There Is More Out There Than the State Line Suggests
While we love Bear, Delaware, there are a ton of amazing places and events happening just outside the city limits that we don’t want you to miss.
We’re adding a new event series #borDErhop on our Instagram. We’re scoping out the places just past the Delaware line that are close enough to be a fun day trip should you need to get out of Bear for a bit for a change.*
What makes an East Coast autumn worth staying home for?
- Nothing beats an East Coast autumn. Crisp mornings, colorful leaves, and plenty to enjoy close to home. Fall is pretty special when you live in Delaware.
Where can you see the best fall foliage near Bear, DE?
- Brandywine Creek State Park, Wilmington. 933 acres with more than 14 miles of trail across the Piedmont’s rolling hills. The Tulip Tree Trail runs 0.8 miles through Delaware’s first designated old-growth forest, where the poplars are roughly 200 years old. Hawk Watch Hill is where the birders gather once migration starts. destateparks.com
- White Clay Creek State Park, Newark. 3,559 acres and 41 miles of nature and fitness trails, open to hiking and mountain biking, with views running from the creek’s edge up to the Piedmont Ridge. The park connects to Pennsylvania’s White Clay Creek Preserve to the north, so you can cross the line on foot.
- Ridley Creek State Park, Glen Mills, PA. 2,606 acres of old-growth forest, meadows and creek corridor. Oak, beech, walnut, maple, sycamore, hickory, and tulip poplar make up the canopy, with dogwood, spicebush, and witch hazel coloring the understory. Look for the Franklin tree near Hunting Hill Mansion, whose leaves turn orange and red while it is still blooming white.
- Lums Pond State Park, Bear. The closest one to home, with more than 17 miles of trail around Delaware’s largest freshwater pond. The Swamp Forest Trail loops the water through black cherry, sweet gum, and maple trees on boardwalks and bridges.
What should go on your autumn list this year?
We already put ours together, and it runs from pumpkin patches to the Newark Halloween Parade.
- Autumn in Delaware Bucket List. From pumpkin patches and apple picking to scenic hikes and local events, there is plenty to add to your autumn bucket list. Which one are you checking off first?
Our October events roundup covers the Hagley Craft Fair, the Newark Halloween Parade, and the last weeks of the Glasgow Park Farmers Market.
Read more about Bear’s October Events
Where did our first #borDErhop take us?
- Terrain at Styer’s, Glen Mills. Rainy fall days call for brunch and a little shopping. For this #borDErhop, we headed to Terrain at Styer’s for a cozy fall day filled with good food, seasonal finds, and plenty to explore.
Where should you eat in Glen Mills, PA?
- Terrain Garden Café, 914 Baltimore Pike. A greenhouse-style dining room attached to the Terrain home and garden store, serving seasonal cooking with an emphasis on local and organic. Brunch runs until 4 PM daily. One of the prettiest spaces to eat anywhere in the region. shopterrain.com
- White Dog Café, Glen Mills, 981 Baltimore Pike. The Brandywine Valley outpost of the Philadelphia institution, with the same farm-to-table cooking in a warmer, quieter room.
- Il Granaio. Italian and Tuscan, and consistently the highest-rated kitchen in town. The one to book when it is somebody’s birthday.
- Harvest Seasonal Grill. Farm-to-table American with gluten-free and vegan options on the regular menu, rather than tucked in a corner.
What is there to do in Glen Mills for couples?
- Terrain at Styer’s. The original Terrain location, built around a historic mushroom house. The flagship opened in 2008 on the site of J. Franklin Styer’s nursery, a Philadelphia landmark for over 100 years, with five acres of blooms and greenery around it.
- Grace Winery, 50 Sweetwater Road. A restored 1750s bank barn on a private estate, with estate-grown wines and a tasting room open Friday through Sunday. The kind of place that does not need an occasion.
- Brandywine River Museum of Art, 1 Hoffman’s Mill Rd, Chadds Ford. American art in a converted mill on the river, with a deep collection of work by the Wyeth family.
- The Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway. No tickets, no reservations. Just a drive worth taking slowly in late October.
What is there to do in Glen Mills with kids?
History, trampolines, and a working mill, in whatever order the day calls for.
- Newlin Grist Mill, 219 S. Cheyney Road. A 1704 water-powered mill on a 160-acre park with more than 8 miles of walking trails. The grounds and trails are free and open daily from dawn to dusk. Guided mill tours run Wednesday through Sunday and cost $10 for adults, $6 for seniors, and children 12 and under.
- Ridley Creek State Park. 2,606 acres, with the 18th-century mill village at Sycamore Mills and the formal gardens at Hunting Hill Mansion inside the park.
- Sky Zone Trampoline Park. For the days when the weather wins, and everyone still needs to run.
- Linvilla Orchards, Media. Apple picking, pumpkins and fall treats, and the first place we sent you on a border hop.
Close to Home
Come tour the new Terrace Apartments at St. Andrews in Bear, DE, then take the long way home.
*Hours, seasons and offerings change, and some of these are over a state line. Check each spot before you go.