Hiking, biking, kayaking and more in the Delaware Water Gap

Located only 75 miles west of New York City, the 70,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area offers a surprisingly pristine natural collage of water, mountains and forests for hiking, biking, swimming and more.

The existence of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is due to the Delaware River's decision several million years ago to cut through, rather than continue going around, the 185-mile-long Kittatinny Ridge. That it is as lightly developed as it is can be attributed to the federal government's 1975 decision not to build the proposed Tocks Island Dam after having acquired most of the private property along a 40-mile stretch of the river on both the New Jersey and Pennsylvania sides through eminent domain, 20 years prior.

On summer weekends, it can get downright crowded, so if you go then, get going early in the morning and have a Plan B. Or head for the considerably less-visited New Jersey side, which, in addition to its own trails and river access, includes reconstituted 19th-century Millbrook Village and the tiny whitewashed hamlet of Walpack Center. 

Getting there

There are only three ways to cross the Delaware River within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area: the Milford-Montague Bridge (E-ZPass or toll by plate) at the northern end, the vintage (1900) wooden-planked Dingmans Ferry Bridge ($2 cash only) in the middle and Interstate 80 (E-ZPass or toll by plate) through the Gap in the south.

Hiking

Vista seekers can scramble up Mount Minsi  (1,463 feet) on the Pennsylvania side  or Mount Tammany (1,527 feet) on the New Jersey  side for truly spectacular views of the Water Gap itself. Both are on the Appalachian Trail, which then follows Kittatinny Ridge on the New Jersey  side north for another 22 miles before leaving the area.

Fortunately, there are another 100 miles of less demanding hiking trails within the park, the most popular of which lead to secluded lakes or waterfalls. Two particularly appealing clusters of trails are at the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) on the Pennsylvania side and the Blue Mountain Lake area on the New Jersey side. And for those seeking views without all the "whews," there’s the 2.8-mile Cliff Trail from Raymondskill Falls in Pennsylvania. 

Paddling

For flowing scenery and littoral camaraderie, it’s hard to beat a warm summer’s day spent on the cool Delaware River, be it in a raft, kayak, canoe or tube. A handful of outfitters will set you off in the conveyance of your choice along an appropriate skill-wise stretch of the river and pick you up afterward. Trip lengths vary from 4-16 miles (roughly 2.5-7.5 hours) with prices ranging from $26 per person in a raft to $110 per kayak or canoe. Among the operators are Chamberlain Canoes (chamberlaincanoes.com) and Adventure Sports (adventuresport.com), both in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and Edge of the Woods Outfitters (watergapadventure.com) in the quaint town of Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania.  Kittatinny Canoes (kittatinny.com) in Milford, Pennsylvania, runs the greatest number of trips, but all upstream of the DWGNRA.

Biking

Though deteriorating Old Mine Road on the New Jersey side is open to riders, the better option is the 32-mile, packed gravel Joseph M. McDade Recreational Trail that runs through riverside forests on the Pennsylvania  side. With 14 regularly spaced access lots, and free weekend shuttle service, riders can select their distance and degree of difficulty. Rentals are available at Edge of the Woods Outfitters, Dingman’s Campground and Action Bikes and Outdoor in Milford, Pennsylvania. 

Swimming

Dive in or wade out at one of three grassy public beaches, Milford and Smithfield on the Pennsylvania side, and Turtle on the New Jersey side. ($10 per car facility fee.)

Chasing waterfalls 

The DWGNRA boasts eight major waterfalls, all accessible from their parking lots. Three-tiered Raymondskill Falls (150 feet combined) is Pennsylvania's highest, while Buttermilk (100 feet) takes the title in New Jersey  (Dingmans Falls, Pennsylvania's second highest, is closed this summer for repairs to its access bridge.) Well worth considering is privately owned Bushkill Falls, a series of eight separate chutes connected by an elaborate series of bridges and boardwalks on the Pennsylvania side. ($22 , $12 ages 4-10)

Camping

With 134 sites ( a mix of RV,riverside and forest tent sites) Dingman’s Campground (dingmanscampground.com) off Route 209 is the obvious choice on the Pennsylvania side. On the New Jersey side, it’s Worthington State Forest Campground (nj.gov), with 78 tent and trailer sites. Outside the park on the Pennsylvania side, are a handful of other options, with Kittatinny River Beach in Milford (kittatinny.com) sporting 160 sites (including cabins), with no obligation to have booked a river trip to stay.

Fishing

Fishing is allowed, but only with a valid New Jersey or Pennsylvania license for anyone over 16. There are no fees to enter the national recreation area, with only facility fees ($10 per car) for beaches and boat launch areas.

Dining and lodging 

Just outside the DWGNRA to the northwest below Interstate 84 is the delightfully small-town Milford, Pennsylvania, while a little farther away from its southwestern corner, and straddling Interstate 80, is the much larger and more charming, in a 1950s Main Street kind of way, Stroudsburg, the self-proclaimed "Heart of the Poconos." Each has ample dining, provisioning and accommodation options, though be advised that the latter can be dramatically higher on summer weekends (nps.gov/dewa).