McDade Trail between the White Pines and Schneider Farm trailheads 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 White Pines to Schneider Farm, the accounting of the trail miles covered on the trip is in reverse order.
Trail Miles Covered: 24.4 to 20.8
Length: 3.6 miles
Difficulty: Moderate with a few very steep hills
River Run Shuttle: No stop at White Pines but can be flagged at Schneider Farm
Before getting to the trail review, I want to inform bikers that the McDade Trail is for hikers-only north of the White Pines trailhead until the Pittman Orchard trailhead 4.2 miles away. If you plan on biking north all the way to Milford Beach, you must ride on US 209 / Federal Road starting at White Pines. Federal Road is a 45 MPH highway where cars travel well beyond the speed limit, and there is no road shoulder. If that doesn’t bother you, have at it. Bikers who care about living should begin their bike trips at White Pines if traveling south and end their trips here if traveling north. Forget about biking all the way to Milford Beach. There is 24 miles of trail between Hialeah and White Pines.
White Pines trailhead for the McDade Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
The White Pines-Schneider Farm segment of the McDade Trail is populated with a half dozen hills to climb up and over. Most are no longer than a hundred yards and have average grades of around 10% (15% is considered the start of strenuous hiking), but there are a few longer and steeper ones. I was riding my bike and could not get up the first hill, but not because I am old and out of shape. 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 without a problem.
The second uphill climb of any note has an average grade of 22.5%. I didn’t even attempt to bike up this one, which is tippy-toe steep even for hikers. That’s a hill so steep that you must push off on the balls of your feet to move forward, and your heels never touch the ground.
Hilly terrain on the McDade Trail between the White Pines and Schneider Farm trailheads in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
While the downhill runs are always fun for those on a bike, don’t try to break land speed records because some of these are so steep they are dangerous to go down without the brakes on the entire way.
Not far from the White Pines trailhead, the McDade Trail crosses over Adams Creek, which flows into the Delaware River. You can sometimes catch glimpses of the river through the trees, but there are no clear views of it on this section of the trail.
The McDade Trail crosses Adams Creek just south of the White Pines trailhead in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
At 1.6 mile from the parking lot, the McDade Trail crosses Dingmans Turnpike, the road that leads to Dingmans Ferry Bridge. It then veers east and makes a 1.5-mile C-shaped detour from the road as if it is going around something. It eventually comes back to Federal Road just .6 mile from Dingmans Turnpike. Why it doesn’t continue following the road is a mystery to me.
McDade Trail intersects with Dingmans Turnpike in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
A tenth of a mile after crossing the road, the McDade Trail passes over Dingmans Creek via a footbridge. Be aware that the bridge is covered in green moss / algae that is very slick when wet. If you don’t attempt to stop, that’s fine, but if you hit the brakes, be prepared to possibly slide out of control. It’s like being on ice.
The McDade Trail crosses Dingmans Creek south of the White Pines trailhead in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Just beyond the bridge, the trail appears to dead end at another road. There is no trail on the other side and no directional signage. What you need to do is turn right and take the road for a hundred yards, and then you’ll see the gravel McDade Trail continue off to the left.
Once back on the trail, there is a steep quarter-mile hill. Again, the difficulty in getting to the top is the loose gravel, not necessarily the steepness of the hill. As was the case with first hill, I came to a stop after my back tire lost traction, and I had to walk the rest of the way. I just don’t see how even the strongest cyclist could get up the hill due to the gravel situation.
At the top of the hill is a .6 mile level area that ends at a short downhill segment before coming back to Federal Road, thus ending the aforementioned C-shape detour.
Level section of the McDade Trail between the White Pines and Schneider Farm trailheads at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Once back at Federal Road, the McDade Trail passes the entrance to Dingmans Campground, 3.25 miles from White Pines. Beyond the campground, the trail runs along a corn field and passes some farm buildings, which I assume are part of the Schneider Farm.
Dingman Ferry Campground at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
The McDade Trail passes cornfields at the Schneider Farm in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
After passing the campground, the McDade Trail once again veers far from the road and therefore does not come anywhere near the Schneider Farm trailhead parking lot, which is directly on Federal Road. Instead, .4 mile beyond the campground entrance is a .4-mile side trail that connects to the parking lot (that’s how far from the road you are). There is no directional signage at the intersection, so without a map or GPS, unless you are already familiar with this intersection, you won’t have any idea what this is. Traveling south as I was, the McDade Trail merges with the connector trail, so travelers must make a sharp V-turn to the right to get to the parking lot. By the time I noticed it, I was already past it. If you are coming from the south and heading north, the intersection is an obvious fork, with the connector trail on the left and the McDade Trail on the right. The photo below is the view when traveling north.
Intersection of the McDade Trail and the connector trail to the Schneider Farm parking area on Federal Road, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
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Last updated on February 10, 2024
