Delaware · Hiking

Purple Trail

Purple TrailPhoto: Lee Cannon, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
0.7 mi
round trip
38 ft
climb
15 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Mar–Jun, Aug–Nov
best months

Clear at last check

Weather is good · OpenWeather · checked 15 h ago

The Purple Trail is an easy out-and-back hike in the James Farm Ecological Preserve in Delaware. The route is 1.4 miles long and has no net elevation gain, with a high point of 15 feet and a low of 4 feet. It is flat overall, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.55 miles, with a grade of 2 percent. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Lewes weather station put May highs around 75°F and October highs around 69°F, while July highs average 88°F. The hike takes about half an hour. The trail starts at the preserve, and the closest neighbors are the Prickly Pear Trail and its connector, both about a mile away. For fishing, Rehoboth Bay is roughly 6 miles off.

  • Best time to go · Mar–Jun, Aug–Nov

    Best time to visit Purple Trail

    Best months: March–June and August–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      46° / 30°

      11 wet

    2. Feb

      48° / 32°

      10 wet

    3. Mar

      55° / 38°

      11 wet

    4. Apr

      66° / 46°

      11 wet

    5. May

      75° / 56°

      11 wet

    6. Jun

      83° / 66°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      88° / 71°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      85° / 69°

      9 wet

    9. Sep

      80° / 64°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      69° / 52°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      59° / 42°

      10 wet

    12. Dec

      50° / 35°

      12 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lewes, DE, 14.9 mi away at 10 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors