Arrow Island Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Length:  1 mile, one way
Time:  40 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate with a few very steep hills

The Arrow Island Trail is located at the very southern end of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on the opposite side of the Delaware River from Kittatinny Point. It is a 1-mile out-and-back trail with its northern trailhead at the Arrow Island Overlook on PA 611 / North Delaware Drive and its southern trailhead at a parking lot on National Park Drive. There is another trail at the southern end, the Slateford Trail, that you can add to the hike if you want something longer. I was only able to hike the Arrow Island Trail due to time constraints.

Arrow Island Trail Map

I started my hike at the Arrow Island Overlook and had a friend pick me up at the end so that I didn’t have to walk back. The overlook and the trail are on opposite sides of North Delaware Drive, and each has its own parking lot. The trail parking lot is accessed from the southbound lane. It is possible to park at the trail and walk over to the overlook, but it’s not that great of a view, and I don’t suggest going out of your way to see it.

The Arrow Island Trail starts off straight up a hill. While the climb is well into the strenuous realm of hiking, it is only 100 yards in length.

Northern trailhead for the Arrow Island Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Steep terrain at the start of the Arrow Island Trail at its northern trailhead, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Towards the top of the hill is a tree with a double white blaze on it that stairsteps to the left. Blazes are paint splotches on trees and rocks that you follow like Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs to stay on the correct route. Trails are color-coordinated, and the color of the Arrow Island Trail blazes is white. A double blaze indicates a turn, and the direction of the stairsteps indicates which way to turn, so in this case the trail continues to the left.

The route of the Arrow Island Trail is marked with white blazes, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Once you make the turn, you’ll have another small hill to climb before coming out on level terrain on a trail wide enough to be an old road. The trail narrows rather quickly, but the level terrain continues for the next quarter mile, making this section of the Arrow Island Trail an easy hike.

Wide section of trail at the northern end of the Arrow Island Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Typical terrain at the northern end of the Arrow Island Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Arrow Island is an island in the Delaware River that you can see from the overlook. A long time ago, you may have also been able to see it while hiking the Arrow Island Trail because it works its way up a ridge high above the river. Today, however, the trees and other vegetation are just too thick, so it’s now nothing more than a walk in the woods, and a noisy one at that. The highway is also just down below.

Three tenths of a mile into the hike, the Arrow Island Trail veers from the road, and at this point it begins uphill for the next quarter mile. Most of the climb is moderate in difficulty, but there is one short-but-extremely-steep section like at the start of the hike.

Hilly terrain on the Arrow Island Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

A tenth of a mile up the hill, the trail comes to a T-intersection with no directional signage indicating which way to turn. This intersection is not on the trail map. Left is the correct way to go. You’ll see white blazes on the trees and a small creek that you must cross once you make the turn.

Creek crossing on the Arrow Island Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

There is a sharp right-hand turn just after the creek, and the trail begins uphill once again, this time at a much healthier pace. It follows the creek but quickly rises above it on a ridge.

Steep section near the midway point on the Arrow Island Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Arrow Island Trail follows a small stream near its midway point, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

At this point I realized that I was no longer following the trail as it was drawn on the trail map, and as it was shown on my hiking app. If you look at the trail map above, this is the section where there is an S-curve. I just continued hiking straight when the trail supposedly curved back towards the Delaware River. Despite this, I did see a white blaze just beyond the stream crossing, and there certainly was a well defined trail along the creek. At the top of the hill was a downed tree that had been cut and cleared from the path by park Rangers, which they certainly wouldn’t do if this wasn’t the trail. And seconds after passing the cut tree, I saw white blazes. I was back on the official trail. I never saw any other trail than the one I was on, so perhaps the section of the Arrow Island Trail at the S-curve has been closed and the trail rerouted. Or maybe I just missed the turn. Either way, it doesn’t look like it matters.

Tree on the Arrow Island Trail that was cut and cleared by park Rangers, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Official Arrow Island Trail at the midway point on the hike, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

The rest of the hike covers hilly territory with constant ups and downs, some quite steep. Also, in the fall with all the leaves down it’s nearly impossible to see any discernable path, so keep an eye out for the blazes. I was constantly doubting my position, but no sooner did I assume I was lost than I’d see a white blaze.

Arrow Island Trail is hard to follow in the fall due to the amount of leaves on the trail, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

The Guide to the Gap, a tabloid-size publication with maps for all the trails in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, mentions the ruins of an early 1900s casino and resort, but I never saw anything. Perhaps it was on the section of trail that I bypassed. It also mentions stone walls of a former farm, and I did see these. The Arrow Island Trail goes up and over one section of wall, and shortly thereafter it follows right along another.

Stone wall at the southern end of the Arrow Island Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

The Arrow Island Trail ends at a parking lot, which is the same parking lot where you can pick up the Slaterford Trail. This is another out-and-back trail with a couple of loops in the middle that the National Park Service describes as easy to moderate. For comparison, it describes the Arrow Island Trail as moderate. If you hike the Slateford Trail, expect more of the same type of terrain.

Southern trailhead of the Arrow Island Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

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