The Junction and Breakwater Trail is a long
rail trail located on the southwestern side of
Cape Henlopen State Park
Cape Henlopen State Park is a Delaware state park on on Cape Henlopen in Sussex County, Delaware, in the United States. William Penn made the beaches of Cape Henlopen one of the first public lands established in what has become the United State ...
connecting
Lewes and
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach ( ) is a city on the Atlantic Ocean along the Delaware Beaches in eastern Sussex County, Delaware. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the population was 1,327, reflecting a decline of 161 (11.2%) from the 1,488 counted in the 2000 ce ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. It is the third rail trail built in Delaware and it is the longest in the state. It partially follows the former
Pennsylvania Railroad Rehoboth Beach branch that once transported passengers to several
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
resort camps along the Atlantic coast. The line was abandoned by the
Penn Central
The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals (the Pennsylvania, New York Central and the ...
in the early 1970s.
The Junction and Breakwater Trail is named after the former railroad line between Lewes and Rehoboth in the mid-19th century. The first of the trail was opened in December 2003 after acquiring parcels and easements from private landowners. On June 4, 2007, an additional were added, extending the trail to Kings Highway in Lewes. Plans are being discussed to extend the trail further into town.
The trail includes two bridges, including an long
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
bridge originally built in 1913 that crosses Holland Glade and provides views of coastal wetlands and of a
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
observation tower located on the coast. The trail consists of crushed stone with an average width of .
Notes
External links
Map
Rail trails in Delaware
Protected areas of Sussex County, Delaware
Protected areas established in 2003
National Recreation Trails in Delaware
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