Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
4.5
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This 70,000-acre park is named for the point at which the Delaware River cuts through Kittatinny Mountain.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
422 reviews
Excellent
258
Very good
127
Average
26
Poor
5
Terrible
6

Justin W
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ3,631 contributions
Aug 2023
I love coming to the Delaware Water Gap at all times of the year. The park is so picturesque and beautiful. I love the views from the parking lot and the paths when you get into the park.

This was the first time I ever went to Turtle Beach further up in the park and I have to say that the roads are loaded with potholes. You have to really be careful and take your time going up to the beach.

Turtle Beach is nothing special. It is a gap in the woods where there is a grassy beach where you can swim in the Delaware River. The day I was there there was a sign saying that there was not swimming and at 6:30pm, everyone was swimming. I would have ventured further into the park but with the roads being what they were I did not want to go any farther.

Still is a great park and it is beautiful both in the summer and fall.
Written August 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

crutt13
Pottstown, PA564 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
I have to say I find it funny that almost every photo I see of this place is from Mt. Minsi.

Anyway, we hiked the Appalachian trail to Mt Minsi starting at the resort point overlook parking area. The trail was nice, with small creeks, wild rhododendron, good views and lots of wildlife. The trail is very rocky and many of the rocks are slick even with good hiking shoes.

The trail has a few great views of the gap, the river and the state forests. On the map it identified two ponds. One was like a large puddle and the 2nd was overgrown with lily pads. Overall, it was a nice hike.

There is very limited parking and lots of people so get there early or plan to spend time looking for parking.
Written August 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hola4876
Lansing, MI935 contributions
Sep 2021
This is a very pretty area. We did the Mount Minsi Loop; we thought we were doing the fire road loop; nope, got on the hard one somehow. Be smarter than we were: wear hiking boots, long pants, a backpack to keep your hands free, and a walking stick. The trail we got on had white markings; these markings might be on a tree or up on a rock you need to climb. Pay attention! If you want to look around, stop first. Highly recommend downloading AllTrails prior to doing these trails.
Written October 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nathan Q
Curtice, OH467 contributions
Jul 2020 • Couples
Nice hike with a few great views. My wife and I are mid 40’s and moderately good shape. She has an artificial knee. It was tough, but very doable. Due to COVID, the trail is currently a one-way only loop. All hikers are asked to go up the red dot trail and blue dot on the way down. Red dot was a little steeper going up, but had plenty of large rocks to place each step. We liked this portion of the hike. Blue dot on the way down kicked are butts due to EVERY step being very calculated around medium to small rocks to manage risk of injury. My trail app said there is a scenic spot on the way up the red dot, before you get to Mt. Tommany. It simply wasn’t where identified. There is nothing to see at that location. Wish we would have stopped for lunch a quarter mile earlier when there was a beautiful overlook of the river. Make sure to bring plenty of water. We each drank roughly 48 ounces on a 90 degree afternoon hike. Best part of the day may have been soaking our feet in the creek during our hike out. Beautiful views and ice cold mountain water to refresh our joints. The trail is roughly 4 miles. We completed in 4 hours, but that was with nearly an hour relaxing at the summit and creek side. It could easily be done in 3 hours if you are in good shape. Great day overall.
Written July 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

duck8to
Montville, NJ6,864 contributions
Jan 2021
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation area encompasses 70,000 acres of diverse landscape. Rolling streams, beautiful falls and cascades hemlock and deciduous forest, towering granite cliffs, along with the Delaware River. There are 150 miles of trails ranging from (Easy, Moderate, Difficult).

In the spring you can enjoy the blooming bushes and trees, as well as, wildflowers, albeit not as many as years gone by. The summer offers the river, ponds and streams to cool off. The fall is a time of year that boasts a full palette of colors. I am visiting the National Recreation Area to enjoy the quite, white wonderland of ice and snow. This visit was to Mt. Tammany and the nearby visitor center and Delaware river. Access is right off of Route 80 north, Dunnfield Creek Appalachian Trail, the last exit before crossing the bridge to Pennsylvania. You can pick up the Appalachian trial from here. The hike up to the top of Tammany Mountain is considered difficult and with snow and ice somewhat more hazardous. The top offers vistas of the gap, the Delaware river and the forest.

There is considerable wildlife in this area compared to other New Jersey areas. Bears, foxes, coyotes, bob cats, raccoons, owls, and bats can be seen. During the winter months many of these animals are sheltering and less visible.

The visitor center is located on route 80 East. You can walk from Mt. Tammany parking lot on a paved road which takes you under route 80 to the visitor center. It is about a 5 minute walk. There are trail maps, a Guide to the Gap, and rangers to help you plan your visit. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the visitor center has been closed periodically. The visitor center is near the banks of the Delaware so a short walk will take you down to the river. There are restrooms available in this area. This entire experience is free so skip the spin classes.
Written January 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andrea
13 contributions
Jul 2021
Not much more to do than drive through it, unless we missed something. Lots of corn and soybeans. We thought we'd be able to see the cliffs that we knew were to one side, but they were hidden by foliage. We didn't do any of the hikes because by the time we saw the pulloffs, they were either full or we'd driven past.
Written August 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

a.veces.viajo
Brooklyn, NY26 contributions
Jul 2020 • Friends
I would like to say that I was tricked into going on this hike as it was pitched to me as an easy thing to do. Wrong. Lies. Deception. We got to the trail and were excited and then were told that it would be 5 miles & even then I was still excited. What I was not expecting or prepared for was the climbing or the incline or the amount of rocks. I don’t hike. I barely jog. This trail was challenging and it took a lot longer than I expected. Buttttt it was AMAZING. Yes, I complained a lot but I was able to do everything. I climbed over trees, got lost a few times & made it to the top! While I am sore this morning, I am very happy about my hiking experience. Bring reusable water bottles & pace yourselves. I am now investing in hiking boots bc I felt like my sneakers didn’t offer enough ankle support.
Written July 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Empty Nesters
Louisville, KY333 contributions
Sep 2020
We stopped at the visitor center and hiked the Mt. Tammany trail for an incredible view of the Delaware Water Gap. The trail was very rocky and moderately difficult. The actual visitor center was closed due to COVID.
Written October 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wpatravelers
Warren, PA103 contributions
Sep 2020
We expected much more. We wanted to start at a visitor center for a map and recommendations. It took us 2 times across the river to get to Kittatanny visitor center. CLOSED. No where on the NPS website does it say that. The notice on the door said to go to the Dingman visitor center. We followed our atlas the best we could and after 2 hours of rough potholes roads we found the ferry crossing bridge. Dingman visitor center CLOSED. We haven't had a glimpse of the river yet. On to Milford, at least, by accident, we found Grey Towers NHS grounds open. On the way back down 209 looking for the park HQ, we were tailgated and passed on double yellow lines by 6 motorcycles who didn't like us going the speed limit. We finally saw the park HQ sign that said 1/2 mile. We never saw another sign, nor the park HQ. We were supposed to stay another day, but we give up. We are informed travelers, do research ahead of our trips. This has been a complete failure and waste of vacation days.
Written September 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NorthBayVisitor
North Bay, Canada92 contributions
Apr 2022
Couldn't park by the trails - area was full. In defense it was a sunny beautiful Saturday, might not be like that normally. Ended up crossing the toad and parking by picnic benches and wandering around there a bit. Worth a visit.
Written May 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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