Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River between Sandt’s Eddy and Phillipsburg, New Jersey
RIVER TRIP OVERVIEW
Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp to Phillipsburg / Easton
Length: 5.4 miles
Water Level at Time of Trip: 6.3 to 4.8 feet
Average moving speed: 5.4 MPH with two paddlers
Top Speed: 8.5 MPH
Time: 1 hour
This review covers a trip on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River from the Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp to Phillipsburg, New Jersey, and Easton, Pennsylvania. Both cities are located across the river from each other and have public boat ramps less than a quarter mile apart.
Only the first four miles of this trip are on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River. I mention this because not all sections of the river from the northern boundary south of Belvidere, New Jersey, at River Mile 193.8 to the southern boundary at Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, are part of the park. River sections can be excluded due to excessive shoreline development, poor water quality, or because a municipality along the river does not want to be part of the park. In order to be included, municipalities on both sides of the river must agree. In this case, Phillipsburg did not want to be part of the park while Easton did. Regardless, this section would most likely not qualify for inclusion due to the extreme development along the shoreline. Because of this, the southern boundary of the first segment of the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River ends at the northern border of the city of Easton.
THE FINE PRINT
Before starting a trip down the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River, always check the water levels so that you have an idea of the river conditions. The most relevant United States Geological Survey (USGS) water level gauges for this trip are at Belvidere and Phillipsburg. On the day I did the trip in mid-October, the Belvidere gauge reported a water level of 6.3 feet and the Phillipsburg gauge 4.8 feet. The observations in this report are based on these water levels. If you do the trip when the levels are significantly lower, you may be dragging your boat to deeper water in some places and probably won’t experience the same degree of rapids as reported. If the water levels are significantly higher, you may experience more intense rapids, and more of them. Also be aware that regardless of water levels, extreme winds can cause turbulent conditions that require advanced skills on water otherwise suited for all paddlers.
Keep in mind that water level 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. For example, it may be recommended that for an enjoyable paddling trip that Gauge X reads at least four feet, even though you can have a good time in your kayak in as little as a foot of water, perhaps even less. However, a four-foot reading at Gauge X may mean that some areas of the river only have six inches of water. Likewise, the gauge at Washington Crossing read .15 foot at the start of the day when I did the trip at the southern end of the river and -.15 by the evening. Minus? How is that possible? Do I have to dig a well to get to the water? All I know is that there was plenty of water, and I’m not talking about just enough to get by. I’m talking about not being able to see the bottom. So .15 feet of water at Washington Crossing means there is plenty of water in that area, while .15 feet at Gauge X probably means the river is dry in that area.
So you now know the water levels are all relative to the area, and you really need to be a frequent paddler, or know someone who is, to judge when it’s going to be a good day on the river. I’m from Georgia. I went down the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River once, so I do not know what water levels may require advanced paddling skills or may even be dangerous, or at what levels you may be scraping the bottom of the riverbed. All I can say is that with 6.3 feet of water at the Belvidere gauge and 4.8 feet at Phillipsburg, the conditions are excellent for a paddling trip from the Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp to the Phillipsburg / Easton area. There was plenty of water in the river and the current was moving fast. While there were two sections with minor rapids, at the reported water levels there is nothing on this section of river that is beyond the capabilities of anyone with basic paddling skills.
RIVER TRIP DETAILS
The Delaware River was quite calm downriver from the Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp, whereas upstream the current was moving quite fast. However, things picked up a good bit once the river flowed around a bend a half mile from the ramp, and I was back to paddling 5 MPH or more. There was some choppy water, but nothing I would consider to be rapids of any type.
Calm water near the Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River
Around 2.5 miles from Sandt’s Eddy is the Frost Hollow Overlook, a small city park in Pennsylvania with an overlook of the river. You’ll know you are in the area when you see some cliffs along the shore. This is where I experienced the first rapids on my trip down the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River. Prior to the rapids, I was traveling at 5 MPH while not even paddling, so the current moves swiftly through this area even before the rapids.
Cliffs near the Frost Hollow Overlook on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River
The rapids are perhaps Class I at best, nothing that even novice paddlers will find that challenging, but they do liven up the trip. There are some exposed rocks that I had to avoid at the start of the rapids, but short of getting splashed every now and then, there is no real danger. I did hit 8.5 MPH on this stretch of river.
Rapids on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River near the Frost Hollow Overlook
Beyond the rapids and Frost Hollow, the Delaware River was quite calm, almost like a lake once again. I eventually came to a small island on the New Jersey (left) side of the river with a large boulder just off the shore. The land mass is so close to the mainland that it’s hard to tell if it is actually an island or just a protrusion of land, but it is an island. I went around it on the right side, for the left channel is extremely narrow.
Calm water on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River just before a small island near Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Though I can’t say the exact spot where the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River ends—there is no NOW LEAVING THE PARK sign—it ends at the island. Beyond it the riverbank is soon cluttered with commercial structures. The island is less than a mile and a half from the downtown areas of Easton and Phillipsburg.
Industrial area along the Delaware River just north of Phillipsburg, New Jersey
There is another run of small rapids just before and after the Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge, the first bridge prior to the urban area.
Rapids on the Delaware River before the Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge
Rapids on the Delaware River after the Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge
As mentioned, there are two boat ramps. The first, the Phillipsburg Boat Ramp, is on the New Jersey side of the river between the toll bridge and a second bridge, the Northampton Street Bridge. The ramp can accommodate trailer-launched and hand-launched watercraft. It is free to use, but there is a parking fee for the nearby Riverside Way Parking Lot.
Phillipsburg Boat Ramp on the Lower Delaware River
Phillipsburg Boat Ramp on the Lower Delaware River
The second ramp, the Scott Park Boat Ramp, is on the Pennsylvania side of the river in Easton not far from the Northampton Street Bridge. Look for a large retaining wall just before a small dam at the end of the Lehigh River. The wall is part of Scott Park, and you may see people on top looking out over the river. The ramp is past the wall at the southern corner of the park. Go any farther and you’ll be at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers. The ramp can accommodate all types of small boats. However, there is only limited parking along the street, and parking fees apply. It’s one of those phone app parking areas, so if you don’t have a cell phone or don’t want to download the app, you can’t park.
Retaining wall at Scott Park in Easton, Pennsylvania, as seen from the Delaware River
Scott Park Boat Ramp in Easton, Pennsylvania, on the Delaware River
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Last updated on February 21, 2024
