Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
This page also covers Middle Delaware National Scenic River, which the Park Service counts as a separate unit.
Situated within the most densely populated region of the United States, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area provides a unique opportunity to experience tranquil landscapes, rich human history, and striking scenery along 40 miles of the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi. The park offers year-round recreation including hiking, paddling, fishing, and hunting.
About 1.5 hours from New York and 2 hours from Philadelphia by car.
Alerts
- ClosureNPS ↗Dingmans Falls Trail, Road, and Access Closed for Bridge Replacement
Dingmans Falls site is closed for a bridge replacement project and trail rehabilitation. All traffic, including pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicle traffic, is prohibited on the road and trail during construction.
- ClosureNPS ↗Old Mine Road North Construction Closure Begins April 6, 2026
Old Mine Road between Jager Road and Route 206 will close to all traffic beginning on April 6, 2026. Contractors will work to rehabilitate a 3.5-mile stretch of road. The construction area will be closed to all traffic for the safety of park visitors and contractors.
- InformationMain Street Walpack Bridge Closed Until Further Notice
Main Street in Walpack Center is closed at the Flatbrook Bridge due to structural damage to the bridge.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleEntrance fee for beaches and boat launches. Fee is good for one vehicle and it's passengers (up to 7 people). | $10 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkAnnual seasonal pass for expanded amenity fee areas. Passes can be purchased from park visitor centers or staffed fee booths located at Milford Beach, Smithfield Beach, and Turtle Beach. | $45 | |
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area does not charge an entrance fee, but certain areas are subject to expanded amenity fees.
Hours
| Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area | Daily · All Day |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Dingmans Campground ↗ | 136 sites | |
| Typically open Memorial Day Weekend through Columbus Day Weekend. · 136 reservable, 136 first-come | ||
| Rivers Bend Group Campground | 5 sites | |
| $70 a night · Closed Nov 30 to Apr 21 · 5 reservable | ||
| Valley View Group Campground | 5 sites | |
| Closed Nov 30 to Apr 24 · 5 reservable | ||
| Mohican Outdoor Center ↗ | 16 sites | |
| Open year-round. Hours listed are for the lodge office. · Books through reservations.outdoors.org | ||
| Worthington State Forest Campground ↗ | · | |
| Park Open daily from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Trails Open daily from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Park Office Open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. · Books through njportal.com | ||
Show all 6 campgroundsHide
| River Camping | 68 sites | |
| $16 a night · The primitive river campsites are open from spring until fall. | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Bushkill Meeting CenterPassport stamp
A visitor center with restrooms, a bookstore, and passport stamps. The building and bathrooms are accessible.
- Kittatinny Point Visitor CenterPassport stamp
A seasonal visitor center in the heart of the Delaware Water Gap with picnic areas, boat launches, and hiking trails.
Explore
Things to do
- Hike the Cliff Trail1-4 Hours
The Cliff Trial along the Raymondskill Ridge has gorgeous scenic views and just enough elevation gain to get the heart pumping.
Opens on the Park Service site - Millbrook Village
Take a walk around Millbrook Village.
Opens on the Park Service site - Easy Hike Along Hornbecks Creek
An easy, one-mile out and back hike along the Lower Hornbecks Creek will lead visitors to a small waterfall, but the waterfall is only part of the view!
Opens on the Park Service site - Biking on the McDade Recreational Trail
Biking on the McDade Recreational Trail
Opens on the Park Service site - Snowshoe and Cross-country Ski on the McDade Trail
Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on the McDade Recreational Trail.
