Auburn Valley State Park
A Red Clay Valley state park with a flat paved trail, mill ruins, and the Auburn Heights estate — easy nature plus steam-train history.
1200 Creek Rd, Yorklyn, DE 19736 · About 25 minutes
Hours
8 AM – sunset
Show the week Hide the week
| Sat | 8 AM – sunset |
|---|---|
| Sun | 8 AM – sunset |
| Mon | 8 AM – sunset |
| Tue | 8 AM – sunset |
| Wed | 8 AM – sunset |
| Thu | 8 AM – sunset |
| Fri | 8 AM – sunset |
Last checked 2026-09-07
- Cost
- Free
- Best for
- All ages
- Indoor / outdoor
- Outdoor
- Typical visit
- 1–1.5 hours
State park grounds with trails, restrooms, a picnic area and parking; the walk is the outing.
The Quick Version
- • A 471-acre state park in the Red Clay Creek valley at Yorklyn, with about 4 miles of trails — including a flat 1.1-mile paved loop that's great for strollers and little bikes.
- • It wraps the historic Auburn Heights estate and the Marshall Steam Museum (which has its own guide), plus old mill ruins from the area's industrial past.
- • Per-vehicle entrance fee in season ($5 DE / $10 out-of-state, Mar–Nov); about 25 minutes from Wilmington.
- • Budget an hour for an easy trail walk; pair it with a Steamin' Day at the museum.
Best Ages
All ages
Plan For
1–1.5 hours
Adults
Free entry (per-vehicle fee in season: $5 DE / $10 out-of-state)
Kids
Free
What to Expect
Auburn Valley is a 471-acre state park in the wooded Red Clay Creek valley at Yorklyn, built around the historic Auburn Heights estate. For families the easy win is the trail network — about four miles total, including a flat, paved 1.1-mile loop that's genuinely stroller- and balance-bike-friendly, a rarity at a state park. The rest threads through woods and along the creek, past the ruins of the Marshall family's old mills (the area was a center of the National Vulcanized Fiber industry).
On the estate sits the Marshall Steam Museum, with its Stanley steam cars and the ridable miniature steam train on Steamin' Days — it has its own guide and separate admission, and it pairs naturally with a park visit.
Set expectations: it's a quiet nature-and-history park, not a playground — bring bikes for the paved loop, or combine a short walk with a Steamin' Day for train-loving kids. There's a per-vehicle entrance fee March–November, and it's about 25 minutes from Wilmington.
Who It's Best For
The paved loop is ideal for toddlers on balance bikes and for strollers. Older kids bike the trails or poke around the creek and mill ruins. It pairs with the on-site steam museum for train-loving kids.
Highlights
The paved 1.1-mile loop
All agesFlat and smooth — one of the easiest trail rides or stroller walks around, ideal for balance bikes.
Red Clay Creek & mill ruins
Ages 5+Woods, water, and the remnants of the area's mill-and-industry past to explore.
Marshall Steam Museum on site
All agesStanley steam cars and a ridable steam train on Steamin' Days (separate guide and admission).
Trails for biking
Ages 5+About 4 miles total through the valley for a longer ride.
What to Skip with Little Ones
- • Expecting a playground — it's trails and history.
- • The natural-surface trails with an umbrella stroller — stick to the paved loop.
- • Assuming the steam train runs daily — that's Steamin' Days (first Sundays, June–November).
Logistics
Admission
Adults
Free entry (per-vehicle fee in season: $5 DE / $10 out-of-state)
Kids
Free
Under
Free
Per-vehicle state-park entrance fee, March–November; walk-in and bike-in are free. The Marshall Steam Museum has separate admission.
Membership tip: A Delaware State Parks annual pass ($50 DE residents) covers the entrance fee here and at every state park.
Getting There
Parking
Lots at the park and estate; the per-vehicle fee applies in season.
Easy parking on a normal day; busier on Steamin' Days.
Entrance
Enter off Creek Road in Yorklyn.
Parent Logistics
The 1.1-mile paved loop is stroller- and balance-bike-friendly; the other trails are natural-surface.
Restrooms at the park/museum (seasonal).
Not confirmed — plan ahead.
Good — the wooded Red Clay valley keeps much of the trail shaded.
Food & Snacks
No food on-site. No food on site. Hockessin is a few minutes away.
Snack strategy: Pack water and snacks; Hockessin is about 10 minutes away for a meal.
Pro Tips
- ✓ Bring bikes or a stroller for the flat paved loop — one of the easiest trail rides around.
- ✓ Combine a walk with a first-Sunday Steamin' Day at the Marshall Steam Museum.
- ✓ Fall brings good color in the Red Clay valley.
- ✓ Your Delaware State Parks annual pass covers the entrance fee.
When to Go
Best Time to Visit
Spring through fall for the trails. First-Sunday Steamin' Days at the Marshall Steam Museum (June–November) make it a combo outing, and the Red Clay valley shows good fall color.
Seasonal Notes
Park open year-round; the per-vehicle entrance fee is in effect March 1–November 30. The Marshall Steam Museum on site runs Steamin' Days (first Sundays, June–November) plus Thursday/Friday hours — see its own guide.
Rainy Day?
An outdoor park — save it for a dry day; the steam museum is the indoor pairing on its open days.
While You're in the Area
The Marshall Steam Museum is on the same estate; Hockessin and Mt. Cuba Center are minutes away.
Upcoming Events
Know when something good is on near Auburn Valley State Park
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