Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
September 2nd and finally a nice day! Low humidity and sunshine. Very rare for the east coast. We took advantage of the weather and hiked the 8 mile loop from Blue Mountain Lake, past Hemlock Pond. Then headed up the rocky trail to Lake Success and Crater Lake. A beautiful way to spend the holiday.
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Read MoreAnother day hike in the Delaware Water Gap, New Jersey side. We hiked from Millbrook Village on the Orchard Trail which connects to Hamilton Ridge. From Hamilton Ridge we took the Pioneer Trail, then took a spur trail down to the river and back then onward to Old Mine Road where we crossed and hiked through Van Campens Glen. We walked the last few miles back on the road. Old Mine Road is going to be closed for most of the summer due to construction. It should be a nice time to visit the Glen as many people will not want to hike in or walk the road to get to the waterfalls.
At the start of the Orchard Trail I saw Bluets (Houstonia caerulea) blooming. The first spring ephemerals are starting to pop out from under the leaf debris. I also saw a firefly that somehow found my hand. It seems like it’s much too early for them. The day started partly cloudy with some sun, but as we hiked the clouds began to darken the sky. I came across some bright orange Juniper apple-rush, something I’d never seen before. I’ve been using the Seek app (by iNaturalist) on my phone to identify the plants I see along the trail. I love learning as much as I can. As we reached the spur to the river, it began to rain. On the riverbank I saw Yellow Trout Lily and Dutchman’s Breeches. We ate a snack and by the time we were finished the sun was back out. I was glad we didn’t have to cut the day short. We proceeded on to Van Campens Glen. As always the glen was beautiful full of cascades and green moss. We took off our packs and laid on the rocks above the waterfall listening to the wind and soaking in the sunshine. I used my birding app to identify a bird I’d never heard before. I recorded its song and BirdNet suggested what I was hearing was a Louisiana Water Thrush, a new one for my life list.
We hiked out of the glen and then headed back to Millbrook Village on Old Mine Road. Along the way we passed a garter snake basking in the sun. Seems we weren’t the only ones taking advantage of a warm sunny day.
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Read MoreIt was a beautiful day and the weather was in the 30s. It was a nice day to hit the trail and take in the sunshine. We hiked from one of our favorite trailheads at Blue Mountain Lake. We followed the Blue Mountain Lakes trail to the northwest side of Hemlock Pond. From here we explored the Wood Road trail which continues onward in a northeast direction. This trail intersects with the trail to Buttermilk Falls which we did not take today. Instead we turned south and climbed steeply up the connector trail to the Appalachian trail to get to the ridge line. At the top of the climb, we looped back heading southwest to Hemlock Pond before returning to the trailhead. I was happy for the climb today and the extra added cardio.
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Read MoreThanksgiving morning we hiked the Delaware Water Gap starting at Blue Mountain Lake on the New Jersey side. We brought along the Jetboil to make a Mountain House breakfast of scrambled eggs with sausage and peppers. When we arrived at Hemlock Pond, we made ourselves comfortable on the rocks and prepared coffee and breakfast. It was chilly in the shade, but the sun felt good. As we sat and gazed out upon the lake, a group of fellow hikers arrived. They had the same idea and made themselves at home on the rocks to enjoy a Thanksgiving morning breakfast in the outdoors. We chatted briefly then packed our things and headed back onto the trail. Our next stop was Crater Lake. We stopped here to look out along the lake. We met another couple hiking with their dog. They were from Germany and now living in New Jersey. I always love meeting people on the trails who share a similar passion. From Crater lake, we made our way back. Along the way we noted the beaver dam at Lake Success. We could see they’d been very busy sharpening their teeth on the trees since the last time we were here. The next stop was Indian Rocks. We took off our packs and laid out on the flat rocks warm ourselves in the sun, then headed up a little farther to the cliffside viewpoint. We listened to the familiar sound of the wind blowing through the pines on top of the mountain. It was a perfect way to spend our Thanksgiving.
