Red Clay Scenic Byway

Location

Northern New Castle County, between Rt. 52 and Rt. 48

Length

Approximately 27 miles

Drive Time

About an hour

Full Enjoyment Time

One to Two days

Byway Contact

Kristen Travers 
Delaware Nature Society
302-239-2334

2021 Red Clay Valley Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan Update

• Click here to see the presentation from the Public meeting on the 2021 Red Clay Valley Scenic Byway Plan Update.
• Read the Draft June 2021 Red Clay Valley Scenic Byway Plan Update here.
• Be heard! Give your public comments, questions, or feedback on the Plan Update to Kelly Valencik, DelDOT Byway Coordinator, at kelly.valencik@delaware.gov.
• 30 day public comment period Deadline is July 22, 2021.
• Attend the next Red Clay Valley Scenic Byway Alliance Quarterly Meeting on September 14, 2021 at 4:00 pm to witness its anticipated adoption. Contact the Delaware Nature Society for meeting information.

 

2008 Corridor Management Plan

For a complete listing of this final report including all appendices, maps and directions are included.

Red Clay Valley Scenic Byway Overview

This unique interconnected and interdependent network of 28 roads in New Castle County is intimately linked to the Red Clay Creek and its watershed. It is a complex network that conforms to the contours of the land mimicking the stream system. Ashland Nature Center Red Clay Scenic Byway displays spectacular natural areas first described by the Delaware Nature Society in the mid-1970s as Red Clay Ravine, Red Clay Creek, Burrows Run, Coverdale Woods, and Red Clay Reservation. These natural areas sustain an abundance of plants and animals and contain some of the richest old growth forest in the Red Clay Creek watershed.

Travelers who take the time to absorb the history and natural beauty of Delaware's Red Clay Scenic Byway are impressed by what it offers. A 19th century grist, snuff and paper milling industry can be seen at Yorklyn, historically known as Auburn or Auburn Mills. Steam train enthusiasts ride on the Historic Red Clay, Inc (Wilmington and Western) railway from Greenbank to Hockessin. Travel along roads where horse and buggy originally rode and now inextricably link scenic vistas of pastoral flood plains, steep wooded hillsides, and the meandering creek.

A wealth of opportunities to delve into the ecology, stewardship and history of the Red Clay Scenic Byway can be found at the Ashland Nature Center, within the 600 acres of the Red Clay Reservation, Valley Garden Park and Auburn Heights Preserve. Come test your knowledge of the flora, fauna and geology of this distinctive area of Delaware.”