Opens on the Park Service site - Tour Old Mine Road1-3 Hours
Take a tour of Old Mine Road.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Reservations Required - Plein Air Painting: Capturing Light at Millbrook Village10/1611:00 AM · free · registration requiredMillbrook Village
News
- Reminder to Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over ↗2026-08-24
Starting Friday, September 4 and continuing throughout the Labor Day holiday weekend, the National Park Service (NPS), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety…
- Milford Star will light up the Fourth of July ↗2026-06-30
Starting the night of July 3, 2026, the Milford Star will shine again from its perch on top of Milford Knob in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the Mid-Atlantic
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Local history books for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBald Eagle 3× · Belted Kingfisher 1× · Mute Swan 1× · Eastern Screech-Owl 1× · Barred Owl 1× · Red Fox 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 236 birds, 49 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican kestrel · bald eagle · barn owl · barred owl · black vulture · broad-winged hawk · cooper's hawk · eastern screech-owl · golden eagle · great horned owl · long-eared owl · merlin · northern harrier · northern saw-whet owl · osprey · peregrine falcon · red-shouldered hawk · red-tailed hawk · rough-legged hawk · sharp-shinned hawk · short-eared owl · snowy owl · turkey vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican bittern · American black duck · American coot · American wigeon · Canada goose · Virginia rail · black-crowned night-heron · blue-winged teal · bufflehead · cattle egret · common goldeneye · common loon · common merganser · double-crested cormorant · glossy ibis · great blue heron · great egret · greater scaup · green heron · green-winged teal · hooded merganser · horned grebe · least bittern · lesser scaup · little blue heron · long-tailed duck · mute swan · northern pintail · pied-billed grebe · red-necked grebe · ring-necked duck · ruddy duck · snow goose · snowy egret · tricolored heron · tundra swan · wood duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican woodcock · Bonaparte's gull · Caspian tern · Spotted Sandpiper · black-bellied plover · common snipe · common tern · great black-backed gull · greater yellowlegs · herring gull · killdeer · least sandpiper · lesser yellowlegs · pectoral sandpiper · ring-billed gull · semipalmated plover · solitary sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesmourning dove · ring-necked pheasant · rock dove · ruffed grouse · wild turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · northern flicker · pileated woodpecker · red-bellied woodpecker · red-headed woodpecker · yellow-bellied sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftschimney swift · ruby-throated hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian flycatcher · American crow · American goldfinch · American pipit · American redstart · American robin · American tree sparrow · Baltimore oriole · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Black-throated Green Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue-winged Warbler · Boreal Chickadee · Brewster's warbler · Canada Warbler · Cape May warbler · Carolina chickadee · Carolina wren · Cerulean Warbler · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Connecticut warbler · European starling · Hooded Warbler · House Finch · Kentucky Warbler · Lapland longspur · Lincoln's sparrow · Louisiana Waterthrush · Magnolia Warbler · Nashville Warbler · Northern Parula · Philadelphia vireo · Pine Warbler · Prairie Warbler · Purple Finch · Swainson's thrush · Tennessee warbler · Wilson's warbler · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-rumped Warbler · Yellow-throated Warbler · alder flycatcher · bank swallow · barn swallow · bay-breasted warbler · belted kingfisher · black scoter · black-and-white warbler · black-billed cuckoo · black-capped chickadee · blue grosbeak · blue jay · blue-gray gnatcatcher · blue-headed vireo · bobolink · brant · brown creeper · brown thrasher · brown-headed cowbird · canvasback · cedar waxwing · chipping sparrow · cliff swallow · common grackle · common nighthawk · common raven · common redpoll · common yellowthroat · dark-eyed junco · eastern bluebird · eastern kingbird · eastern meadowlark · eastern phoebe · eastern towhee · eastern wood-pewee · evening grosbeak · field sparrow · fish crow · fox sparrow · gadwall · golden-crowned kinglet · golden-winged warbler · grasshopper sparrow · gray catbird · gray-cheeked thrush · great crested flycatcher · hermit thrush · horned lark · house sparrow · house wren · indigo bunting · least flycatcher · mallard · marsh wren · mourning warbler · northern cardinal · northern goshawk · northern mockingbird · northern rough-winged swallow · northern shrike · northern waterthrush · olive-sided flycatcher · orange-crowned warbler · orchard oriole · ovenbird · palm warbler · pine grosbeak · pine siskin · prothonotary warbler · purple martin · red crossbill · red-breasted nuthatch · red-eyed vireo · red-winged blackbird · redhead · rose-breasted grosbeak · ruby-crowned kinglet · rusty blackbird · savannah sparrow · scarlet tanager · snow bunting · song sparrow · sora · summer tanager · swamp sparrow · tree swallow · tufted titmouse · veery · vesper sparrow · warbling vireo · whip-poor-will · white-breasted nuthatch · white-crowned sparrow · white-eyed vireo · white-throated sparrow · white-winged crossbill · white-winged scoter · willow flycatcher · wood thrush · worm-eating warbler · yellow-bellied flycatcher · yellow-billed cuckoo · yellow-breasted chat · yellow-throated vireo
Small mammalsAmerican beaver · American pygmy shrew · American water shrew · North American porcupine · brown rat · cinereus shrew · common muskrat · deer mouse · eastern chipmunk · eastern cottontail · eastern gray squirrel · eastern mole · hairy-tailed mole · house mouse · meadow jumping mouse · meadow vole · northern short-tailed shrew · red squirrel · smoky shrew · southern bog lemming · southern flying squirrel · southern red-backed vole · star-nosed mole · white-footed mouse · woodland jumping mouse · woodland vole
PredatorsAmerican black bear · American mink · North American river otter · bobcat · common raccoon · coyote · fisher · gray fox · long-tailed weasel · red fox · striped skunk
Hoofed mammalswhite-tailed deer
BatsIndiana myotis · North American Hoary Bat · big brown bat · eastern red bat · eastern small-footed myotis · little brown bat · northern myotis · silver-haired bat
Also on the checklistVirginia opossum · eastern pipstrelle · woodchuck
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Rock climbing in the national parks · Skiing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
Spring: Temperatures usually range from lows of 26 F to highs of 80 F with average rainfall of 5 inches. Summer: Temperatures usually range from lows of 55 F to highs of 85 F with average rainfall of 4 inches. Fall: Temperatures usually range from lows of 30 F to highs of 83F. Fall foliage is at its peak sometime in October as daily mountain temperatures vary frequently and influence the change. Winter: Temperatures usually range from lows of 15 F to highs of 49 F.
Questions people ask
Does Delaware Water Gap charge an entrance fee?
No. Delaware Water Gap is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Delaware Water Gap?
A Delaware Water Gap-only annual pass is $45.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Delaware Water Gap takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Delaware Water Gap free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Delaware Water Gap?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Delaware Water Gap. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
Is Delaware Water Gap open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Delaware Water Gap?
Yes. The Park Service lists 6 campgrounds in Delaware Water Gap: Dingmans, Rivers Bend Group, Valley View Group, Mohican Outdoor Center, and Worthington State Forest, and more. 6 take reservations through Recreation.gov.
Which Delaware Water Gap campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?
Showers: Dingmans and Mohican Outdoor Center. Dump station: Dingmans. Electric hookups: Dingmans.
Source: Campgrounds
Do camping fees at Delaware Water Gap include the entrance fee?
No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Rivers Bend Group is $70 a night.
Source: Campgrounds
Do Delaware Water Gap campgrounds book through Recreation.gov?
Not all of them. Mohican Outdoor Center and Worthington State Forest take reservations through reservations.outdoors.org and njportal.com.
Source: Campgrounds
When do Delaware Water Gap campgrounds close for the season?
Rivers Bend Group is closed Nov 30 to Apr 21 and Valley View Group is closed Nov 30 to Apr 24.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Delaware Water Gap right now?
3 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Dingmans Falls Trail, Road, and Access Closed for Bridge Replacement; Old Mine Road North Construction Closure Begins April 6, 2026; and more.
Source: Alerts
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
More in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