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Read MoreIt felt so good to be back out on the trail! The humid summer weather is finally starting to let up, and I’ll be able to get back out there and put some mileage on my hiking boots. Today we headed out to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to the Copper Mine Trail. We’ve done this one several times before, but there are a lot of connecting trails you can pick up and make the day as long or short as you want. We headed up past the mine, crossed the bridge over a small waterfall and then began to ascend up the ravine. It was one of those misty mornings where the sun’s light shines down through the mist, making the trail look extra pretty. We continued to the top of the waterfall and entered into a forest of mostly hardwoods where the trail leveled out. Soon we reached Camp Mohican Road and decided to check out the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Mohican Outdoor Center. It was a nice surprise that we’d never been to before. The center has coffee, food, outdoor picnic tables and also a recreation and rest area for weary A.T. thru hikers. After checking out the center, we decided to head further up the road where we would climb up the Rattlesnake Swamp Connector Trail to the top of the Kittatinny Ridge, follow the A.T. Southwest and then loop back to the Mohican Outdoor Center to get some food. The loop trail Rattlesnake Swamp started out on flat boards crossing a wetland. It soon climbed steeply up to the top of the ridge where we had mostly unobstructed views along the A.T. We followed the A.T. about 1.5 miles until we were back at the road to the Mohican Outdoor Center. I had my eye on the pancakes I’d seen when we were there earlier. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing better than finding a place that serves coffee and pancakes in the middle of a hike. The ladies working at the center were super nice and we chilled out at one of the outdoor picnic tables and ate before heading back on the trail. Before hiking out, we checked out some of the campsites in the area for a future overnight stay. We then headed back along the ridge on the A.T. and took the longer route via the Kaiser trail back to the trailhead. We ended up with about a 10 mile day. It felt so nice to be back out there. Now that the weather is cooling off, I’m looking forward to spending more time doing longer hikes with more mileage again.
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Read MoreAnother day of blue sky and snow. We hiked from the trailhead at the PEEC on the Two Ponds and then the Tumbling Waters trail to make a loop. I guess a lot of people don’t like cold weather in Pennsylvania, because yet again, there was nobody out hiking today. We hiked past the ponds which were all frozen over and down to the waterfall. The sun felt so good when we stopped at the falls to enjoy the scenery. Then we made our way up out of the gorge to enjoy the vista at the top and then looped it back to the trailhead. Didn’t see a another soul out on the trail today.
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Read MoreThis was more of a walk then a hike. It was cold today. Even a little too cold for me, and I love winter. But we still wanted to get outside. This hike to Dingmans Falls is more of a walk then I hike. You’re walking a flat boardwalk the whole way - except for the road to the trailhead which is now closed so you have to walk the road to get to the start of the trail. Silverthread is the first waterfall you see on this hike. It was completely frozen over and we saw some ice climbers making their way up it. Then we walked over to see Dingmans falls. This waterfall is the 2nd largest in Pennsylvania at 130 feet. The tallest in Pennsylvania, also in the DWG, is Raymonskill which is 178 feet tall. Dingmans wasn’t totally frozen yet, so no climbers on it. We took some photos and then made our way back. Felt good to get out, but today wasn’t the day to spend too much time on the trail. Really enjoyed this little sight seeing excursion and it was a treat to get to see these frozen waterfalls
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Read MoreWe hiked the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap today. First stop was Coventry Pond. This is just a short trail leading up to the pond. Very quiet in here. Beautiful Hemlock forest and white pine up around the pond. Saw some bear scat along the way, but didn’t cross paths with the bear. From there we took a walk around Millbrook village to check out the old style buildings. From there we did an out and back along Donkey Hollow. Very relaxing day and again, super pretty in the mist.
