ohai! It's the Toe Shoe Gang!
The Toe Shoe Gang is Delaware's leading running group where at least two people run in toe shoes. Or at least it's probably the leading group; I can't be bothered to check. The point is that some of us wear toe shoes and it's great.
You should wear toe shoes, too.
We tend to run at the following locations:
Parking: We park at the Possum Hill parking lot, just south of Paper Mill Park. The parking lot is right off of Paper Mill Road, immediately after you turn onto Smiths Mill Road.
State park pass: required
Pros:
Fun mountain bike "skills trail" to run on.
Fairly flat.
Cons:
Deer hunting at certain times of the year.
Parking: We park at the back lot at 4550 New Linden Hill Road and head in via a small path leading to Old Linden Hill Road. The lot is a whole lot nicer and easier to get into and out of than any of the official Carousel lots.
Pros:
Not too bad after rain.
Parkour practice on the horse jumps.
No hunting ever.
Parking: We park at the parking lot at the top of the hill (where the disc golf course starts).
Pros:
Very woodsy.
Opportunity for some steep hills to run up.
Cons:
Terrible conditions if it's rained recently.
Parking: We park at the normal Judge Morris Estate lot.
State park pass: required
Pros:
Fairly moderate in terms of hills and such.
Cons:
Deer hunting at certain times of the year.
Not good if it's rained recently.
Parking: We park at the Middle Run Valley Natural Area lot, which is at the end of a gravel road. If you arrive at the bird rescue, then you've missed the gravel road and have gone too far.
Pros:
Hills.
Needle ice in the winter.
End strong with an aggressive uphill called "The Closer".
Cons:
Deer hunting at certain times of the year.
Not good if it's rained recently.
Parking: We park at the normal Newark Reservoir parking lot.
Pros:
Perfectly fine after rain.
Very flat.
Optional leg-day action with "Old Climby" at the beginning.
No hunting ever.