Stretching almost the entire length of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, this trail offers a relatively easy ride with some beautiful views. There are 15 miles of basically tranquil, virtually flat bicycle riding.
The trail can even boast restaurants at each end and in the middle.
West end – Schaefer’s Canal House
Middle – GrainH2O
East end – Kathy’s Crab House, Crabby Dick’s
Similar to the Tri-Valley Trail, there are a number of walkers and joggers.
The Ben Cardin Trail
This particular trail is known in MD as the Ben Cardin Trail and connects to the Michael Castle Trail at the Maryland/Delaware state line. The state line is the famous Mason-Dixon Line we mentioned crossing from Pennsylvania into Maryland in our Great Allegheny Passage article.
From the west end, the Ben Cardin C&D Canal Trail section starts/ends in Chesapeake City, MD east Shaffer’s Canal House, at the end of Lock Street. It’s easy to find and well demarcated.
There’s a fair amount of free parking in the general area. There’s even some of the parking about a block away underneath the Chesapeake City Bridge, which looms high above the start of the trail.
The trail is not lengthy, as is only 1.8 miles long before you get to the Michael Castle Trail.
The Michael Castle Trail
On the east end, the Michael Castle it starts/ends at Fort Delaware State Park in Delaware City, DE. There’s also free parking available on this end of the trail. This part of the trail is 13.3 miles long, making the total length of the formal trail 15.1 miles.
For the casual bicycle rider, it should take around 1 hour for the entire trail, roughly 2 hours out and back. If you’re the type that likes to stop a lot and take pictures or grab a bite to eat along the way, obviously it’ll take longer.
There are several parking areas along the trail. They have been strategically placed to offer access to the trail, all of which appeared to be free to park. The parking area south of Lums Pond State Park has a bathroom facility.
The Sights
It’s just a canal right? Water and maybe some boats?
This a clear case of where we shouldn’t be so hasty in judgment.
The canal itself reminds the viewer of a good sized river. Along with that, don’t be surprised if you see boats, even large ships. There are both cargo ships and cruise ships that make their way through the canal. Large private ships are not unusual to see docked at Schaefer’s Canal House either. While we were riding we saw a tug pulling a barge from the Delaware River to the Chesapeake Bay.
Starting at the west end on Lock Street, behind you is the Chesapeake Canal Bridge, and across the canal is south Chesapeake City.
Once you start cycling east, the first thing you see is where the original Maryland north-south road connected before the canal was built.
Next you get to the spot where the Maryland-Delaware state line is.
The trail meanders a bit in this area, traversing from the canal to slightly further inland. There are some slight hills, but nothing large.
The trail rides right by Grain H2O, since it is right on the trail. There is a short hill up coming from the west and it dumps you out into the west parking lot.
This one is not nearly as challenging as the one if you’re coming up from the east to GrainH2O.
No matter which direction, the view from the Grain porch deck is totally worth it though. This location can also serve as a good spot to start/end your bike trail experience.
Just before you get to Grain H2O, there’s a paddle boat dry docked guarding the intersection of the marina and the trail.
Bridges and more
Continuing to the east (it’s about the halfway point of the entire trail system), you’ll approach the lift bridge for the railroad. It is still operational, although not nearly as much as prior days. It requires 48 hour notice as when the bridge is down to service a train, it does not offer enough height for larger ships to pass.
The locally famous Delaware Route #1 bridge is impressive from any angle, but from below you can see how massive and how high it is.
Delaware Route #13 has a bridge (also know as St. Georges Bridge) over the canal, which used to be the main thoroughfare raised bridge to take from Wilmington/Philadelphia. There is the St. Georges Trailhead parking area on the northwest side, complete with rest rooms and picnic bench. It has a nice view of the canal and both the SR#13 and SR#1 bridges at the same time.
Right after St Georges Bridge you can see where there used to be a river crossing for the town. Right next to the trail there’s a cute little ice cream shop called The Creamery at St. Georges located at the end of North Main Street and Broad Street. We found out that the ice cream shop is run by the same folks who run the St. Georges Country Store. The “store” includes a restaurant, small bar, and by the looks of their website, loads of blues music. Plus, from what we’ve heard from several sources, both seem like great places to go!
In the last couple miles, the original canal spurs off towards northeast towards Delaware City. In the distance you can see Delaware SR#9 bridge over the canal.
Amazing history
The trail follows the original canal where you cross what looks like a tax ditch via a small foot bridge.
Just after the bridge you’ll encounter the African Union Church Cemetery. It is a wonderfully preserved tribute to African-American history. There are placards for an explanation of the cemetery and benches to sit on. The trail traverses around the west and south sides.
After the cemetery, you’re almost there. The trail heads into Delaware City, winding through some streets along the canal, ending up at Battery Park.
Battery Park is the eastern end of the trail. It is a well kept park that is bordered by the Delaware River and the original canal. It offers plenty of places to sit down. The view is beautiful and includes Pea Patch Island, which is home to the Fort Delaware State Park. There is a ferry that goes to Fort Delaware State Park on a regular basis. Reservations are required, click here for more detail.
Practical stuff
There are a good many place you can access the trail. Not all of which have free parking. The charge for parking is fairly nominal, so if you’re spending the day with your family, it’s not a lot to pay. Locations specifically constructed by the State of Delaware are more likely to charge parking, however, we have not noticed any charge for parking at Battery Park.
The wind can be a significant factor for biking. A big factor. In the times we’ve been biking on the trail, the wind has worked both for and against us. Most recently there were gusts of 40-50 mph that caused us to work harder against the head wind. So much so that our average speed decrease by about 4 mph!
If you’re in it for fun like us, there are plenty of benches along the way where you can sit, relax, and enjoy the day.
It’s important to note that while we’re describing this as a bike trail, we saw many pedestrian hikers along the way. It is an easy trail to walk and plenty of room to accommodate everyone.
Finally, please note that they are also other fooderies in Delaware City, we simply mentioned the most visible.