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Read MoreWent back to the DWG again today. I like the NJ side of the Gap. The trails all connect and you can piece together different hikes depending on how long or short you want. We started at the Fairview Trail just off Old Mine Road. From here we hiked to the intersection with the AT and the Holly Springs connector. We took the connector down to Dunnfiled Creek, then back up the hillside to Sunfish Pond. From there we picked up the Appalachian Trail and followed it back to Fairview. It was about an 8 mile loop. I enjoyed hiking along Dunnfiled Creek. The terrain was more interesting as was the scenery with the tall Hemlock trees and Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel. We rock hopped across the creek several times and there were a few little rock scrambles along the way. After you pass the backpacker’s camp at the junction for the Douglas Trail and the AT, the trail gets super rocky. Not the fun scramble rocks, but the ones that jut out and trip you. With the leaf debris it’s hard to tell where you’re stepping. Overall, it was a nice day, sun was out and the cooler temperature made for good hiking weather.
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Read MoreToday we hiked up the Copper Mine Trail on the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap. From there we got on the Appalachian Trail and followed it out to Raccoon Ridge. Nice view point from the ridge. Came back down the Kaiser trail to close out the loop at about 8.5 miles.
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Read MorePennsylvania had its first dusting of snow. We headed out to the Delaware Water Gap to Blue Mountain Lake. Took the look to Hemlock Pond. Just a short one today. About 5 miles. Everything looks so beautiful dusted with snow.
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Read MoreAnother day in the Delaware Water Gap. We hiked from Garvey Springs up to Sunfish Pond. Perfect weather and lots of rock hopping along Sunfish pond. Took the AT to the Douglas Trail to close the loop. Nice day and not too many people out and about on the trails.
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Read MoreAfter hiking in the Adirondacks where it was mostly past peak foliage, we were able to catch the some of the colors spreading south through Northeastern Pennsylvania. We hiked the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area from the trailhead at the Pocono Environmental Education Center. We first took the Two Ponds trail to Tumbling Waters falls, then back to the parking area where we picked up the Ridge Trail that looped us through Scenic Gorge. Some fun, easy rock scrambles on this hike and pretty scenery made for a nice, relaxing day.
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Read MoreIt was a beautiful Monday morning and we headed to the Delaware Water Gap to the Dunnfield Creek Natural Area. The trailhead was right off the 80 Freeway, so there was a lot of traffic noise at the beginning of the hike. But as we moved further into the woods, the traffic noise was washed away by the sound of the running creek and birdsong. The trail started off on a wide path following along Dunnfield Creek and crossed over a wooden bridge. I noted wild geranium and other wildflowers in bloom along the way. In less than a mile we crossed another wooden bridge and arrived at Dunnfield Falls, a small waterfall just off the side of the trail. From here the trail became single track and gently made its way up into a forest of emerald green. I noticed fallen blooms of yellow poplar on the ground and more wildflowers amongst the bright green foliage of the abundant fern covering the forest floor. We passed by the Pahaquarry Trail which leads to the top of Mount Tammany, another very popular hike in this area. The trail began to get more rocky the further on we hiked and I saw tiny flower buds starting to form on the mountain laurel. We then reached the Holly Springs connector trail that could take us back in a loop along the AT. We weren’t ready to turn back yet, so we decided to continue on Dunnfield Creek Trail to its termination at Sunfish Pond. The trail crossed the creek several times before making an ascent leading away from the water. Soon we arrived at Sunfish Pond, where we stopped for a snack and listened to the bullfrogs calling back and forth to one another. After our break, we made our way back on the A.T. Along the way we crossed paths with a large Eastern Black Rat Snake who was sprawled out along the trail. We passed by her slowly so as not to disturb her as she made her way back into the woods. We ended the day with about 9 miles. When we arrived back at the trailhead, the parking area was full. I can only imagine how packed it must be on a weekend. Nonetheless, this was a beautiful area and I would love to visit again.
