May 5, 2015
For immediate release
Contact: Carla Lucas, 610-274-0261 for more information or to arrange a special interview
Friends Groups to Celebrate the Tri-State Marker Trail and the MasonDixon Survey on National Trails Day
Dedication ceremony starts at 11 am at the marker determining the Pennsylvania, Delaware, and
Maryland borders.
Borders determine ownership, power and the course of history. For people living in the tri-state region
of Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania it all began in 1763 when Charles Mason and Jeremiah
Dixon started a four-year survey to mark the agreed upon boundaries between the lands of the Penns
(Pennsylvania and the three Lower Counties) and the lands of the Calverts (Maryland).
On June 6, 1765 Mason and Dixon set a wooden post at the point which marked Maryland's northeast
corner. Once the Three Lower Counties broke from Pennsylvania to become Delaware this post became
the Tri-State Marker, determining the borders of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. Later in
history, the western-bound boundary would become known as the Mason-Dixon Line and the border
between the North and the South.
Now, 250 years later, and because of the dedication of volunteers and the financial support of the
community, a new public trail provides access to this unique place in our region’s history. This 4-mile
looping trail meanders through mature hardwood forests, rolling meadows, and around wetlands within
White Clay Creek Preserve, in Pennsylvania and White Clay Creek State Park, in Delaware, to the TriState marker.
Friends of White Clay Creek Preserve and Wilmington Trail Club, the organizations that built a
sustainable trail to the Tri-State Marker, are celebrating the accomplishments of Charles Mason and
Jeremiah Dixon on June 6, 2015- the 250th anniversary of the day this point was marked. As June 6 is
also National Trails Day, the organizations are dedicating the completed northern segment of the trail
with a ceremony at 11 am as hikers arriving from all three states present their state flags at the Tri-State
P. O. Box 172 – Landenberg, PA 19350
FriendsofPaWCCP.org
Marker.
The public is invited to attend the dedication and experience the new trail with a variety of planned
hikes. From 9 am to 1 pm the self-guided Tri-State Marker Trail Discovery Hike (1.7 miles one way)
along the new Tri-State Marker Trail features stations to explore along the way. Discovery stations
include:
• Surveying the 18th Century Way
• The Mason-Dixon Survey history in the Tri-State Region
• Native and Local Plants
• Wildlife identification
• White Clay Watershed Association
• Friends of White Clay Creek Preserve General Information
• Eagle Scout Projects along the trail
• White Clay Wild and Scenic Program
• Lyme Disease
• Wilmington Trail Club General Information
• Meet Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon (costumed interpreters) at the Tri-State Marker
Access to the trailhead is from the parking lot on Arc Corner Road (off Chambers Rock Road), in
Landenberg, Pennsylvania. Sight lines are poor at this intersection. Use extreme caution when entering
or exiting Arc Corner Road. West Grove Fire Company’s Fire Police will be directing traffic at this
intersection from 9 am to 1 pm. There is no fee for parking at the Arc Corner Road Parking Lot.
Maps will be provided at the trailhead and the trail will be clearly designated with signs and chalk
markings. It is suggested to start the hike before 10 am to allow adequate time to experience the
discovery stations along the hike route before the dedication ceremony.
Spend additional time enjoying the beauty of White Clay Creek watershed on one of the special
National Trails Day hikes offered from Wilmington Trail Club. All Wilmington Trail Club hikes will
use the Tri-State Marker Trail, and hikers will have the opportunity to enjoy the Discovery Stations on
the way to the Tri-State Marker.
There are two Delaware hikes, both starting at 9:00 AM and meeting at the Pavilion in the White Clay
Creek State Park, Carpenter Recreation Area (entrance on Route 896, Newark, Delaware -- state park
fees in effect). The Short Delaware hike (4 miles round trip) will go past the Arc Corner Monument to
the Dedication of the Tri-State Marker Trail and return to Carpenter. The Long Delaware hike (7 miles
round trip) will follow the same route as the Short Delaware hike to the Dedication ceremony, but then
return by various longer trails in the White Clay Creek State Park.
The Maryland hike (10 miles round trip) is at a medium pace and includes stops at the Mason & Dixon
Tri-State Marker, Arc Corner Marker, and Mason Dixon Marker #1 with about two miles of road
walking. Meet by 8:30 am at the Fair Hill Natural Resources Area Parking Lot #3 on Appleton Road
(parking fees in affect).
The Pennsylvania hike (15 miles round trip) will use the Mason Dixon Trail to go past the Delaware
Nature Center then on to the Dedication of the Tri State Marker Trail. It will pass the Arc Corner
P. O. Box 172 – Landenberg, PA 19350
FriendsofPaWCCP.org
Monument then return by the Boundary Line Trail and Vaughn’s Trail at a brisk pace. Meet by 9 am at
the London Tract Meeting House in White Clay Creek State Preserve, Sharpless Road, London Britain
Township (no parking fee).
Please bring water and lunch for all hikes. Sturdy hiking shoes are strongly recommended for the
longer hikes.
There is limited bus service from White Clay Creek State Park to the Tri-State Marker site for
individuals wishing to participate in the ceremony but unable to hike. Please reserve your space in
advance by emailing [email protected].
This is a rain or shine event. Details are available from the Friends of White Clay Creek's website:
www.FriendsofPaWCCP.org.
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JPG attached: Tri-State Marker
The Tri-State Marker is now accessible to the public through a new trail built by the Friends of White Clay
Creek Preserve and the Wilmington Trail Club.
P. O. Box 172 – Landenberg, PA 19350
FriendsofPaWCCP.org