McDade Trail between the Milford Beach and Pittman Orchard parking areas in 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 in Hialeah. Since this report is written from the perspective of traveling south from Milford Beach to Pittman Orchard, the accounting of the trail miles covered on the trip is in reverse order.
Trail Miles Covered: 30.8 to 28.6
Length: 2.25 miles
Difficulty: Easy except one steep hill at the beginning
River Run Shuttle: stops at Milford Beach and can be flagged down at Pittman Orchard
The northern trailhead for the McDade Recreational Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is at Milford Beach. Look for the trailhead next to a large trail information bulletin board at the far end of the parking lot. Keep in mind that there is a fee to park at Milford Beach from mid-April through early October (no fee if you get dropped off to hike or bike the trail). For the current entrance fees, see the National Park Service’s official Fees and Passes web page for the park.
Start of the McDade Trail at Milford Beach in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Before starting this review, I want to warn bikers that a half mile past the Pittman Orchard parking lot, the trail is open to hikers only all the way to the Conashaugh parking lot. Bikers must divert onto US 209 / Federal Road, a 45 MPH highway with no road shoulder (and speeds are more like 55 MPH). For those who value their lives and want to avoid biking on a highway, all you can do when starting at Milford Beach is make the 4.5-mile out-and-back trip to Pittman Orchard. There is also a hikers-only section between Conashaugh and the next parking area, White Pines. Thus, if you want a longer bike trip and are heading south, start at White Pines. You’ll have a 24-mile uninterrupted ride from there.
US 209 / Federal Road within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
I also want to warn hikers that the Pittman Orchard-Conashaugh section is closed to everyone from December 15th to July 15th for eagle nesting season. If you are looking for something longer than the 4.5-mile round trip from Milford Beach to Pittman Orchard during this time, start at Conashaugh. Now on to the trail review.
From Milford Beach, the McDade Trail starts out on level ground, but after a quarter mile there is a moderately steep hill that is tackled by two 100-yard climbs separated by a short, level section. Total distance to the top is a little less than .2 mile. The hills have an average grade of 12%, so while the climb is quite steep, it isn’t strenuous by hiking standards (a grade of 15% is where most hikers agree strenuous begins.) I was riding my bike and could not get up either hill, but not because I am old and out of shape (I am). When I stood up to peddle in order to put a little more umph into the effort, my back tire spun in the loose gravel and I came to a halt. I am not fit enough to kick start my momentum on a bike from a stand still while on a steep hill, so I had to push my bike to the top. Had the trail been paved, I would have made it up both hills without a problem.
Terrain at the start of the McDade Trail near Milford Beach, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Once at the top of the hill, the McDade Trail levels out for 500 feet and then heads downhill for a tenth of a mile. After that, the rest of the trip to Pittman Orchard is easy.
Level section of the McDade Trail between the Milford Beach and Pittman Orchard parking lots in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
The first mile of the trail is in the forest, but then there is a stretch of about a mile that is out in the open and passes through an agricultural area. It was quite foggy on the morning that I biked the McDade Trail.
Corn field along the McDade Trail between the Milford Beach and Pittman Orchard parking lots in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
After passing through the open field, the McDade Trail reenters the forest for a short stretch of approximately .2 mile. Halfway through the forest is the intersection with a short trail that connects to the Pittman Orchard parking lot on Federal Road. You can see the parking lot and road from the trail.
Short connector from the McDade Trail to the Pittman Orchard parking lot on Federal Road, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Next Section South | McDade Trail Home Page
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Last updated on January 19, 2024
