searching for animal tracks.” Her favorite state parks include Lums Pond, White Clay Creek, Brandywine and Alapocas Run. “See you in the park,” she says.
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Brian Boutin
Director of Conservation Programs, The Nature Conservancy
Sussex County is all about the beaches, which is perfect for Boutin, who loves the sand, sea and sun. His favorite is Fenwick Island for its clear blue waters and good company. “Every time I go to the beach, I don’t want to be jam-packed. I like to have some space,” he says. Boutin also enjoys taking his two kids crabbing on Assawoman Bay or going on quiet walks through Redden State Forest, James Farm Preserve and public preserves in Sussex County.