This trail follows the route of an early railroad that once helped join northern and southern Delaware. The Junction and Breakwater Railroad Company opened in 1857, with the junction in Harrington connecting to the rail line from Wilmington, and the breakwater in the bay at Lewes, which the rails finally reached in 1870. For many years, the railroad carried passengers and freight, especially fruit and other farm produce from Sussex County. Rehoboth Beach became a popular resort town after the line reached there in 1878. By the early 20th century, more people traveled by car and the line began carrying only freight, then shut down for good when trucks took over that work as well. In 2003, the Division of Parks and Recreation turned the abandoned rail bed into a public trail for hiking and biking.