Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Directions
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area begins at the last exit on I-80 [Millbook/Flatbrookville] in New Jersey. Further north, there are numerous trailheads and places to visit along the 40-mile stretch of the recreation area. To reach the Pennsylvania side, cross over the river on I-80, stay to the right, and, just after the toll, take Exit 310.
Park Headquarters -- GPS Coordinates: 41.070583 -75.016963
Park Overview
The largest recreation area in the eastern United States. Hiking along the Kittatinny Ridge on the Appalachian Trail, with many feeder trails.
Trail Overview
- The Appalachian Trail is the centerpiece of the trail system in the New Jersey section of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Most of the other trails connect with and provide access to the Appalachian Trail, and some of them can be combined to form loop hikes. In addition, the park offers a network of unmarked woods roads. The ones that surround Blue Mountain Lake are said to offer the best cross-country skiing in the state.
- In Pennsylvania, the Appalachian Trail extends south from the village of Delaware Water Gap, from which a four-mile loop hike is possible on the Mt. Minsi Fire Road [no bikes]. The Joseph M. McDade Recreational Trail extends for 37 miles along the Pennsylvania side of Delaware River.
- Use Contact Information on this site to find trail maps provided by the National Park Service.
Park Description
Archeological evidence indicates that Native Americans came to the Delaware River Valley almost ten thousand years ago. The first tourists came to the Gap around 1830 to marvel at its rocky crags, forested slopes, and winding river. Currently, the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area preserves 40 miles of the middle Delaware River and almost 70,000 acres of land along the river's New Jersey and Pennsylvania shores - the largest recreation area in the eastern U.S. At the south end of the park, the river cuts eastward through the Appalachian Mountains at the scenic Delaware Water Gap.
See also Worthington State Forest which is located within the boundaries of the National Recreation Area but administered separately by the State of New Jersey.