Hialeah Picnic Area in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

The Hialeah Picnic Area is open from 6 AM to 8 PM from mid-April through mid-October and from sunrise to sunset the rest of the year. It is located on the Pennsylvania side of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area along the gravel road that leads to the Hialeah Trailhead for the McDade Recreational Trail. If using Google Maps for directions, search HIALEAH TRAILHEAD.

Parking is done in the grass areas that are marked off with logs on the side of the road. There are 18 different parking areas, each with one or two tables, all of which are taken on a first come, first served basis. The tables are very close to the parking spots, making the Hialeah Picnic Area one of the more convenient in the park. It is also free to use.

Parking spots for the Hialeah Picnic Area in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

All tables are located along the Delaware River, but trees and other vegetation block most of the views. There are only a few spots left where you can still see the river.

Picnic table with a view of the Delaware River at the Hialeah Picnic Area in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Most of the picnic tables are made of aluminum, so you don’t have to deal with dilapidated wooden tables that are liable to give you splinters. There are no grills, which is common to all picnic areas in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. However, you can bring your own charcoal or gas grill—no ground fires are allowed. For those using charcoal, there are hot coal bins on the premises. Please dump your coals in one of these and not on the ground. Regular trash cans are also available.

Aluminum picnic tables at the Hialeah Picnic Area in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

There are two fancy outhouses, which are what Jed Clampett would call a portable toilet in a permanent building. There is no running water.

Fancy outhouse at the Hialeah Picnic Area in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

The road to Hialeah is closed to vehicle traffic from 8 PM on Fridays until noon on Mondays from late May until the end of September / early October, which effectively means NO PARKING on the weekends during the tourist season. The parking lot is very small, and since Hialeah is also the southern terminus for the McDade Trail and a popular place to start a hike north, it would be overwhelmed with vehicles on the weekends.

By closing the road, the National Park Service forces anyone coming to Hialeah on the weekends to take the River Run Shuttle. This is a free bus that runs between the Delaware Water Gap Park and Ride at the southern end of the park and Milford Beach at the northern end. While the shuttle may be convenient for those starting a hike or bike ride at Hialeah, I for one do not want to lug picnicking supplies, food, and possibly a grill, on a bus to Hialeah when there are plenty of other picnic areas in the park that I can pull right up to in my vehicle.

Given that the Hialeah Picnic Area is effectively closed on weekends during the summer and that tables are taken on a first come, first served basis, it’s not an ideal place to hold a group picnic. However, you are welcome to do so. Groups of 30 or more people need a permit to gather anywhere within the park, and the permit doesn’t mean your group has first dibs on picnic tables. Somebody still has to be there first thing in the morning to stake a claim. The better option is to hold your outing at the Milford Beach Picnic Area, which can be reserved. For information about permits, call the special use permit coordinator for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area at (570) 426-2440.

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