By Dave Wilson April 1, 2004
A new biking and walking trail at Cape Henlopen State Park could be the first phase in linking Lewes and Rehoboth. The Junction and Breakwater Trail was officially opened Dec. 4, 2003 during a ribbon cutting at the trail head off Wolfe Neck Road on the southwestern side of Cape Henlopen State Park midway between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.
The 3.6-mile crushed stone trail is 12 feet wide, narrowing to 8 feet at a restored railroad bridge at Holland Glade. Developers of the trail have taken the best segments of the old railroad bed and then created an alternative corridor that skirts along beautiful wooded areas and across two recognized natural areas, Holland Glade and Wolf Glade. At one point you can see the towers of Cape Henlopen.
Extending the trail to Lewes to the north and Rehoboth to the south is the next phase of the project and state officials are working with developers, property owners and the two communities to begin the project.
The Junction and Breakwater Trail gets its name from the rail line that ran between Lewes and Rehoboth in the mid-1800s. In 1998, the state began acquiring land on the west side of the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal to buffer the core of Cape Henlopen State Park. By 2000, a total of 2,021 acres had been acquired in 10 transactions.
This has created space for three potential locations for building narrower nature trails through wooded areas off the Junction and Breakwater to expand opportunities for biking and hiking.
The trail can be accessed east of Route 1 by taking Munchy Branch Road to Wolfe Neck Road or from the trailhead off Holland Glade Road located behind Rehoboth Outlets. The trail is open for walking and biking and the surface is suited for wheelchair or battery-powered devises for disabled persons. There are restrooms. For more information, call 302-739-4702 or visit www.destateparks.com.