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Read MoreWe started our day with an early morning hike on the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. We parked at the trailhead for Blue Mountain Lake and planned to hike to Hemlock Pond and then on to Crater Lake, a natural glacial lake left behind from the Wisconsin Glacier approximately 22,000 years ago. It was a beautiful spring morning. The sun was shining and the birds were singing as we headed onto a wide, grassy path which was once a former road for a housing development. The easy trail took us along the northern side of Blue Mountain Lake offering lovely views along the way. At about 2.5 miles, the mostly hardwood forest became a green canopy of tall hemlocks. Soon we reached the shores of Hemlock Pond. The landscape here was incredibly picturesque. We spotted a milk snake sunning itself on the rocks and also noticed a den full of black snakes which if I had to guess were either water or rat snakes. After taking in the scenic landscape and the wildlife, we continued around Hemlock Pond until reaching the connector trail to Crater Lake. The trail made an ascent on a rocky, single track before reaching the Appalachian Trail where we found a vista point with some views. From here we began to circle around Crater Lake then followed a short spur trail down to the shores for a closer look. We then continued on the main path and found Lake Success on the southeast side. The banks of Lake Success were filled with fragrant Lily of the Valley. I know these are not native, but the aroma is amazing and they are also one of my favorite flowers. In the middle of the lake I spotted a beaver dam. As we continued the loop, we crossed the trailhead and parking area for Crater Lake. There were some inviting picnic tables here, so we decided to sit for a bit, have a snack and enjoy the peaceful setting before moving on. When we were ready, we got back on the trail and headed back towards Blue Mountain Lake. This time we hiked along the inner loop trail which took us directly to its peaceful southern shores. I couldn't believe there wasn’t any one here except for one lone fisherman who we had seen at the trailhead very early in the morning. It was such an amazing day. We ended up hiking a little over nine miles which always seems to go by so fast when there’s so much beautiful scenery.
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Read MoreI’m really loving the Delaware Water Gap. There are so many trails here to link together to make the most out of your day. I admit it’s been hard for me to find the challenges I had hiking out west, but I’m finding that there are some places, such as the DWG, where you can get a little climbing in and also link up trails to add some decent mileage. Today we hiked to Sunfish Pond, a 44-acre glacial lake located on the Kittatinny Ridge. It lies within the Worthing State Forest on the New Jersey side of the DWG. We took the steepest, shortest route up to the lake via the Garvey Springs Trail which has a respectable gain of 1,058’ in 1.2 miles. There’s a more gradual ascent up the Douglas Trail from the same trailhead, which we planned to take on the return. Laurel Falls is also a nice feature to see that’s right at the start of the Douglas Trail if you go up that way. It was a somewhat chilly morning, but the sun was out and the ascent got us warmed up fast. The trail leads through a hardwood forest, and I saw some patches of bluets (wildflowers) along the path. As we hiked, two wild turkeys crossed the trail up ahead. The trail became more and more rocky as we got closer to the top of the ridge. We leveled off for a short distance and Sunfish Pond came into view. Next, we made our way onto the Appalachian trail which runs along the western and northern shores of the lake. The trail here was mostly rock hopping large rocks and boulders with a few breaks in between. There were some campsites on the way to sit on a log and enjoy views of the serene lake. There were also some alcoves to climb the rocks out onto the water to get a closer view. I very much enjoyed the scenery here and hiking along the shores. On the western side of the lake there’s a stone monument and a plaque marking Sunfish Pond as a registered natural landmark. We continued following the AT as it moved away from the lake on a wider path that was much less rocky. We reached a backpacker campsite where there were several campers. We then connected to the Douglas Trail and began to descend. When we reached the junction with the Rockcores Trail, we decided to take it northeast and then connect back to the Garvey Springs Trail. The Rockcores Trail passes Laurel Falls on the drainage from Sunfish Pond. There was a steep use trail that made a beeline along the drainage, but I wanted to hike further so we kept on following Rockcores until linking back up with Garvey Springs. It was now about 11:30 am and as we approached the trailhead, I could see that parking was already at maximum capacity. I looked over at Laurel Falls and there were some hikers trying to climb on top of the waterfall. One of them slipped and fell, but luckily was okay. It always makes me wonder what makes people do the things they do. As we made our way to the car, someone was already asking for our parking spot. We packed up our gear and headed out. I had a really nice time on this hike. It had a little bit of a challenge and the lake was a beautiful early morning destination.
