Riverwalk

Take a hike along the Delaware River

Posted 5/27/22

UPPER DELAWARE — If you like to take your time with nature, get up close and personal with the trees and flowers, the scents and sounds, walking one (or more!) of our many trails might be right …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Riverwalk

Take a hike along the Delaware River

Posted

UPPER DELAWARE — If you like to take your time with nature, get up close and personal with the trees and flowers, the scents and sounds, walking one (or more!) of our many trails might be right for you.

The National Park Service, trailkeeper.org and alltrails.com list trails in our region.

Go explore. The river is the beating heart of our region, but the paths will take you deeper into what it means to live here.

Minisink Battleground Park Trail

In the Town of Highland on the New York side, you will find the Minisink Battleground Park on County Route 168.  

The Minisink Battleground Park trail is a half-mile hike around the site. In 1779, American colonists fought a battle with Iroquois and Tory (loyalist) soldiers.

It was one of the deadliest battles of the Revolutionary War, the Park Service notes.

The flat, short trail is perfect for beginner hikers and history buffs alike. The 57-acre Minisink Battleground Park also includes picnic areas, a group picnic pavilion, restroom facilities and a handful of additional walking trails.

The park is owned by Sullivan County, NY.

For more information, visit https://sullivanny.us/Departments/ParksRecreation/Minisink.

The Tusten Mountain Trail will take you past historic spots and give you a panoramic view of our region.
The Tusten Mountain Trail will take you past historic spots and give you a panoramic view of our region.

Tusten Mountain Trail

Find the trail by turning off Route 97 onto Crawford Road, parking at the Ten Mile River access and following Ten Mile River Road on foot, crossing over a stone arch bridge to get to the trailhead on your right.

The Tusten Mountain trail is blazed by yellow dots and markers. It is the only trail on the Ten Mile River Scout Camp property that is open to the public.  Be respectful of private property and stay on the designated trail.

Rated moderately difficult, it is a three-mile loop trail, and will take you to the remains of the Tusten settlement. There are spectacular views of the valley at the summit.

Dogs are welcome, but must be kept on a leash.

For more information, visit https://upperdelawarecouncil.org/take-a-hike-on-the-tusten-mountain-trail/.

Nature, up close and personal on the Mongaup River Trail.
Nature, up close and personal on the Mongaup River Trail.

Mongaup River Trail

The trail is located just south of the Mongaup River at the intersection with CR-31 (Upper Mongaup Road) on Route 97. A small pull-off with a bulletin board marks the trailhead.

There are plenty of opportunities to see eagles, wildlife and waterfowl. If you like history, the old Knight Cemetery is to the right of the trail once you reach the end.  The engravings on the stones are weathered and hard to read, but if you look closely you will see that one date is “1816.”

Rated relatively easy, the Mongaup River Trail is a two-mile linear trail with abundant opportunities to see eagles, wildlife and waterfowl. The trail can sometimes be wet and muddy, but will be manageable with its small-stone and dirt hiking surface. It is relatively flat and short, so is a good starter trail for new or young hikers.

Learn more at https://www.nps.gov/upde/learn/news/take-a-hike-on-the-mongaup-river-trail.htm.

The Bouchoux Trail and Jensen's Ledges are well worth seeing. Find them near Long Eddy, NY.
The Bouchoux Trail and Jensen's Ledges are well worth seeing. Find them near Long Eddy, NY.

Bouchoux Trail/Jensen’s Ledges

The Bouchoux Trail is in Hancock, NY. Take Route 97 to Lordville Road. Turn off, and follow it for three miles until you come to Bouchoux Road. Turn left and drive 2.8 miles until you reach the end of the road.  The trail head is on the left side at the end of the cul-de-sac.  

The trail offers one of the most photogenic views of the Upper Delaware River Valley.

Rated moderately difficult, the Bouchoux Trail is a two-mile out-and-back trail; the beginning has a steep incline with uneven footing. The reward, according to a Park Service description, will be an amazing panoramic view of the Upper Delaware River Valley once you climb to the summit and reach Jensen’s Ledges.  To find the waterfall, bluestone remains and the ledges, take the trails to the right once you are near the summit. The evidence of the area’s once booming bluestone quarrying industry can be seen in large bluestone piles in several areas along the trail.  

Dogs are welcome on this trail but must be kept on a leash.  

The Bouchoux Trail is managed by the NPS in partnership with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

Learn more at  https://www.nps.gov/upde/learn/news/take-a-hike-on-the-bouchoux-trail.htm.

The Roebling Aqueduct, aka the Roebling Bridge, is the oldest wire cable suspension bridge in the U.S. Even though the tollpath trail is closed for repairs, you can still admire the river and watch eagles.
The Roebling Aqueduct, aka the Roebling Bridge, is the oldest wire cable suspension bridge in the U.S. Even though the tollpath trail is closed for …

The Roebling Bridge

Construction on the Roebling Bridge, formerly known as the Delaware Aqueduct, began in 1847, making it the oldest existing wire suspension bridge in the country. The Tollhouse is located on the Minisink Ford, NY side of the bridge, and the bridge stretches to Lackawaxen, PA across the river. There, visitors can find old photographs and self-guided tours to learn more.

There’s a walking path on the bridge for pedestrians, and you can watch eagles from there year-round, according to the Park Service.

The aqueduct was designed by John A. Roebling, who went on to design the Brooklyn Bridge. It was used by the D&H Canal until 1898, when the canal was closed.  

Now the National Park Service owns it and maintains an exhibit at the tollhouse, which is on the Minisink Ford side of the bridge.

Although there is a tollpath trail, it is closed; according to the Park Service it sustained heavy damage during severe rainfall last October.

Learn more about the bridge at https://www.nps.gov/upde/learn/historyculture/roeblingbridge.htm.

The view at the Cobey Pond is gorgeous, and the trail well worth walking.
The view at the Cobey Pond is gorgeous, and the trail well worth walking.

Cobey Pond Trail

Located in Masthope, PA, on state game lands, the Cobey Pond Trail is a three-mile lightly trafficked loop trail near Lackawaxen Township.

Described by the Park Service as a gem of the trail, the pond is beautiful and the hike is good for all skill levels.  The trail is family friendly with its flat terrain. It can be a perfect starter trail for young hikers or can even be enjoyed while you push a jogging stroller.  

Dogs are permitted but must be kept on a leash.

Rated easy, the trail offers bird-watching, wildlife to watch or wildflowers to identify.

With a combination of gravel roads and grassy mown wooded paths, this trail is best used from May through October.

Learn more at https://upperdelawarecouncil.org/take-a-hike-on-the-cobey-pond-trail/.

Take a walk down the Damascus Forest Trail, and enjoy the tall hemlocks, some of which have been here a long time.
Take a walk down the Damascus Forest Trail, and enjoy the tall hemlocks, some of which have been here a long time.

The Damascus Forest Trail

The Damascus Forest Trail is a two-mile loop trail in Damascus Township on Maccubins Road. It features a varied landscape of wetlands, old growth hemlock forest, uplands and lowlands.

Rated easy, the trail is good for all skill levels.

Because of the forest setting, you might encounter downed trees across the path on this trail. The trail has much to discover for families with young hikers, and is a good starter trail.

Dogs are permitted on this trail but must be kept on a leash.

Learn more at  https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/pennsylvania/damascus-forest-loop.

Minisink Battleground Park Trail, Tusten Mountain Trail, Mongaup River Trail, Bouchoux Trail/Jensen’s Ledges, The Roebling Bridge, Cobey Pond Trail, The Damascus Forest Trail

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here