Explore the best rated trails in Dover, DE. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Elephant Swamp Trail and Springlawn Trail. With more than 82 trails covering 239 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
This is a great trail, well maintained, connects to other trails and full of wildlife. I have walked biked and run this trail for over ten years and it's never crowded. There is a small parking area on the southern end at the Rt 10 trail head with direct access to the trail. It's my go to place to walk my dogs or a bike ride without traffic.
Very nice trail and view. Got to get the pack to enjoythis ride
Started at Sun Resorts Seashore and rode on the new extension just a little way past the zoo. I believe the extension connects with the Dennis Township bike path for a grand total of 13 miles.
This was a nice ride to do in the fall. The route mostly went thru wooded areas. It was an easy mostly level ride over a gravel path that sometimes got narrow between the trees. It was 4.5 miles starting and ending at the nature center parking lot.
Rode the Michael N Castle Trail on 10/6/2022. Temps in the lower 70's and clear sky. Not sure what to expect so we parked at the Biddle Point Trailhead off of Cox Rd. Parking for about 75 or more cars. Has non-flush type, permanent outhouses. From this point east to Delaware City is about 3+ miles. This quaint city is beautiful. Had a BBQ sandwich at Enda's. Rode south almost to the end of the trail. This trail is paved, smooth, and relatively flat. There is no shade at all so on a hot summer day better start early in the morning. People we passed on the trail were friendly. Next time I think I will park at the Summit Bridge Trailhead as it would be about mid-point of the trail. Was told there is a parking lot just west of the city. Scenery along the canal is beautiful.
Located in a quaint hamlet that feels like it's much further out in the country than the edge of the Philadelphia and Wilmington suburbs, the Landenberg Junction Trail is one of the more unusual trails in the region.
Like the nearby Mill Race Trail, the Landenberg Junction Trail is actually three different paths that join together.
The Lower Trail consists of a crushed stone path that is suitable for hiking and biking. It extends south along the banks of the White Clay Creek from a trailhead that is immediately south of Landenberg Road. Although parking is available at this trailhead, users also have the option to park in the larger lot located off nearby Penn Green Road and walk or bike across the creek via the walkway on the north side of the historic Landenberg Bridge. There is also a kiosk that interprets the surrounding area, and a tall stone wall can be made out behind the vegetation covering the ridge. This structure was once an abutment for a bridge that once carried the Newark & Pomeroy RR over Landenberg Road.
After entering the woods, the Lower Trail forks in two just a few hundred feet south of the trailhead. Here, trail users have the option of either continuing south to a nature area with an amphibian pond, habitat gardens and a picnic area, or ascending a gravel ramp that leads up the hillside to the remains of the Landenberg Junction and the two other segments of the trail.
These two old RR grades, which now have short gravel paths extending along them, along with the aforementioned abutment are all that remain of a once bustling industrial and transportation complex. The Middle Trail follows the route of the Newark & Pomeroy RR, while the Upper Trail is built along a section of the Wilmington & Western RR. The former RR ran north to south along the White Clay Creek, providing connections to Newark and Avondale, while the latter ran east to Hockessin, providing a link to Wilmington and Philadelphia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Both freight and passenger trains served this junction and allowed Landenberg to become the site of several mills. The railroads were abandoned in 1936 and now, nearly a century later, the hillside has been almost completely reclaimed by nature.
Although there is a second ramp linking the Upper and Middle trails, this is very steep and looked more like it belonged on a BMX course than a trail. A wooden stairway also connects these two paths, and I would recommend checking them out on foot rather than biking due to their very short length.
More of an outdoor museum than a trail, the Landenberg Junction Trail does a great job informing visitors of this bucolic village's bustling past.
First, although "bicycling" is listed as one of the permitted uses of this trail, this is not the case. Only the middle section of the trail, which follows the old RR grade of the long abandoned Newark & Pomeroy line, is bikeable, and even this is accessible only with a mountain bike. The western and eastern sections of the trail are narrow footpaths suitable only for hiking.
