Middle Run Valley Natural Area
Encyclopedia
Middle Run Valley Natural Area is a nature park owned and maintained by New Castle County, Delaware
in the United States
. The park, known also by its initials MRVNA, is located east of downtown Newark
amidst residential neighborhoods and other park land. Establishment of MRVNA was begun in 1975; eventually the park reached its current 850 acres (3.4 km²) of forests, fields, creeks, and a pond. The most important of the creeks is Middle Run, which is a tributary of White Clay Creek
, and flows mainly north to south through the park.
There is no admission fee for MRVNA. The main entrance is a gravel road that turns north off of Possum Hollow Rd. (Past this entrance, a little further down along Possum Hollow Rd., can be found the headquarters of Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research
.) A long connector trail extends north from the Lenape Trail to Papermill Park (A public park with ball fields, a jogging track and playground, located at intersection of Paper Mill Rd. and Poly Drummond Hill Rd.). The primary roads which surround the park are Possum Park Rd. along the southwest, Smithmill Rd. on the north, Polly Drummond Hill Rd. on the east, and Paper Mill Rd. on the west. Fox Den Rd. cuts across the northern portion of the park.
MRVNA borders and connects with two portions of White Clay Creek State Park
: the Possum Hill area on the northwest and the Judge Morris Estate on the southeast. In addition, William Redd Park (of the city of Newark
) can be accessed from the east side of Possum Park Rd., thus making possible a nearly continuous nature-park hiking route from the Judge Morris Estate on the east to the Newark Reservoir on the west. Most recently it has become possible to proceed from the northeastern corner of the park, at Smithmill Rd., to the northwest along Middle Run via a recently established trail northwestward amidst residential areas, ending at Curtis Mill, from which one may reach the northeasternmost sector of White Clay Creek State Park by crossing Paper Mill Rd.
MRVNA accommodates automobiles in its parking lot off of Possum Hollow Rd.. The park area proper is meant for recreation on foot or on bicycle, with hunting allowed on occasion. There are 10 trails in the park with a total distance of 15.76 miles (25.4 km). As with White Clay Creek State Park, trail markers help to guide visitors; and several footbridges and boardwalks ease crossing of creeks and other wet spots, with stone or concrete steps in a few places. While the trails consist primarily of packed dirt, certain spots along the trails include also structures made of logs for mountain-bikers to test their skill.
The most important trails in MRVNA are Lenape
Trail on the north, Double Horseshoe Trail on the southwest, Possum Hollow Trail on the south, and Snow Goose Trail on the southeast. This last trail is shared with White Clay Creek State Park, thus allowing connection across Polly Drummond Hill Rd. with Judge Morris Estate. In addition, there are several shorter trails and connectors (with and without names); a few spurs off of surrounding roads lead to MRVNA trails.
New Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The park, known also by its initials MRVNA, is located east of downtown Newark
Newark, Delaware
Newark is an American city in New Castle County, Delaware, west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is the home of the University of Delaware.- History :...
amidst residential neighborhoods and other park land. Establishment of MRVNA was begun in 1975; eventually the park reached its current 850 acres (3.4 km²) of forests, fields, creeks, and a pond. The most important of the creeks is Middle Run, which is a tributary of White Clay Creek
White Clay Creek
White Clay Creek is an tributary of the Christina River in southern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware in the United States. It is renowned for its scenic character and is largely federally protected....
, and flows mainly north to south through the park.
There is no admission fee for MRVNA. The main entrance is a gravel road that turns north off of Possum Hollow Rd. (Past this entrance, a little further down along Possum Hollow Rd., can be found the headquarters of Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research
Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research
Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, Inc. is a nonprofit conservation organization located in Newark, Delaware, dedicated to indigenous wild bird rehabilitation, especially rehabilitation efforts related to oil spills...
.) A long connector trail extends north from the Lenape Trail to Papermill Park (A public park with ball fields, a jogging track and playground, located at intersection of Paper Mill Rd. and Poly Drummond Hill Rd.). The primary roads which surround the park are Possum Park Rd. along the southwest, Smithmill Rd. on the north, Polly Drummond Hill Rd. on the east, and Paper Mill Rd. on the west. Fox Den Rd. cuts across the northern portion of the park.
MRVNA borders and connects with two portions of White Clay Creek State Park
White Clay Creek State Park
White Clay Creek State Park is a Delaware state park along White Clay Creek on in New Castle County, Delaware in the United States. The park, often known by its initials W.C.C.S.P., is near the Mason-Dixon Line. North of the park is Pennsylvania's White Clay Creek Preserve...
: the Possum Hill area on the northwest and the Judge Morris Estate on the southeast. In addition, William Redd Park (of the city of Newark
Newark, Delaware
Newark is an American city in New Castle County, Delaware, west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is the home of the University of Delaware.- History :...
) can be accessed from the east side of Possum Park Rd., thus making possible a nearly continuous nature-park hiking route from the Judge Morris Estate on the east to the Newark Reservoir on the west. Most recently it has become possible to proceed from the northeastern corner of the park, at Smithmill Rd., to the northwest along Middle Run via a recently established trail northwestward amidst residential areas, ending at Curtis Mill, from which one may reach the northeasternmost sector of White Clay Creek State Park by crossing Paper Mill Rd.
MRVNA accommodates automobiles in its parking lot off of Possum Hollow Rd.. The park area proper is meant for recreation on foot or on bicycle, with hunting allowed on occasion. There are 10 trails in the park with a total distance of 15.76 miles (25.4 km). As with White Clay Creek State Park, trail markers help to guide visitors; and several footbridges and boardwalks ease crossing of creeks and other wet spots, with stone or concrete steps in a few places. While the trails consist primarily of packed dirt, certain spots along the trails include also structures made of logs for mountain-bikers to test their skill.
The most important trails in MRVNA are Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
Trail on the north, Double Horseshoe Trail on the southwest, Possum Hollow Trail on the south, and Snow Goose Trail on the southeast. This last trail is shared with White Clay Creek State Park, thus allowing connection across Polly Drummond Hill Rd. with Judge Morris Estate. In addition, there are several shorter trails and connectors (with and without names); a few spurs off of surrounding roads lead to MRVNA trails.