Back in the late 1700s, landowners in Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania were struggling to agree on the boundaries between their properties, and their states. Finally, they got fed up, and hired two surveyors to mark the lines. These two men, Jeremiah Dixon and Charles Mason, became more famous than anyone could have possibly guessed. Few people know about these ruins in the Delaware woods that are older than our country itself.
Tucked into White Clay Creek State Park, you’ll find a trail that’s hiding some legendary ruins.
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Follow the Bryan’s Field trail to cross the creek, twist through the woods, and march deep into one of the last untouched lands in Delaware.
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Here, you’ll find the Post Mark’d West. This cornerstone was where Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon began their famous survey of the boundary between Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
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The original Mason-Dixon line was called upon to settle a dispute between landowners on the border. The way the line is drawn means that Delaware is the only state east of the Mason Dixon Line.
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While you’re in the park, take a hike along the Twin Valley Trail to find the Arc Monument, which delineates the borders of Pennsylvania and Delaware along William Penn’s 12 Mile Circle.
Flickr / Brian Henderson
These stunning stone monuments date back to the 1700s, and when you track them down in the woods, you’re truly looking back through time.
Flickr / Brian Henderson
You can find maps of the Bryan’s Field Trail, Arc Monument Trail, and more at White Clay Creek’s AllTrails.com page.
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Flickr / Brian Henderson
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Address: White Clay Creek State Park, Park Office, 750 Thompson Station Rd, Newark, DE 19711, USA