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Read MoreToday we decided to check out more of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. This time our plan was to explore some trails on the New Jersey side. We arrived at the trailhead off Old Mine Road which had recently reopened after being closed during the winter months. We geared up then made our way over to the map at the kiosk to formulate the day’s plan. We decided to hike the Copper Mine Trail up the west side of Kittatinny Mountain to the Appalachian Trail where we would follow it southwest along the ridge before looping back on the Kaiser Trail. We crossed the street and headed out on our adventure. Not far into the trail we reached a fork that took us to the first mine. I saw some stone ruins along the way before the first mine quickly came into view. It was fairly large and would have been easy to access, but it was blocked by a metal grate. I shined my headlamp inside to take a look and wondered how far back it went. The Pahaquarry Copper Mine is said to date back to the 1750s, but it was never successful due to the ore extracted being of too low concentration of copper. After checking out the first mine, we got back on the main trail which began an ascent along the ravine. We spotted the second mine nestled into the hillside up above the trail, and I climbed up to take a closer look. This mine was much smaller than the first, but it too was inaccessible. We then reached a wooden bridge crossing over the creek. Now the path narrowed and became much rockier. We climbed steeply along the ravine enjoying views of waterfalls flowing down the mountain. We came upon a spur trail leading down to the bottom of one of the accessible waterfalls so we decided to explore. Next, we got back on the main trail which moved away from the creek and into a forest of mixed hardwoods. We passed by blooming wildflowers and a vernal pool then crossed over another wooden bridge leading to a parking area. We checked the map, got our bearings and headed onto the Appalachian Trail. We climbed in elevation navigating over large boulders until reaching the top of the ridge where we had views of New Jersey on one side and Pennsylvania on the other. Soon we came to a vista point overlooking Lower Yards Creek Reservoir. Here, we met another hiker who also happened to be from California. We chatted about the mountains and shared stories about our hikes out west before continuing on our way. When we reached the Kaiser trail, it began to rain. We had to stop and put on our rain gear, but the rain didn’t last. The Kaiser Trail has two different spurs to link back to Copper Mine, so we opted to take the longer route to extend our day. We descended steeply enjoying the views of the Delaware River before finally connecting back to Copper Mine. Before heading home, we took a quick walk down to the shores of the river where I saw wildflowers of Trillium and Dutchman’s Breeches. It was a great day of hiking, and I’m looking forward to continuing to explore more of this section of the Delaware Water Gap.
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Read MoreToday we went back to explore more of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. This time we planned to hike some trails that started at the Pocono Environmental Education Center Campus. The PEEC is a non-profit organization that offers environmental learning experiences in a national park. It looked like a really cool place. We started the day on the Tumbling Waters Trail which begins just across the road from the Main Education Building. We crossed a bridge and along the trail was a fun looking bird blind complete with exhibits inside. I should note that the really cool thing about this place is that the trails here are interpretive. Points of interest are marked with numbers and you can purchase a guided map outside the PEEC building, or download them onto your phone. An interesting exhibit at the beginning of the hike is a Trash Graveyard. It’s meant to demonstrate the amount of time it takes for common materials to decompose such as water bottles, plastic bags and cigarettes. It’s a fun way to educate people on the effects of littering. The trail then took us through a pine plantation and along the shores of Pickerel Pond where there was evidence of beavers. We walked over a boardwalk above more wetlands and then into a forest of conifers and mixed hardwoods. Eventually, the trail became a lovely single track just above a ravine with hemlocks towering above. A helpful set of steps are cut into switchbacks leading down the ravine to the waterfall. The purpose of the steps is to keep hikers on the trail. Cutting switchbacks can lead to erosion. It’s so