An open pit iron mine from before recorded history until the early 20th century, Iron Hill was allowed to revert to the beautiful natural wooded area that is now the 335-acre Iron Hill Park. The non-profit Friends of Iron Hill Park was established in March of 2008 and comprises people who share an interest in the Park and are willing to volunteer some of their time to work with New Castle County to promote family activities within the Park. We promote projects, programs, and educational opportunities that help meet the demand for outdoor recreation and natural resource protection.
The new park entrance is open! It’s Robert L. Melson Lane, off Old Baltimore Pike, just east of the Iron Hill Museum and west of Route 896 in Newark, Delaware, 19702.The old entrance on Whittaker is closed.
Park hikes
The Friends of Iron Hill Park sponsors a popular guided park hike the third Saturday of every month through October. The 2nd hike is coming up this Saturday May 18, 2013. We meet at the Iron Hill Park pavilion or in the upper parking lot at 9am sharp. Hikes usually last about an hour, but can be tailored to the group, and length can be adjusted with multiple loops back to the parking lot so it is easy to meet requests for shorter or longer hikes. It’s a nice family activity; come take a hike!
The bark park
One of the most popular attractions in Iron Hill Park is a two-section dog exercise area, one area for small dogs and one for larger dogs. If you have a reasonably well-behaved dog who is up to date on its shots, come visit for some socializing! If your dog’s socializing turns into an altercation, be sure to exchange phone numbers in case you have to visit the veterinarian and your vet needs the other dog’s shot record. Sorry to be sticky about this, but it’s important. Poop is another important thing. Use the supplied baggies (or your own) to pick up your dog’s doo-doo. One last thing: the bark park is the only location in Iron Hill Park where a dog may be off leash.
Other Attractions
Iron Hill supports several outdoor activities. There’s a large playground next to the dog park for human puppies. The park has an extensive, professionally-designed disc golf course, one of the largest around. (If you find a lost golf disc, you can put it into the large disc rescue bin and the local disc club will find a good home for it.) Several geocaches are hidden in the park, and you can travel on miles of trails for hiking and bicycle trail riding (here’s a map) and relax in several picnic areas. Like to party? Want to reserve the pavilion? We don’t take reservations, but the county does. Go here: http://www2.nccde.org/Parks/Permits/default.aspx. It’s about the fourth item down.
Want to be a friend of Iron Hill Park?
Look over the Volunteering and Donations pages on this site to see what interests you, and use the Contact us page if you have any questions or comments. We are always looking for new folks. Come join us at our regular meeting, usually on the fourth Monday of each month:
Iron Hill Museum
7:00 pm
1355 Old Baltimore Pike
Newark, DE 19702-1110
Call (302) 738-5529 for details.
The Donations page lists some businesses and individuals who graciously support the Friends. Please thank them!
Iron Hill Museum
The museum is on the south edge of the Park. They are a fine organization. Visit their website: http://www.ironhill-museum.org
Research at Iron Hill Park
Outside agencies sometimes conduct scientific research in Iron Hill Park. We know of three current projects, all from the University of Delaware—one researching soil composition, and two studying insects. You might see some tall insect traps hanging from poles in one area. They aren’t poisonous, but don’t mess with them. It offends the insects.
Research areas are marked by colored flags or ribbons. If you see these, please steer clear of the area and leave the markers undisturbed. On the other hand, if you see a car parked by the area and a researcher nearby, they will most likely be happy to tell you about their project. For general questions or comments, call (302) 738-5529.