There’s some great running south of Wilmington. Two of our favorites are Lums Pond State Park, and the 14-mile Michael N. Castle Trail at the C&D Canal, which has a trailhead at the southern end of the park.
Lums Pond SP. Wikimedia Commons
Lums Pond State Park. This 1,800 acre park has many miles of multi-purpose trails, sports fields, and is also popular for fishing and boating. The trails have a good variety, ranging from woods, open fields and meadows, and some swampland. This park map shows several possible loops, with two longer options — the 6.9 Swamp Forest trail and the 8.8 mile Little Jersey. Note this is easy to moderate trail running. Note: entrance fee required.
Michael N. Castle Trail. This 14-mile trail along the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal is a favorite for longer runs. It runs from Chesapeake City in the west to Delaware City in the east. There are options for paved and gravel paths, with great canal views a good part of the way, plus woods, farms, and fields. There’s a trailhead at the south end of Lums Pond. From there, the trail goes for 5.25 miles west to Chesapeake City (the last 2 miles are on the Ben Cardin Trail. East of Lums Pond Park, there’s a 3/4 mile on-road section at the Grain H20 Restaurant (great gastropub!). The St. George’s Trailhead is at the St. George’s Bridge (10 mile mark, west to east), Biddle Point is at 12 miles, and the eastern point is at Fort Delaware State Park (good crabshack there!).
There’s some great running south of Wilmington. Two of our favorites are Lums Pond State Park, and the 14-mile Michael N. Castle Trail at the C&D Canal, which has a trailhead at the southern end of the park.
Lums Pond SP. Wikimedia Commons
Lums Pond State Park. This 1,800 acre park has many miles of multi-purpose trails, sports fields, and is also popular for fishing and boating. The trails have a good variety, ranging from woods, open fields and meadows, and some swampland. This park map shows several possible loops, with two longer options — the 6.9 Swamp Forest trail and the 8.8 mile Little Jersey. Note this is easy to moderate trail running. Note: entrance fee required.
Michael N. Castle Trail. This 14-mile trail along the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal is a favorite for longer runs. It runs from Chesapeake City in the west to Delaware City in the east. There are options for paved and gravel paths, with great canal views a good part of the way, plus woods, farms, and fields. There’s a trailhead at the south end of Lums Pond. From there, the trail goes for 5.25 miles west to Chesapeake City (the last 2 miles are on the Ben Cardin Trail. East of Lums Pond Park, there’s a 3/4 mile on-road section at the Grain H20 Restaurant (great gastropub!). The St. George’s Trailhead is at the St. George’s Bridge (10 mile mark, west to east), Biddle Point is at 12 miles, and the eastern point is at Fort Delaware State Park (good crabshack there!).
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Essentials
Multiple loop options in Lums Pond SP; C&D Canal Trail is up to 14 miles
C&D Canal Trail is flat
Entrance for Lums Pond is off Howell School Rd. For C&D Canal Trail, numerous start/access points!
Parking lot at Lums Pond SP; For C&D Canal Trail, there are trailheads at Chesapeake City, Lums Pond SP, St. George's, Biddle Point, Delaware City
Another great running option in downtown Wilmington, the Jack A. Markell Trail goes for 4.2 miles. Highlights are a 1.5 mile Riverwalk section, then 1 mile on a wooden boardwalk through the Russell Peterson Wildlife Refuge.
Just northeast of downtown, there are wonderful paved paths in the Olmsted-designed Brandywine Park, on both sides of the creek. Good connections to additional trails in Alapocas State Park and Rockford Park. Great running track nearby!
Lovely trails on the grounds of a Gothic Manor House at Rockwood Park, connecting through the wooded Bringhurst Woods Park to trails in Bellevue State Park, the former Dupont Estate, which includes a 1.1 mile Fitness Track. All part of the Greenway Trail.
A run near downtown Wilmington on Kentmere Parkway and Bancroft Parkway -- attractive streets with grassy medians and lovely homes well set back from the road. They hearken back to an era of thoughtful urban/neighborhood design.
Northeast of Wimington, Brandywine Creek State Park has miles of trails for running, with easier or more challenging options. Just west, the Winterthur du Pont estate offers a one-of-a-kind run around botanical gardens, including 10 miles of roads.
Just south of Wilmington, in New Castle, runners will find the New Castle Battery Park. A short paved path follows along the Delaware River for about 2 miles one-way.
Excellent running options in Newark, 13 miles south of Wilmington: a reservoir loop trail, two paved rail trails, paths around the University of Delaware Campus, and great trail running in White Clay Creek State Park. And, cross the Mason Dixon Line!
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Essentials
Multiple loop options in Lums Pond SP; C&D Canal Trail is up to 14 miles
C&D Canal Trail is flat
Entrance for Lums Pond is off Howell School Rd. For C&D Canal Trail, numerous start/access points!
Parking lot at Lums Pond SP; For C&D Canal Trail, there are trailheads at Chesapeake City, Lums Pond SP, St. George's, Biddle Point, Delaware City
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Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!