Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is located near the junction of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania in the Appalachian Mountains. Along with the adjacent state parks- Delaware Water Gap provides hiking, canoeing, fishing, and camping. Interstate 80 runs through the park- making for easy access from NYC. See the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference or the National Park service's Delaware Page for more information.These are two views from the top of Mt. Tammany, 1500 feet above the Delaware River. The photo on the left looks south-west towards Mt. Minsi. The other photo looks to the right of this (directly west) with the slope of Mt. Minsi on the left, and in the center, Interstate 80 running along the right bank of the Delaware River. The "Delaware Water Gap" is the river carved valley between these two mountains.
These next two photos are from the adjacent Worthington State Forest.
Dunnfield Creek
Sunfish Pond
Canoing in the Fall.
Delaware Water Gap has many outfits that will rent you a canoe and drive you upstream- so that your trip is back downstream to your car. The current is gentle and the water is clear. The canoe floats along as if resting on a sheet of green tinted glass moving over the stony bottom. Decorating the submerged landscape are tufts of small ferns, like a miniature pine forest. At times the river carries you through fields of underwater grass. The bright green blades, as much as four feet long, are anchored in bunches at the bottom. Stirred by the river they twist and curve, winding and unwinding about themselves. Fish are abundant. Small silver fish dart along the shore. Large, arm length, torpedo shaped fish plow through the deeper water. Black crows race amongst the trees. Far above stately hawks make slow circles in the sky. An occasional crane can be seen along the shore. Its wings, head, and feet hanging on a thin limbed frame. Flotillas of ducks and geese swim lazily by or nap on rocks in the river.
All images © John Donohue