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2 Junction & Breakwater Trail

County

Sussex

Endpoints

Kings Hwy./US 9 at Gills Neck Road (Lewes) to Hebron Road/CR 273 (Rehoboth)

Mileage

4.8

Type

Rail-Trail

Roughness Index

1

Surface

Asphalt, Crushed Stone

This beautiful, pine-studded rail-trail winds through Cape Henlopen State Park next to wetlands and farmland, offering a break from the nearby beaches and eclectic shopping areas. The trail runs from Gills Neck Road in Lewes to the town of Rehoboth Beach and provides a perfect nature retreat.

The trail is mostly crushed stone, except for the last 0.2 mile near Rehoboth, when it becomes asphalt. As it is well traveled by locals and tourists alike, be sure to remember your trail etiquette. You will be sharing the mostly flat route with bicyclists, walkers, runners, wheelchair users, and families with strollers and dogs. Pick up the trail at Wolfe Glade (off Wolfe Neck Road), a forested area of oak, hemlock, and pine. Turn left to head 0.6 mile to the trail’s beginning, or turn right to head toward Rehoboth Beach. You can also start at the western endpoint along Kings Highway/US 9 where it meets Gills Neck Road.

The cornfields, forests, and salt marshes of the region create a unique habitat for hawks.

Along the way, the trail offers views of wetlands—especially at Holland Glade—via a refurbished 80-foot railroad bridge built in 1913. Continue farther and you’ll find yourself flanked by cornfields and forests. Hawks and geese (both snow and Canada geese) can be spotted in the air, and deer, squirrels, and other small woodland animals share the trail. At the trail’s southern end, Tanger Outlets provides bargain hunters an opportunity to break from the trail, shop the mall, and grab a bite to eat before heading back into the relative calm of the Junction & Breakwater Trail.

CONTACT: destateparks.com/activities/Trails/locations/cape-henlopen/#8

DIRECTIONS

To reach the endpoint at Gills Neck Road, from the intersection of US 9, Bus. US 9, and DE 1, travel east on DE 1 for 1.2 miles, and then take a left onto Kings Hwy./Road 268. Go approximately 1 mile. The trail is on the right. There is no official parking at this trailhead.

To reach Wolfe Neck and parking, from the intersection of DE 1 and DE 1A in Dewey Beach, go 3.9 miles northwest on DE 1, and turn right onto Wolfe Neck Road. Go approximately 1 mile. You will see the Wolfe House on your right, where parking, restrooms, and a water fountain can be found next to the 0.2-mile path leading to the trail. (If you are traveling east on DE 1 from the intersection of US 9, Bus. US 9, and DE 1, you will go 3 miles, pass this turn, and make a U-turn at the next traffic light to access Wolfe Neck Road. You can also go slightly farther south on DE 1 and turn left onto Munchy Branch Road, which you follow 0.5 mile, where it turns left and goes another 0.7 mile until it hits Wolfe Neck Road.)

To reach the trail’s end from the intersection of DE 1 and DE 1A in Dewey Beach, take DE 1 2.6 miles toward the Tanger Outlet Center (36470 Seaside Outlet Dr., Rehoboth Beach), which will be on your right. A bike/pedestrian path leads from the parking lot of the Tanger Outlet Center (look between the buildings in the middle) to the actual trail.