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Forest Service: State Forests
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State Forests
The Forest Service manages three state forests
totaling over 19,000 acres; Blackbird Forest near Smyrna,
Taber Forest near Harrington, and Redden Forest near Georgetown.
The forests are managed for a variety of objectives including:
timber production, wildlife habitat enhancement, forest management
demonstration, and recreational opportunities. Blackbird and
Redden contain our northern and southern field offices, outdoor
educational trails, and wildland fire suppression equipment.
All three state forests are open to the public for a variety
of recreational activities, including hiking, horseback
riding, and in-season hunting.
State Forests Rules
and Regulations
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Blackbird |
for
more information: James.Dobson@state.de.us |
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Blackbird State Forest, located on the border
of New Castle and Kent Counties, is Delaware's northernmost
state forest. It is only a 30-minute commute from Wilmington
and Newark. It has nine tracts totaling over 5,400 acres
and contains a mixture of oaks, yellow-poplar, maple, gums,
and hickories. Our northern regional office is located on
the Tybout Tract on Blackbird Forest Road.
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Blackbird is a popular site for outdoor
recreation. Its 40 miles of trails are used extensively
for hiking, running, bicycling, horseback riding, and
cross-country skiing. There is also a 2,200 foot paved
nature trail designed for wheelchair accessibility. The
trail system at Blackbird interconnects five primitive
campsites and four picnic sites, available on a first-come,
first-served basis. Blackbird is also open to hunting
and catch-and-release fishing
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Taber |
for
more information: Chris.Miller@state.de.us |
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- Taber State Forest lies in southwestern Kent County and is the
smallest of Delaware's State Forests at 1,273 acres. It is managed
primarily for timber production and wildlife habitat. Situated
in a secluded, rural setting, Taber is a very popular hunting
site. The major timber types on Taber State Forest are loblolly
pine and mixed upland hardwoods.
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Redden |
for
more information: Erich Burkentine or Gerald Webb |
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- Redden State Forest, Delaware's largest state forest totaling
over 12,400 acres is located in central Sussex County just
north of Georgetown. Loblolly pine is the primary tree species
on the forest, although Redden also has stands of mixed hardwoods,
including oaks, maple, and gum.
- With over 44 miles of trails, the 18 tracts of Redden State
Forest are popular for hiking, horseback riding, bicycling,
and bird watching. Redden's large timbered tracts are also
ideal for deer hunting. Our southern regional office is located
at the Headquarters Tract on East Redden Road. This tract
also has a limited number of primitive camping sites and a
small, catch-and-release fishing pond. The Headquarters Tract
also contains a natural resource education facility, formerly
a historic carriage house, which opened in 2000 (for more
information see the Forestry Education page of our website).
Additionally, the historic Redden Lodge, renovated in 1996,
is open to the public at a nominal cost. Weekend, daily, and
night reservations are available. The Lodge has a complete
kitchen and is handicapped-accessible although overnight visitors
must bring their own sleeping bags or cots, as there are no
sleeping facility.
- Rental
Application
includes information on Rental Fees, Rules,
and Lodge Checklist
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