Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Trails, DE and MD with Lums Pond State Park

ABOUT THE PARKS:

Canal History - US Army Corps of Engineers

Michael N Castle C&D Canal Trail - Delaware Greenways

Michael N Castle C&D Canal Trail - TrailLink

Delaware City Branch Canal trail provides scenic wetlands, historic experience - Delaware Public Media

Ben Cardin C&D Canal Trail - TrailLink

Lums Pond State Park - Delaware State Parks

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 39.55336, -75.65345

St. Georges Trailhead

TRAIL MAPS: 

Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Conservation Area Map - Delaware Greenways

Lums Pond State Park Trail Map - Delaware State Parks

BIKE DISTANCE:  39.8 miles

THE BIKE:  

I had hiked in Lums Pond State Park back in 2013 with a side trip over to where construction on the Michael Castle Trail was just beginning.  

Leaving the parking lot on the access trail ...

... then left for 4 miles to Delaware City.

The Michael Castle Trail ends and the half mile Delaware City Branch Trail begins.

The Branch Trail end at Canal Street where I turned left.

Bikes are now allowed on the brick walkway but at this time of the morning there was no traffic here at all.

Heading to that bike rack up ahead to secure the bike and walk to Battery Park.

This sign (as well as the one in Maryland) is a bit misleading.  As impressive as the canal is, it was not created in its entirety by hand in the 1820's.  That was just the first stage of it, as monumental a task as that was.  (It was widened and deepened a few times later over the years.)  2600 men dug it out over a period of 4 years in the 1820's for 75 cents a day which is $19.40 in today's currency.

In season there is a ferry from here to Pea Patch Island and on to Fort Mott State Park in NJ - thinking that would be something fun to do with the grandkids next year.

LOL - a bird decided to add it's own touch to the sign.

Heading back to grab the bike.

The Michael Castle Trail begins.

I can never catch these guys in flight and just barely got this one - while riding the bike!

I had seen this trail a level closer to the canal so I veered left to that back.

It's mostly paved with benches just like the other trail.

It meets back up with the Michael Castle Trail.

Taking that access trail on the right back to the car to get something ...

... then continuing on to the left for 3 1/4 miles to the marina detour.

But first, that bridge up ahead.

Looked to me like it was a railroad bridge that would be lowered to allow trains to cross.  I was right. Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Railroad Bridge

The only ship I saw all day.

At this point there is a long detour around a marina.

The trail switchbacks in the opposite direction ..

... then back the other way to a road.

Straight through here and through a parking lot ...

... the trail resumes but still at a higher level.

At the South Lums Trailhead I left the Michael Castle trail to cut through that parking lot for a 1 mile ride over to Lums Pond State Park to bike the Little Jersey Trail that I had not hiked when I was there before.

It's just a matter of continuing along the access road ...

... veering to the right at the intersection ...

... on a very quiet road where I encountered no traffic.

Then it's a right on pretty busy Red Lion Road ...

... for a very short distance on a dedicated bike lane to a left into the Lums Pond State Park campground up ahead.

Just after turning into the park, the multi-use Little Jersey Trail crosses over the campground road at the crosswalk.  I turned right to go around counterclockwise.

Sometimes this trail is crushed gravel, other times gravel, dirt, grass, paved, you name it, it is there.  It's often not the easiest route to bike but it is quite a workout.

Lums Pond

Completing the loop back at the campground road and turning right to retrace.

Coming out of the South Lums Trailhead parking lot, a hard right to continue.

Now down a switchback back to canal level.

I saw another alternate route that was gravel but not bad to ride.  The Michael Castle trail is up on the right; I'd take that on the way back.

Just a very short section that has deep, loose, large chunky gravel that I walked across.

Stopped to go out on that fishing dock.

This gravel road meets back up with the Michael Castle Trail.

The Michael Castle Trail ends at the Delaware state line ...

... and the Ben Cardin Trail begins at the Maryland state line.  This trail is only 1.8 miles long.

At the end of the trail.

Heading back.

Back into Delaware.

Now on the Michael Castle Trail on the upper level where the gravel road I had been on before is below on the right.

Coming back up on the detour around the marina.

Down the switchback then left.

That second bridge is where my exit it.

And here we are, a left ...

... back to the parking lot.