Rail-Trails Mid-Atlantic. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
trail traffic.
Be prepared, especially on long-distance rural trails. Bring water, snacks, maps, a light source, matches, and other equipment you may need. Because some areas may not have good reception for mobile phones, know where you’re going, and tell someone else your plan.
Key to Trail Use
Learn More
While Rail-Trails: Mid-Atlantic is a helpful guide to available routes in the region, it wasn’t feasible to list every rail-trail and multiuse trail in the Mid-Atlantic, and new trails spring up each year. To learn about additional multiuse trails in your area or to plan a trip to an area beyond the scope of this book, visit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s trail-finder website, TrailLink.com—a free resource with information on more than 30,000 miles of trails nationwide.
Delaware
US 13 crosses over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal along the Michael Castle Trail.
1 James F. Hall Trail
County
New Castle
Endpoints
Phillips Park to Delaware Technology Park at Wyoming Road (Newark)
Mileage
1.8
Type
Rail-with-Trail
Roughness Index
1
Surface
Asphalt
The James F. Hall Trail—a rail-with-trail—packs a lot into a short stretch: Its paved surface is great for bicycling, in-line skating, and strolling, and there are multiple playgrounds, picnic areas, and access points along the route. Best of all, this urban trail never crosses a road, so you can coast uninterrupted for its entire length from Phillips Park to Delaware Technology Park. The trail also offers alternative transportation benefits, connecting Newark neighborhoods with a regional transit station, the University of Delaware, and shopping centers.
Train aficionados are almost guaranteed to spot a train along the adjacent rail corridor, used by Amtrak, CSX, and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). But you won’t get too close to the trains because a large fence separates the trail from the active line. Families with young children will especially enjoy this route, which passes three city parks (Phillips, Lewis, and Kells) that feature swings, slides, baseball diamonds, and soccer fields, plus basketball, handball, and tennis courts. The trail also crosses streams and wetlands and runs through a semi-forested area. Police call boxes are provided every 0.1 mile, and the trail is lit for use after dark.
A jogger heads east on the trail toward DE 72.
The James F. Hall Trail is also a connector trail, and just east of South Chapel Street, you can choose to head north on the 4.4-mile Pomeroy and Newark Rail Trail. That trail leads to White Clay Creek State Park, where it goes on to connect to the 2.3-mile Creek Road Trail.
CONTACT: cityofnewarkde.us
DIRECTIONS
To reach Bradford Ln. at the southeastern end of the trail, from I-95, take Exit 1 or 1B for DE 896 (College Ave.), and travel north 2.1 miles. Turn left onto W. Park Pl. After 0.4 mile, turn left onto Apple Road. After 0.3 mile, turn right onto Chrysler Ave. Follow Chrysler Ave. for 0.1 mile to Bradford Ln. (just after Devon Dr.). Turn left onto Bradford Ln. The trail is at the end of the road (0.2 mile). There is no dedicated parking at this location.
To reach the College Ave./SEPTA Station, from I-95, take Exit 1 or 1B for DE 896 (College Ave.), and travel north 1.6 miles to head downtown. Take a left onto Moplar St., and then take an immediate right to stay on Moplar. The SEPTA station and parking are to your right.
To reach Delaware Technology Park at the northern end of the trail, from I-95, take Exit 1 or 1B for DE 896 (College Ave.), and travel north 2.1 miles toward downtown. Turn right onto E. Park Pl., and take it for 0.6 mile. Turn left onto S. Chapel St. Turn right onto Wyoming Road, and take it for 0.6 mile. Park across from the College Square Shopping Center. The trail begins at the intersection of Wyoming Road and Library Ave.
2 Junction & Breakwater Trail
County
Sussex
Endpoints
Kings Hwy./US 9 at Gills Neck Road (Lewes) to Hebron Road/CR 273 (Rehoboth)
Mileage
4.8
Type
Rail-Trail
Roughness Index
1
Surface
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
This beautiful, pine-studded rail-trail winds through Cape Henlopen State Park next to wetlands and farmland, offering a break from the nearby beaches and eclectic shopping areas. The trail runs from Gills Neck Road in Lewes to the town of Rehoboth Beach and provides a perfect nature retreat.
The trail is mostly crushed stone, except for the last 0.2 mile near Rehoboth, when it becomes asphalt. As it is well traveled by locals and tourists alike, be sure to remember your trail etiquette. You will be sharing the mostly flat route with bicyclists, walkers, runners, wheelchair users, and families with strollers and dogs. Pick up the trail at Wolfe Glade (off Wolfe Neck Road), a forested area of oak, hemlock, and pine. Turn left to head 0.6 mile to the trail’s beginning, or turn right to head toward Rehoboth Beach. You can also start at the western endpoint along Kings Highway/US 9 where it meets Gills Neck Road.
The cornfields, forests, and salt marshes of the region create a unique habitat for hawks.
Along the way, the trail offers views of wetlands—especially at Holland Glade—via a refurbished 80-foot railroad bridge built in 1913. Continue farther and you’ll find yourself flanked by cornfields and forests. Hawks and geese (both