Kayaking on the Delaware River within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
The 40 miles of the Delaware River that flow through Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area are designated by Congress as the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River. This is a relatively calm stretch of water where most of the “whitewater” excitement comes from nothing more than choppy water and perhaps a few Class I and II rapids. Under normal conditions, this is a river that can be enjoyed by paddlers of all ages and skill levels.
Boat ramps are located on both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey sides of the Delaware River. If you are a wanted criminal in one of these states, be sure to depart and end your trip at boat ramps in the state where nobody knows your name. Also keep in mind that there is a fee to park at Milford Beach, Dingmans Ferry, Bushkill Access, Turtle Beach, and Smithfield Beach from mid-April through Columbus Day weekend.
If you want to do a paddling trip within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area but don’t have a canoe, kayak, or other hand-paddled watercraft, you can rent a boat from one of the many outfitters in the area. One option is to use authorized concessionaires. Such businesses are allowed to operate within the park, so they can bring the boats to you at a particular location and will pick you up at the end of your trip. If you rent a boat from an outfitter that is not authorized by the National Park Service, you have to pick up the boat at the outfitter’s business location and transport it into the park on your own (and return it at the end of the day). See the National Park Service’s list of Authorized Concessionaires.
If you don’t have a ride waiting at the end of your paddling trip to bring you back to your car, the free River Run Shuttle stops at select boat ramps in Pennsylvania on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The shuttle can accommodate canoes and kayaks. Stops include Milford Beach, Dingmans Ferry, Eshback Access, Bushkill Access, and Smithfield Beach. For details, see the National Park Service’s official Shuttle web page for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
One life jacket per passenger must be aboard the boat. When water levels are over eight feet, life jackets must be worn by all boaters, swimmers, and wading fisherman. Children under the age of 13 must always wear a life jacket. Furthermore, everyone must wear a life jacket from November 1st until April 1st regardless of the water level.
Those who want to paddle the entire Middle Delaware Scenic and Recreational River must start and end their trip outside of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area because the most northern boat launch within the park, Milford Beach, is 4.5 miles south of the northern park boundary, and the southernmost boat launch at Kittatinny Point is 2 miles short of the southern park boundary. The closest public boat launches to the north are in Matamoras, Pennsylvania, and Port Jarvis, New York, 9 river miles from Milford Beach. If you camp at Kittatinny Canoe’s River Beach Campground, you can actually start your trip at the park boundary, as the campground is just outside of it. This saves you 5 miles of paddling.
Most people couldn’t care less about paddling the entire Middle Delaware, so skipping a trip through Matamoras and Port Jarvis and starting at Milford Beach is no big loss. However, at the southern end of the park, a stop at Kittatinny Point comes up short of actually passing through the famed Delaware Water Gap. To make the trip through the gap—which in truth is no different from any other section of the river with mountains on both sides, but it is neat to say you did it—you must continue south for four miles to the next public ramp in Portland, Pennsylvania.
I went down the entire river within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area by starting at West End Park in Port Jarvis and ending at Portland. Prior to that, I paddled the entire Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River starting in Hancock, New York, and ending at the Matamoras ramp, a distance of roughly 74 miles. As with the Upper Delaware River, I have prepared reports on each section of the river within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (based on boat ramps). These reports contain detailed information and photographs of the river and the boat ramps, plus tips that I picked up along the way.
My reports are based on the water gauge levels when I did the trip, which ranged from between three and six feet. At these levels, this is a calm stretch of river with some choppy water and a few small rapids to spice things up a bit, nothing even first-time paddlers couldn’t handle. In fact, I wouldn’t hesitate to bring along a small child who could swim, if I had a small child who could swim (of course the child would have on a life jacket). But keep in mind that you must know the water gauge levels when you do the trip (levels are measured at various gauges, and links are given to those gauges in each River Section review). The most relied-upon gauge within the park is at Montague (near Milford Beach). Paddling when this gauge reads less than four feet is not advisable due to the fact that you may often be scraping bottom and having to get out and drag your boat to deeper water. Anything above eight feet requires additional skills, and the river is closed when levels reach fifteen feet due to extreme danger. The best river trips through Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area—assuming you are looking for a relaxing trip and not a whitewater adventure—are when the water gauge at Montague reads between five and eight feet. Historically, water levels at Montague rarely dip below five feet.
(NOTE: Gauges only measure water depth at one location. The actual depth of the river varies from place to place. However, a gauge reading gives a good indication of what the water levels will be like between it and the next downriver gauge. This information is helpful in determining overall river conditions for boating. For example, if the Montague gauge reads four feet, it would seem impossible to get stuck on the bottom because four feet is way more water than needed for canoeing and kayaking. However, a four-foot reading at Montague may mean that some areas of the river only have six inches of water. Using this ratio, if Montague reads six feet, then the shallow areas would have two and a half feet of water, which is plenty for canoeing and kayaking.)
PADDLING REPORT BY RIVER SECTION
Dingmans Ferry to Eshback Access
Eshback Access to Bushkill Access
Smithfield Beach to Worthington State Forest
Worthington State Forest to Kittatinny Point
Kittatinny Point to Portland Waterfront Park, PA
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Last updated on October 5, 2024