That being said, the Mill Race Trail is stunning in its beauty and passes through a diverse array of habitats and environments in just a short distance.
Actually a small network of 3 paths, the trail can be divided into three different sections:
1) The western section-A dirt and woodchip paved footpath, the western section begins at a trailhead off Lavender Hill Lane. A sign marks the trailhead, which is little more than a small parking lot. The trail itself actually begins at a kiosk located at the bottom of a steep, grassy slope, descending into the woods. Once in the woods, the trail follows a rustic, wooden fence behind the subdivision's homes before zigzagging down the steep hill via a series of switchbacks. The fencing resumes near the foot of the hill, where the trail passes along the north side of a meadow-like clearing to the middle section and the banks of the White Clay Creek.
2) The middle section-The middle section of the trail follows the grade of the long-defunct Pomeroy-Newark RR, extending from Auburn Road north to the remains of a bridge that once carried the line over White Clay Creek. The site of a major train derailment back in 1904, the bridge is long gone and the concrete abutments are all that remain today. Unlike the other two sections. the middle section is both wide and level, though its grass covered and earthen surface means it's less developed than most rail trails. Other points of interest along the middle segment include wetlands which were formed when construction of the RR diverted the course of the creek, and the banks of the White Clay Creek on the east side. An old cut whose walls have partly collapsed since the line was abandoned nearly a century ago can be seen further north, between the junctions with the eastern section. Despite the passage of time, wooden RR ties still pop up from the trail's surface. so watch your step. Although the middle section connects to Auburn Road at its southern terminus, there is no formal trailhead here.
3) The eastern section-The eastern section of the trail begins just north of the junction between the western and middle sections, next to a stone picnic table that vaguely resembles a mushroom. After crossing another wetland on a small boardwalk, the dirt footpath follows the White Clay Creek around a peninsula, looping back to rejoin the middle section at the old RR bridge abutments. This section is noted for its wildlife as well as its history. The stones that formed a dam that diverted water from the creek into a race that once powered a nearby mill for which the trail is named are still visible on the east bank. Like the RR, the mill itself is long gone, having burned down in 1910.
All in all, the Mill Race Trail comes highly recommended to hikers who want a peaceful walk in the woods without going too far into the country. Long term plans call for a more developed rail trail to be built along the middle section, though the trail is great as currently featured. Visitors should also check out the nearby Landenberg Junction Trail to learn more about how this now serene and quaint suburban area was once a bustling hub of industry and transportation.
Drove over from our home in Bridgeville, DE for a short, scenic ride this morning. The trail going upstream (north) from the Marina is paved. One short section crosses over to the east bank of the creek and returns via the E. Central Ave vehicular bridge. Markings or directional signs for the continuation of the path are lacking, but we figured it out.
A short way above the return to the west bank, we encounted a section of flooded path due to the high tide but we continued on to the loop at the northern end of the path.
Returning to the marina area, we took the path downstream (south) under the MD 318 bridge. The path here is poorly maintained crushed stone and seriously overgrown. The flooding along this stretch was even worse so we weren't able to continue on to the very end.
Still the path is a nice, short ride (or walk) that offers peaceful views of the creek. We were even afforded a close encounter with a Great Blue Heron we somehow snuck up on along one of the wooden sections south of Rte 318. Hopefully, the town can find some money to put into maintaining/improving the path in the near future.
It is a nice smooth ride but there are a few concerns when crossing some roads on the trail. One, in particular, is where the homeowner along the trails decided to line his property right up to the road with Bamboo. So dense that the vehicles or bikers approaching the crossing have no view of oncoming vehicle traffic or walkers until they are on the very small side lane. Other concerns along the path are a few sharp turns where near SHGC where after heavy rains you can see the runoff of crushed shells or sand where you can easily lose control even during a low-speed turn. Not enough location markers.
Brush is cut back away from 8ft wide paved path. Flat surface, easy walk, run, bike.
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