Full disclosure, a large part of the trail that goes through New Castle was my childhood in the…read more80's. Before this trail existed in New Castle, there once was railroad tracks and a train that would come along once in a while. "The tracks" as we called them, was our byway to school or Old New Castle. Long gone is the train and "the tracks" but what lies in its wake is a paved trail. This trail is roughly 10 miles round trip and runs from Old New Castle to Wilmington. On a fall day, my wife and I decided to walk this trail. We started in Old New Castle at New Castle Elementary School. The beauty of the Fall enhanced the trail. You immediately are walking through wetlands. After the wetlands, the course is sandwiched between Jefferson Farms (were I lived growing up) and Manor Gardens. The course then goes through an industrial park and crosses over Boulden Blvd and past Suburban Little League. After the baseball field, you go past Wilmington Manor before It runs under a couple of I-95 bridges, you pass the women's prison and the Delaware State Hospital. There is a nice pedestrian bridge that crosses over the Christina River and leads into more wetlands. Finally, the course ends at the DuPont Environmental Station. By this point, you are at the Wilmington Riverfront. After all this walking we grabbed a bite to eat before heading back down the trail. All in all, this is a great trail for walking, running, or biking.

I came to this wildlife area because ebird told me that it's a hotspot for birding. I didn't see…read moreanything really exciting or that I couldn't have seen in Pennsylvania, but we did have a nice walk and got to see a lot of different species. You could spend hours here going through the various trails available to you... it's easy to get lost in here. I recommend wearing hiking boots since it can be pretty muddy.

This paved park is by the Brandywine Library. I walked on the wooded portion while it was slightly…read moreraining. It was very nice viewing cattails and other plants. It was a very peaceful walk. If you have a dog, there is a dog park. There is a playground here and picnic tables.

A small but multi-functional park next to Brandywine Hundred Library. There is a baseball field, a…read morelarge grassy area for soccor, a playground and a picnic area. I saw some trails as well. Don't know where they lead too, didn't bother to find out. From what I've seen on my trips to the library over the years it looks like the park is largely used by little leauges as there are several schools also in the area. Plenty of parking as well.

This "state park" is bizarre to me. It's basically one long, paved pathway that has the Delaware…read moreRiver on one side, and a highway and train tracks on the other. There aren't many trees - it's not woodsy. Literally you can just walk down a long path and see the river. I came here because eBird told me it was a birding "hotspot" - but I didn't see one thing besides some Canada Geese and a few gulls. I don't think I'll be returning for birding or hiking. This pathway is really good for runners and joggers...that's about it, in my opinion. Oh, how could I forget...they also charge a fee for you to enter!! I just don't get it. There are so many other outdoor places where you can see more, do more, and pay NOTHING!

Attended a cookout here this past weekend. We were at pavilion A which is right by the restrooms…read moreand the playground. This is a pretty nice park. The grounds are well kept and the bathrooms were surprisingly clean. There are park rangers that come by from time to time. The day we went it wasn't crowded which is a plus. You do have to pay for parking $4 if you live in Del $8 if you live out of state. No complaints with this park. There are plenty of trash and with extra trash bags for easy clean up.

Nice state park. Access for kayaking. Has a pavilion for picnics etc. about 5 miles of trails…read morewith birding

This 731-acre county park just above the Maryland state line includes one of the larger…read moreoutcroppings or areas of serpentine barrens. From my one visit, Nottingham appears to be a very good park overall, with numerous pavilions for groups, and several other amenities. But it's the serpentine barrens (and also the proximity to Herr's and its Christmas light display) that attracted us the other day. Serpentine barrens developed from volcanic activity that accompanied plate tectonic collisions. So these barrens are believed to date from 480 million years ago, when the current Appalachian Mountains were created from one of the tectonic plate collisions. The serpentinite bedrock is not nutrient-friendly and it includes numerous rare metals that also inhibit routine vegetation. But it can and will get overrun by pine trees and other species that can handle the conditions. American Indians contained the barrens as grasslands by burning them off periodically. Then the new growth would attract grazing animals and make for good hunting for the Indians. Colonists did not understand or care about the dynamic and ended up losing much of the specialness that these barrens represent. In Nottingham, about half a mile up one of the marked trails, you first see the savannah-like ecosystem of the barrens. There are some trees, and some shrubs, but you will also soon see the green-tinged serpentine rock. In some areas, it is all the faint green color. Half a billion years old, you might remind yourself. There are also many pure white stones that may have resulted from the same or other process; don't know any more than that. A ranger in the office told us, You will right away see the strangeness and difference of the barrens. Well.... I could see it. My wife thought the strangeness and the green rock were both overhyped and the reality was disappointing. So be forewarned, you will probably not be overwhelmed by the serpentine barrens in this county park -- which has several trails and covers a lot of ground besides the barrens area. But if you are interested, the barrens are there and fun to tour. And if you're not, you're still going to get some good hiking up and down the modest hills of the territory. I will be going back in warmer weather to see what these barrens might look like in spring and summer. There is no charge for entering this county park.

Nottingham County Park - Located in Western Chester County right off of Rt 272. Close to the…read moreMaryland State Line. AKA Herr's Country. Herr,s plant property backs up to the park property. Super nice park with Hiking, Biking and Picnicking. Several grilling areas and pavilion are though out. Pavilions must be reserved. We hiked the perimeter trail. (Doe to Buck) The trail base is gravel and suited for hiking and biking.

It was a chilly fall morning to take a hike around Taylor Arboretum! This was a perfect COVID…read moreactivity..very few people out and enough room to social distance from others! We took the walk along the creek and stopped along the way to observe all the different types of trees--it was nice to see the holly trees still had berries that the deer didn't eat up! I like this area because it seems that it is a quiet place to enjoy in all seasons!

Taylor Arboretum is a hidden gem that isn't very busy. You can walk around the woods, along the…read morewater, or in open grassy areas. There are many birds to be seen, especially along the water, and it's just a very relaxing place to take a hike or a walk. Or have a picnic! Parking is ample. I do not believe they have restrooms, and if they do then they are easy to overlook. I will definitely be integrating this location into my birding rotation. It's definitely an overlooked spot.

I love to bring my dog here! Nice and peaceful. Two different size areas for dogs to run around…read morein. Small dogs and big dogs. I like to come here and relax and watch all the dogs have fun.

Large Heavily wooded county park on what is aby DE standards a fairly big hill - with some…read morehistorical old iron mines worked by Welsh settlers in the late 1700s and 1800s , several hiking trails, picnic areas, a disc golf course, a playground, and some info about a local revolutionary war history. Next to the park is a museum abouf the history of the old Welsh and African-American iron miners in the area, located in an old school which DuPont built for local African-American miner families. There is a covered picnic area with grills. There is a bark park for doggies.