I was excited to see this new green space created from formerly unusable marshland. With $26M the…read morecity created a storm water management system that also offers wildlife a spot to dwell, and a pedestrian/cyclist recreational path.
There is limited parking off of S Walnut Street on one end, and a larger parking lot on the access road that runs off of A Street on the other end. But currently Google Maps takes you to a corporate center adjacent along the side of the park, but separated by fencing with absolutely no access to this park, and is a huge waste of time. My best advice is to use the address for the Shell Station nextdoor; I put the station's address in tips for this listing. There is also no signage and I'd never know it was there if I hadn't set out to hunt it down. Honestly, I don't think it's a priority to make this spot known because it really isn't much of a destination, and I don't think it's safe.
Not much of a destination:
I was a disappointed to find there is a short path through the small patch of marsh, and that's it. I clocked path length at 0.36 miles. This "park" is basically just a pass-through to get from housing at one end to the ShopRite at the other end. The path is gravel, so not meant for skating size wheels, but bikes and jogging strollers can handle it. That said, this is not a very safe area, and at least at this time, I do not recommend visiting to hang out.
Not very safe:
I visited in the middle of a sunny weekday alone with my child. From all I'd read online this was a recently-opened park, that was an engineering feat, and a huge environmental help to the city water management. I am not a Wilmington native so I don't know one part of town from another. I did find it odd that when I was misdirected to the corporate office building nextdoor, there were no access trails from their parking lot to allow employees to get exercise on lunch hour. Then, I noticed litter and random destruction along this brand new $26M trail, which was alarming considering the wildlife trying to inhabit it (geese, ducks, a heron, etc). There was an entire SHOPPING CART from the nearby ShopRite, that had been thrown in the marsh. Ew! Why? Last, the neighborhood at the end of the trail did not appear safe. I began to get anxious after waking the length of the trail. It was not a long trail, but I had my preschooler with me, and I was vulnerable if approached by anyone. A man from the housing unit at the far end began waking down the trail. He was smoking something I believe to be pretty extreme, and kept eyeing me and my child. I always give people the benefit of the doubt but I also trust my instincts, and this felt like a negative vibe. Unbelievably, just as I began to worry, a Wilmington police officer came walking down the trail. He made eye contact with me and the other man, and let us know he was on top of our actions. It was a big relief, though I didn't feel completely safe again until my child and I were driving home. I am grateful to that officer for patrolling the area.
So while I'm happy for this use of space for environmental improvements, and flood safety for nearby residents, I'm sad and sorry people don't take better care of it's cleanliness for the sake of themselves and the wildlife living there. Unfortunately, just weeks after opening, they already need a clean up crew to remove all the litter.
I definitely do not recommend this as a destination for people seeking a park experience. Try DuPont Environmental Education Center nearby; it's fantastic!