Junction and Breakwater Rail Trail:
Delaware
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Description:
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 Wolfe Neck 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 pines. Turn left to head 0.6 mile to the trail's end, or turn right to head toward Rehoboth Beach. 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, geese (both snow and Canada geese) can be spotted in the air, and deer, squirrels, and other small woodland animals share the trail.
At the trail's southern end, Tanger Outlets provides bargain hunters with an opportunity to break from the trail, shop the mall, and grab a bite to eat before heading back into the relative calm of the Junction and Breakwater Trail.
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Parking & Trail Access:
To reach Wolfe Neck, take State Route 1 to Lewes. If traveling north on Route 1, turn right onto Wolfe Neck Road. (If you are traveling south on Route 1, you will need to pass this turn and take a U-turn at the next traffic light in order to access Wolfe Neck Road. You can also go slightly farther south on Route 1 and turn left onto Munchy Branch Road, which you follow as it curves to the left until it hits Wolfe Neck Road.) You will see the Wolfe House on your right, where parking, restrooms, and a water fountain can be found next to the 0.2-mile path leading to the trail.
To reach the trail's end, from Rehoboth, take Route 1 toward the Tanger Outlets (36470 Seaside Outlet Drive in Rehoboth Beach). There is a bike/pedestrian path from the parking lot of the Tanger Outlets (look between the buildings in the middle) to the actual trail.
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Reviews: [3 trail ratings]
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Delaware's model rail trail: Junction & Breakwater
By safetylady in September, 2011
Sept. 2011 - Wow! Delaware finally has a showcase rail trail from beginning to end! I camped at Cape Henlopen State Park (about 2 miles from trailhead), rode wide shoulders past Cape May Ferry and scenic backroad. Next to the Lewes trailhead are off-road smooth paths leading to high school and neighborhoods. Met a steady stream of walkers, runners, bikers and mothers pushing strollers. Other reviews provide good descriptions; the photos "say" it all. Talked to a senior couple who said they ride it every day! - Linda Young, RTC member
Nice trail to get you away from the traffic
By ewinslow in August, 2011
For bicyclists this definitely serves as a nice route to get between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach without dealing with automotive traffic. It's also a great running route as all other running in this area puts you out on cement sidewalks or on road shoulders dealing with the traffic. This trail was a nice respite from that and the mostly crushed stone surface was very welcome. The passage alongside farmland and through wetlands and forest was enjoyable.
The Rehoboth/Dewey/Lewes area's newest attraction
By jmcginnis11 in June, 2011
Built along the path of an old railroad that served as the main access to Rehoboth Beach long before the construction of Route 1, the Junction & Breakwater Rail Trail provides tourists with an excellent opportunity to escape from the bustle of town for a couple hours. The homes and condos of West Rehoboth soon give way to lush forests and open farmlands as one travels northwest towards Lewes. Although a previous reviewer complained that the dense vegetation blocks out the views of adjacent glades, it also provides cool shade from the intense sunlight that is typical of the Delmarva Peninsula's hot, humid summers. Patient users are also guaranteed to see some of the area's abdundant wildlife, while history buffs are encouraged to follow the branch trail to the trailhead at Wolfe Neck, where the Wolfe House, the only remaining home in a small village that once stood on the spot, is being restored, and peek through the trees off the causeway south of Gills Neck, where one of the lookout towers that were used to watch for German U-Boats during World War II, can be seen above the horizon. A short distance to the north, the trail's crushed stone surface is replaced by wide, concrete sidewalk that runs down the median of Gold Eagle Road for about a quarter-mile past a half-finished subdivision of stately homes. It abruptly reverts to crushed stone on the north end of this deveopment, then follows the perimeter of a farmer's field for the final quarter-mile to Gills Neck Road, just south of the historic town of Lewes. In addition to providing a non-motorized link between the area's two most important towns, the Junction & Breakwater Trail also gives tourists a glimpse of what this section of the Delmarva was like in the days before commercial and residential sprawl grew up along Routes 1 and 9. It is recommended to any hiking or cycling enthusiast who plans to visit the region.
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