Hamilton Ridge Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Millbrook Village Area Trails Home Page
Length: 2.8 miles, one way
Time: 1.25 hours (one way)
Difficulty: Somewhere between easy and moderate
The Hamilton Ridge Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is located near Millbrook Village. It is an out-and-back trail that runs between a roadside parking lot on Old Mine Road and the southern trailhead for the Pioneer Trail. Nobody in their right mind would actually hike out-and-back on this trail, as the only logical thing to do is combine it with the Pioneer Trail to form a loop. An even better idea is to park at Millbrook Village and take the Orchard Trail a half mile until it dead ends into the Hamilton Ridge Trail, then turn southwest and make the loop with the Pioneer Trail before returning back to Millbrook Village.
Millbrook Village Hiking Trails map
This trail report covers the entire Hamilton Ridge Trail starting at the parking area on Old Mine Road, which really isn’t a parking area. It is a side road that quickly ends at a gate to prevent vehicles from continuing farther down what is clearly a former road. Just park so that you do not block the gate. There isn’t a lot of room, which is why you are better off picking up the trail from Millbrook Village or the Lower Van Campen Glen Parking Lot. However, I doubt there will ever be a fight for parking at this end, even on the busiest of days at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
Start of the Hamilton Ridge Trail at its northeastern trailhead on Old Mine Road in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
The Hamilton Ridge Trail starts off on flat terrain for a tenth of a mile before coming to a 100-yard uphill climb of moderate difficulty. After that, the trail covers easy terrain all the way to the first intersection with the Pioneer Trail. It’s not completely flat, so don’t come out here in a wheelchair or with a walker, but for those without mobility problems, it might as well be flat. There is still asphalt on some sections of the trail that is in as good a shape as the existing vehicle roads in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, so this road must have been closed and converted into a trail within the last few decades.
Typical terrain at the northeastern end of the Hamilton Ridge Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
The intersection with the Orchard Trail comes .4 mile from Old Mine Road. The Orchard Trail leads to Millbrook Village.
Intersection of the Hamilton Ridge and Orchard trails near Millbrook Village in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Orchard Trail at the intersection with the Hamilton Ridge Trail, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
The intersection with the northern end of the Pioneer Trail comes 1.1 mile into the hike. A sign identifies the trail, so you can’t miss it. As mentioned, the most sensible option for hiking the Hamilton Ridge Trail is to make a loop with the Pioneer Trail. You can jump on it now or catch it at the end of the Hamilton Ridge Trail, which is what I did.
Intersection of the Hamilton Ridge and Pioneer trails near Millbrook Village in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
From the Pioneer Trail intersection, the Hamilton Ridge Trail proceeds downhill all the way to the end, another 1.5 miles ahead. The asphalt disappears after about a half mile, and much of the trail is covered in tall grass, particularly towards the end. Ticks love this type of environment, so be sure to check the fronts of your legs for the pests every few minutes. For the record, I did not get any ticks on me during my mid-October hike.
The lower half of the Hamilton Ridge Trail at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is mainly covered in grass
There’s not much to say about the rest of the hike other than the descent is somewhere between mild and moderate (perhaps a 2 on a difficulty scale of 1 to 5) and that it is gradual all the way to the end.
The Hamilton Ridge Trail heads downhill from the upper intersection with the Pioneer Trail, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
The Hamilton Ridge Trail dead ends into the Pioneer Trail. To begin a loop back north, take a right on what at this point is also an old road. A left leads down to Old Mine Road and the Lower Van Campen Glen Parking Lot.
Terrain at the southern end of the Pioneer Trail at the intersection with the Hamilton Ridge Trail, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
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Last updated on February 2, 2024
