Biker Dude
Member
I'm going to White Clay next weekend and just wondering if there is anything I should know about getting to the park or the park itself. I hear it's the best 'flowy' trail anywhere around here.
White Clay
- Thread starter Biker Dude
- Start date
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
Don't park at White Clay -- park at Middle Run. White Clay is a state park so there is a charge to park there. Middle Run is connected to it, but it's a county park so no charge. And it's a better place to start from anyway. If you are coming from 273 heading toward UD, take the Route 2/Route 72 right turn and go under the bridge. Follow it to where 72 splits off (left turn at the garden center) and take that up to Possum Hollow Road. Take a right turn onto Possum Hollow Road and then a left turn into the park's dirt road maybe a quarter mile down or so. Follow the dirt road to the end for the Middle Run Parking area. From there, you can access the trailhead and then just explore. All the trails at Middle Run are flowy, so you can't really go wrong anywhere.
I'm headed down there this weekend with some friends for the first time, any additional info you could give?
or anyone else for that matter. Been reading past posts too, some are from 2013.
Thanks,
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teabagger11
Well-Known Member
last time i went to white clay i parked at bike shop off polly drummond road, cross the road and drop right into the park
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
These are just personal opinions, but:
The Judge Morris Estate area is a "don't miss" section -- one contained loop out. It's the circled portion in this map:
Also, if you make it over toward David English on the other side of the park, do that trail "clockwise" -- that way, you get a really fun set of whoop-de-dos at the end of it. It's the circled portion in this pic:
(BTW - that out and back section above it is the "boundary line trail" - it's worth doing only if you don't mind the ride out to the end. The ride back is all downhill and a lot of fun, but it's a bit out of the way for a normal ride.)
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
Thanks for the link, Martin. We ended up doing this today:
https://www.strava.com/activities/385679749/overview
Didn't do a full tour because we have the race tomorrow but got in a solid 2 hour ride. These trails are some awesome stuff. Super fun!
jackx
Well-Known Member
Good call.. I was wondering about that too!
Heckler says there wasn't much down here. We didn't check ourselves though.
@Norm, glad you and d enjoyed. Dont forget fair hill is literally right down the road, and also a fun ride.
@mattybfat, @jackx, i believe lums pond sp is the camping spot. Not too far from wc and fh. @Mitch might know something about this place
The trailspinner jamboree @fair hill is oct 24? Camping at lums and making a weekend double of fh/wc is a definite possibility.
@mattybfat, @jackx, i believe lums pond sp is the camping spot. Not too far from wc and fh. @Mitch might know something about this place
The trailspinner jamboree @fair hill is oct 24? Camping at lums and making a weekend double of fh/wc is a definite possibility.
teabagger11
Well-Known Member
lum's pond also has some nice single track around parts of the lake
Elk Neck State Park (MD) is a nice campground option on the northern tip of the Chesapeake. If you plan out in advance, you can score a campsite overlooking the shipping channel, which is pretty cool if you like boats. You'd pass Iron Hill, DE (MASS Race) and Fair Hill, MD (MASS Race and huuuge trail network) to get to White Clay, which is roughly 40 mins drive from the campground. Allegedly, there are some trails worth riding at Elk Neck State Park, but I've not been there in years and I have no idea where they are.
If you're looking for a long day on the bike, you can park at Fair Hill and ride to White Clay. If you search strava for "4 park ride" near Newark, DE a few rides come up that would show you how to connect them.
These are just personal opinions, but:
The Judge Morris Estate area is a "don't miss" section -- one contained loop out. It's the circled portion in this map:
Also, if you make it over toward David English on the other side of the park, do that trail "clockwise" -- that way, you get a really fun set of whoop-de-dos at the end of it. It's the circled portion in this pic:
(BTW - that out and back section above it is the "boundary line trail" - it's worth doing only if you don't mind the ride out to the end. The ride back is all downhill and a lot of fun, but it's a bit out of the way for a normal ride.)
Thanks for posting this. This is pretty much what we did. Awesome place, best i've ridden yet. (only ridden in central and south NJ). Headed back in 8 hours.
Yeah, I know Amy used to be a local and you just need to know the best way to connect the two. The people that specifically say "4 park ride" are the ones that typically live in the area and ride that stuff all the time... they'll know whats up. The 4 park ride is like a local rite of passage or soemthing like that, which is why seeking out those rides will yield best results. I'm sure 1speeds ride is a good one as well (i cant access the garmin connect stuff from my office).
wheelsolias
Active Member
I have a 5 park tour I did. You could easily make it a 8 park ride by adding Redd Park, Iron Hill and Rittenhouse Park.
https://connect.garmin.com/activity/95797004
https://connect.garmin.com/activity/95797004