Walpack Ridge Trail near Walpack Center in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Length: 3-mile loop
Time: 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate with a couple very steep hills
The Walpack Ridge Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area can be accessed from three locations. For those wanting to hike only the Walpack Ridge Trail, the best place to start is at the parking lot at the end of Ridge Road (aka Thunder Mountain Road). If you want to combine it with the Military Road Trail, then the best place to start is at Walpack Center. Park at the School House on Main Street, then walk back up the road to the Walpack Center Post Office. The trailhead for Military Road is across the street. You can also start the hike at Old Mine Road, but I don’t recommend it due to limited parking.
The Military Road Trail starts across the street from the Walpack Center Post Office in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
I hiked the Walpack Ridge Trail as part of a loop with the Military Road Trail starting at Walpack Center. I first hiked all the way to Old Mine Road, then caught the Walpack Ridge Trail on the way back, picking it up at the western intersection of the two trails. This sent me hiking in the clockwise direction, and this trail report is written from that perspective. This report only covers the Walpack Ridge Trail. See the Military Road Trail report for information and photos about that hike.
National Park Service map of the Walpack Center Area Trails (corrections in RED)
The intersection of the Walpack Ridge and Military Road trails is marked by a red-topped post. Red is the blaze color of the Walpack Ridge Trail, and you’ll see red blazes—paint splotches—on trees along the route that serve as Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs. If you get lost or want to confirm that you are on the right path, look for a red blaze.
Walpack Ridge Trail at the western intersection with the Military Road Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Unlike the Military Road Trail, which is a former road, the Walpack Ridge Trail is a traditional hiking trail that passes through the forest. It climbs up and over four hills during its 2.75-mile length, with only the last hill being particularly steep. All other climbs are long and gradual, rating from barely noticeable to moderate in difficulty, and even the steeper sections are only a few hundred feet or so in length. One such hill comes right at the start, a 200-foot section with an average grade of 14% (15% is where strenuous hiking begins).
Steep hill on the Walpack Ridge Trail near the western intersection with the Military Road Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
After .4 mile the trail arrives at the southern end of a small pond. There are no views of the pond from here, as the forest is too thick and the trail is too far from the water. Prior to this, and extending all the way back to the start at the Military Road, the area below the trail has been a wetland, and should it rain enough, a pond may form there as well. The National Park Service map shows a couple of small ponds in this area, but I never saw any water when I did the hike.
The Walpack Ridge Trail now heads downhill, and a quarter mile later I got my first and only glimpse of the pond, which really looked more like a swamp. Previous hikers have cut a path down to the shoreline, but I stuck to the main trail by staying left at the fork with this detour. This is as close to the water as the Walpack Ridge Trail comes.
Walpack Ridge Trail circles a small pond, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
By the time you see the pond for the first time, the Walpack Ridge Trail will have already gone up and over two of the four hills. However, other than the moderate climb at the start, most hikers won’t even realize it since the slopes are so long and gradual. Even the hike up the third hill goes without much notice if you aren’t paying attention.
Typical terrain on the western side of the Walpack Ridge Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
The top of the third hill comes .4 mile father ahead at the intersection with Ridge Road, a former road that is now covered with grass. Take a right at the intersection. At this point the trail and the road are one in the same.
Intersection of the Walpack Ridge Trail and Ridge Road in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Walpack Ridge Trail follows the path of Ridge Road at its northern end, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
In another quarter mile the Walpack Ridge Trail comes out on the vehicle-permitted section of Ridge Road. There is a double red blaze that stairsteps to the right on a telephone pole. A double blaze indicates a turn, and the direction of the stairsteps indicates which way to turn—in this case, right. There is another pond off to the left, and a side trail leads down to it for those who want a closer look.
Intersection of the Walpack Ridge Trail and the vehicle-permitted section of Ridge Road, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Pond at the end of Ridge Road in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Within sight distance of the turn onto the gravel road is another post with a red top. This is where the Walpack Ridge Trail veers from the road, making a sharp turn to the right as it now heads southwest back towards the Military Road Trail. At this point it is wide like the road, but it soon narrows into a traditional hiking trail.
The Walpack Ridge Trail continues a short distance down the vehicle-permitted portion of Ridge Road, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Southbound Walpack Ridge Trail at the intersection with Ridge Road, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
The trip back towards Military Road starts out on another long and gradual downhill slope. There are a lot more rocks on this side of the trail, so watch your step. I did the hike in late October, and the leaves not only hid the rocks from view, but they also hid the entire trail at some points. I had to look for red blazes on the trees to make sure I was still heading in the right direction.
Rocky terrain on the eastern side of the Walpack Ridge Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Fall leaves make is hard to follow the Walpack Ridge Trail in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
At the bottom of the hill, .6 mile from the gravel Ridge Road, is a creek crossing, and just after that is the start of the steep fourth hill. If referencing the trail map, the hill starts at the northeast end of the pond on the section of trail that suddenly juts out to the east. The hill runs for nearly two tenths of mile, and a 100-yard section of it has a grade of nearly 30%—that’s damn steep. On top of that, there are plenty of roots and rocks that you can trip over.
Walpack Ridge Trail crosses a creek at the northeast end of the small pond it circles, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Steep hill on the Walpack Ridge Trail near the northeast end of the small pond, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Once at the top of the hill, the terrain levels out and the roots and rocks largely disappear. The Walpack Ridge Trail now runs parallel to the pond, but as was the case on the western side, it is so far away from the water that there are no views at all. The terrain remains level for the next .4 mile.
On its eastern side, the Walpack Ridge Trail follows a ridge high above a small pond, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
A quarter mile from Military Road, the Walpack Ridge Trail makes one last steep dip in and out of a small ravine. The downhill portion is only 150 feet long, but the grade averages 25%. The hike up, which is a tenth of a mile, has an average grade of only 9%.
The trail eventually dead ends into the Military Road Trail. If you parked at Walpack Center, take a left. If you are hiking the Walpack Ridge Trail only and in the clockwise direction, take a right to get to the western intersection with the Military Road Trail. There is a quarter mile between the two intersections.
Eastern intersection of the Walpack Ridge and Military Road trails near Walpack Center in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
The actual distance of the Walpack Ridge Trail the way I did the hike is 2.75 miles. However, if you are hiking from the Ridge Road parking lot and back, add the quarter-mile walk between the two Military Road intersections, which makes the complete loop 3 miles long. This is the distance given for the trail on the National Park Service’s map in the Guide to the Gap, a free tabloid-size publication that you can pick up at any visitor center. If hiking both the Walpack Ridge and Military Road trails as I did, the total distance is 4.6 miles. There are some neat historical features on the Military Road Trail near Old Mine Road, so it is worth hiking if you like history.
With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.
Last updated on February 9, 2024
