New Castle County Loop

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Historical Significance · River/Creek · Wildlife

This trail circuit has it all—technical rocky and root-laden singletrack, challenging hills that can be steep but not too long, doubletrack, and flat areas where it is easy to cruise and make up time.

Be ready for very technical terrain with lots of rocks and roots. There are several stream crossings so be prepared for your feet to get wet as well.

The start/end point on this map is free parking. The park is open dawn til dusk, but, I have been there from the early morning into the dawn and in the evening into the night without repercussions or anyone saying anything.

The main parking areas for Brandywine Creek Park do require a fee or park pass, but there are many other parking areas with no fees—like the one on this map.

There are many different places that could be start points for this hike. What is shown here is where I normally start, and I usually start headed north. The loop starts with roots and rocky singletrack through treelines on the edge of farmland. The hills are rolling, and not too high, but some can be steep in places and very technical.

After some stream crossings and technical singletrack, you get to some flat, open doubletrack where you can catch your breath or push the pace. Much of this is along the scenic Brandywine Creek. Then you get back into technical, hilly singletrack.

This route spans both the First State National Historical Park and Brandywine Creek State Park. I nearly always seen deer along this route in many different places. I once saw a bald eagle and you can catch plenty of hawks and other birds.

Because this route is along the Brandywine River, there's lots of water fowl as well as squirrels, chipmunks, and deer. Nearly every morning all year round I see deer on these trails and in this park. There are many truly old trees, especially some beautiful, enormous Sycamores near the creek.