Delaware River between Dingmans Ferry and Eshback Access, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

DINGMANS FERRY TO ESHBACK ACCESS RIVER TRIP

Length: 6.75 miles
Water Level at Time of Trip: 5.65 feet
Average moving speed:  3.9 MPH with two paddlers
Top Speed:  5.2 MPH
Time: 1.75 hours

Dingmans Ferry has a concrete boat ramp and canoe launch that makes it a great place to start a trip down the Delaware River. However, there is a fee to park here from mid-April through early October. There is no specific fee to use the boat ramp, so you can get dropped off or picked up for free as long as the vehicle transporting you does not park at the facility. Get the latest fees on the National Park Service’s official Fees and Passes web page Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Dingmans Ferry Boat Ramp in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Before starting a river trip through Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, it is a good idea to check the water levels so you are aware of the river conditions. At the northern end of the park, the USGS water level gauge at Montague (which is at Milford Beach) is the gauge used by the National Park Service to assess conditions. Levels between five and seven feet are typical and provide plenty of water for a trip down the river with conditions suitable for anyone with basic paddling skills. If the Montague gauge reads less than four feet, there may be spots on the river with very little water. Levels over seven feet require more paddling experience, and the river is closed due to extreme danger when water levels at Montague reach fifteen feet. Be aware that regardless of water levels, extreme winds can cause turbulent conditions that require advanced skills on water otherwise suited for all paddlers.

The trip from Dingmans Ferry to Eshback Access started my second day on the river. The gauge at Montague reported 5.65 feet of water, and the only other gauge within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, the Water Gap gauge at the southern end of the park near Depue Island and the Worthington State Forest Campground, reported 6.12 feet of water. Regardless of which gauge is more pertinent to Dingmans Ferry, there was plenty of water. Keep in mind that the observations in my report are based on these water levels. If you do the trip when the levels are lower, you may be dragging your boat to deeper water in some places and probably won’t experience the same degree of rapids as I report (historically, water levels at Montague rarely dip below five feet). If the water levels are significantly higher, you may experience more intense rapids, and more of them.

There is nothing much to report about the first four miles of the trip downriver from Dingmans Ferry other than calm to slightly choppy water and nice scenery. The only thing of note is a concrete landing pad about three miles downriver on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River. I have no idea what it was used for, but if it is above water, it makes for a good place to stop for a restroom break or a place to have a picnic. While you are welcome to land anywhere along the shore of the Delaware River within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, most of it is lined with thick vegetation, making getting out of your boat next to impossible.

Calm waters of the Delaware River between Dingmans Ferry and Eshback Access, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Concrete platform on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River three miles downriver of Dingmans Ferry, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

At the four mile-point on the trip, the Delaware River forks around Shapanak Island. Stay to the left for the most direct route around it. Because the wider river splits into two narrower channels, the water flows much faster. It is here where I experienced the first instance of what I would classify as rapids since I departed from Milford Beach the day before. Things never get rougher than Class I rapids, which are fun for paddlers of all skill levels and ages.

Small rapids on the Delaware River between Dingmans Ferry and Eshback Access, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

There is another section of Class I rapids about a mile before the Eshback Access Boat Ramp. This comes right around the point where Mill Creek empties into the Delaware River. There is a river campsite near the mouth of the creek. Those making a trip of at least 14 miles in one day can stay here or at one of the other campsites along the Delaware River within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. See the River Campsites web page here on National Park Planner for more information.

The Eshback Access Boat Ramp is 6.75 miles from Dingmans on the Pennsylvania (right) side of the river. It is not a concrete ramp like at Dingmans, so be on the lookout for a large, cleared area along the shore.

Eshback Access Boat Ramp in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

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