Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River near Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania
RIVER TRIP OVERVIEW
Upper Black Eddy to Tinicum Park
Length: 4.9 miles
Water Level at Time of Trip: 5.3 to 3.4 feet
Average moving speed: 4 MPH with two paddlers
Top Speed: 5.2 MPH
Time: 1.25 hour
This review covers a trip on the Delaware River from the boat ramp at Upper Black Eddy in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania, to Tinicum Park in Erwinna, Pennsylvania. This entire trip is within the boundaries of 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, 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. Decisions not to be included are often based on the fact that the municipality may have to impose stricter regulations on the businesses along the river.
THE FINE PRINT
Before starting a trip down the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River, always check the water levels so you have an idea of the river conditions. The most relevant United States Geological Survey (USGS) water level gauges for this trip are at Riegelsville, New Jersey, and Frenchtown, New Jersey. On the day I did the trip in mid-October, the Riegelsville gauge reported 5.3 feet of water and the Frenchtown gauge 3.4 feet. The observations in this report are based on these water levels. If you do the trip when the water level is 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 level is 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 5.3 feet of water at Riegelsville and 3.4 feet at Frenchtown that there was plenty of water on all sections of the river covered on this trip. Other than a few spots with choppy water, the river was very calm from Upper Black Eddy to Tinicum Park. There was nothing that even beginning paddlers could not handle at these water levels.
RIVER TRIP DETAILS
Upon departing from the Upper Black Eddy Boat Ramp, the river was very calm and remained that way for the first 2.5 miles of the trip. This entire section of the river was very slow. My top speed was only 5.2 MPH, and with me and my friend paddling in a two-seat kayak, we only averaged 4 MPH. These are the slowest speeds since I started down the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River the day before at Martin’s Creek near the northern boundary of the park.
Calm water on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River near Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania
At 2.4 miles into the trip, just as I rounded a small bend in the river right before the Giving Pond Recreation Area, there was a short run of small rapids that added a little bit of excitement to an otherwise calm journey up to this point.
Small rapids on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River near Giving Pond
The Giving Pond Recreation Area Canoe Launch is on the Pennsylvania (right) side of the river. It is the first of four access points between here and the end of the trip at Tinicum Park. Giving Pond, which is a unit of Delaware Canal State Park, is the site of a former quarry. There is an actual pond that was created when the quarry filled in with water. You can launch a canoe or kayak on the pond, but there is also a nice canoe launch on the Delaware River across the street from the park entrance. With plenty of space for parking and easy access to the river with just a 200-foot walk from the parking lot, I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest this as a convenient place to start or end your trip on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River. The only drawback is that launch permits are required.
Giving Pond Canoe Launch on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River
Giving Pond Canoe Launch on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River
A little less than a mile downriver is the Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge. A rudimentary canoe launch is located at the base of the abutment on the New Jersey (left) side of the river. A narrow path runs from the road above right along the wall of the abutment down to the water. There is a small park on the road above and plenty of parking for vehicles, but the ramp itself doesn’t appear to be too inviting and is nothing that I would consider using unless I lived near the bridge. The Giving Pond Canoe Launch is much nicer. The river, by the way, was very calm in this area.
Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge spans the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River
Frenchtown Bridge Canoe Launch at the base of the Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge in New Jersey
Another mile downriver, also in New Jersey, is the Kingwood Boat Ramp. It is located in a unit of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, and launch permits are required from Memorial Day through Labor Day. I didn’t stop to check it out because there was a guy launching an airboat at the time, but from the water it looked like a nice boat ramp. It has a large parking lot with plenty of room for vehicles with trailers.
Kingwood Boat Ramp on the New Jersey side of Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River
If the Kingwood ramp doesn’t suit you, about a tenth of a mile down on the Pennsylvania side of the river is the free Tinicum Park Boat Ramp where this trip review ends. It is located just after the downriver end of Pennington Island. The ramp is across the street from the park entrance, but there is parking right at the ramp. This is another nice place to start or end your river trip. I was camping at Tinicum Park, but I did not use the boat ramp.
Tinicum Park Boat Ramp on the Pennsylvania side of Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River
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Last updated on February 21, 2024
