Parks · New Castle County

White Clay Creek

Creek and woodland · Newark · 3,559 acres

Dark, still creek water in deep shade, mirroring the trunks and branches of the wooded bank above it, with a fallen limb reaching out over the surface. — Swipe for the rest.

A wide meadow of tall seed-headed autumn grasses running to a dark tree line, under a blue sky with high cloud and low sun. — Swipe for the rest.

Thirty-odd miles of trail along a designated Wild and Scenic river, running up into Pennsylvania. The best hiking in the state, and the closest thing Delaware has to a proper woodland walk.

What's there

Facilities

10/22 confirmed

Beach: No
Guarded swimming: No
Surf fishing: No
Camping: No
Cabins: No
Trails: Yes
Boat launch: Not confirmed
Boat rentals: Not confirmed
Pier: Not confirmed
Disc golf: Yes
Playground: Not confirmed
Fishing: Not confirmed
Kayak or canoe: Not confirmed
Crabbing: Not confirmed
Water park: Not confirmed
Ropes course: Not confirmed
Climbing wall: Not confirmed
Horse trails: Yes
Tennis: Not confirmed
Golf: Yes
Riding stables: Not confirmed
Restrooms: Yes

Where things are

Restrooms: There are some.
Nature center: The park has one.
Trails: A large trail system, and the reason most people come.

Getting in

Entry, 2026: $5 in-state · $10 out-of-stateCharged 1 March – 30 November. Free outside it.
Annual pass: $50 for a Delaware-registered vehicle, $100 out of state.Discounted passes are available for active-duty military and veterans; the discounted amounts are not confirmed. Deauville Beach has its own annual pass at $115.
Where to buy: Delaware State Parks — passes and permitsOnline at destateparks.com, which issues a virtual pass usable for 30 days from purchase, or at a park office.
Hours: 8 a.m. – sunset, daily
Getting there: Open in Google Maps to White Clay Creek State Park (opens Google Maps)
Park office: 302-368-6900

Dogs

Leashed on the trails. No off-leash area.

The full rule, with dates

Other parks in New Castle County

Lums Pond — pond, Bear
Brandywine Creek — creek and woodland, Wilmington
Bellevue — estate and woodland, Wilmington
Alapocas Run — creek and woodland, Wilmington
Fox Point — riverfront, Wilmington
Fort Delaware — historic island, Delaware City
Fort DuPont — historic, Delaware City
Auburn Valley — estate and woodland, Yorklyn
Wilmington State Parks — urban, Wilmington

Where it is

White Clay Creek State Park, Newark, DEDirections →

Field notes

What I saw on the day. Not checked with anyone, and it can go out of date faster than the facts above.

Field note · 4 August 2026 · Site maintainer
Restrooms, a nature center, and the trails.

Read from the source — not yet confirmed by phone

Read from Delaware State Parks on 2 Aug 2026 · not yet confirmed by phone

Delaware State Parks — Park roster and facilities.
Delaware State Parks: passes, permits and fees — 2026 fee schedule, effective 1 March 2026.
Delaware State Parks: disc golf — The operator's own disc golf page. Names all seven state parks with a course: Bellevue, Brandywine Creek, Cape Henlopen, Killens Pond, Lums Pond, Trap Pond and White Clay Creek. Publishes no hole counts, tee-pad detail or course maps.
Delaware State Parks: park office phone numbers — DNREC's own contact page, read 8 August 2026. Lists an office number for every state park.
Delaware State Parks: disc golf scorecards — The state publishes a scorecard and course map PDF per course. Read 8 August 2026; each park's own card is linked from its record.
Delaware State Parks, confirmed 8 August 2026 — Standard day-use hours of 8 a.m. to sunset, and which attractions are charged separately from park admission.
Delaware State Parks, confirmed 8 August 2026 — What each park offers, gone through park by park.

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