McDade Trail between the Turn Farm and Riverview trailheads, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Note: There are mile marker posts along the McDade Trail just as there are along a highway. Trail miles are counted south to north, with Mile 0 being at the southern trailhead at Hialeah. Since this report is written from the perspective of traveling south from the Turn Farm Trailhead to the Riverview Trailhead, the accounting of the trail miles covered on the trip is in reverse order.

Trail Miles Covered: 4.6 to 4.1
Length:  .5 mile
Difficulty: Easy
River Run Shuttle: The shuttle does not stop at either trailhead.

The Turn Farm Trailhead parking lot is located on River Road about a mile south of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Park Headquarters. From there, a .3-mile connector leads to the McDade Trail. The path is downhill all the way.

If you start from the parking lot, the next trailhead south, Riverview, is .8 mile away. However, once on the McDade Trail, it is only a half mile away, a mileage statistic more relevant to those passing right by the Turn Farm trailhead when traveling between the Riverview and Owens trailheads (Owens is the next trailhead to the north of Turn Farm). Unless you parked at Turn Farm or need the restroom—there is a fancy outhouse—you would never take the connector.

For the most part, the terrain between Turn Farm and Riverview is flat, but there are a few small hills. The largest are only 50 feet in length and have average grades of around 10% (15% is considered the start of strenuous hiking). There are only two of any significance. The rest are mild hills that you probably won’t even notice.

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