important to respect the rules of our beautiful parks and wilderness areas. Unfortunately, I did see many use trails branching off near the waterfall, which gives evidence that some hikers do not respect these principles. As we made our descent down to the falls, there were many rhododendrons and large hemlock trees. We spent some time here exploring the area, taking pictures, and enjoying the “tumbling waters”. Next, we hiked back up and the trail skirted cliffside with expansive views of the Delaware River Valley. We then passed a stone fireplace which was once part of a cabin. It made me think about how difficult it must have been to haul all those stones up the steep slope to build it. We then hiked through more forests of mixed oaks, cedar and pine. Along the trail I saw wildflowers of periwinkle and rue anemone beginning to peak out from under the leaf debris. Soon we arrived back at the parking area where we then made our way onto the Ridgeline and Scenic Gorge Trails. These trails offered so much variety! We hiked through forests of tamarack, oak, hickory, hemlock and pine. We climbed up and down large sedimentary rocks where there was a handy rope installed to assist with the descent. We passed through wetlands and vernal pools while spring peepers sang their spring chorus. We crossed bridges over the cascading waters of Spackman’s creek and enjoyed the scenic gorge that was decorated with bright green moss and fern. There were also various types of shelf-like mushrooms to observe. As we reached the trailhead once again, I couldn’t believe how quickly time went by on these trails. I really enjoyed my time here and am so appreciative that there are gems like this to learn about and enjoy the magic of nature.
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Read MoreToday we headed out early to explore the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Our first stop was Dingmans Falls. This is a popular area with a beautiful boardwalk system that provides safe and easy access leading to two beautiful waterfalls. I was aware that this is a popular destination and can become quite busy, so we arrived just after sunrise. The road to the parking area at the Dingmans Visitor Center was closed (they close it during winter), so we parked in the lot just off the 209 and began a short mile walk down Dingmans Falls Road to the trailhead. The road itself was very scenic as it followed Dingmans Creek past tall pines. As we strolled along I saw a lot of downed trees which I later learned were caused by a violent storm in 2018. Soon we reached the Dingmans Falls Visitor Center where the smooth boardwalk trail begins. It crossed over Dingmans Creek and within just a short distance we were treated to a view of our first waterfall of the day, the 80 foot Silver Thread Falls. Silver Thread is tall, narrow and drops over the rocky cliffs in almost a perfectly straight line; hence the name “silver thread”. As we continued on the boardwalk we passed through large stands of rhododendron surrounding us on either side. It gave the trail a jungle-like feeling. In less than a mile we arrived at the majestic 130 foot Dingmans Falls. This waterfall is noted as being the second tallest in Pennsylvania; the tallest is Raymondskill Falls just a few miles up the road. The fast flowing waters tumbled down a gorge carved into exposed bedrock from the Devonian period 365-405 million years ago. We spent some time taking photos and enjoying the views before making our way up a steep wooden staircase to the top of the falls. The views from above were just as spectacular as below as the water spilled down the 130 foot vertical drop. After taking in the scenery and making sure to grab lots of photos, we decided it was time to start heading back so we could enjoy another trail while it was still early. We walked back to the parking area, hopped in the car and headed north on the 209 to the Hackers trailhead on Raymondskill Road where we planned to hike to Hackers Falls and the Cliff Trail. The Hackers trail began on a gravel path leading uphill. As it leveled off we were taken on a pleasant walk through an inviting hemlock forest. We then reached the junction for the waterfall and descended steeply. As we continued to follow the trail, I could hear Raymondskill Creek off in the distance. Soon we were hiking above and parallel to the creek. Within about a mile we reached Hackers Falls. This waterfall was steep but short and shaped like a feather fan. We spent some time taking photos, studying the rocks and enjoying the small but mighty waterfall before making a gentle ascent back up the Hackers trail through more hemlocks and mixed hardwoods. Next, we reached a junction for the Buchanan trail which ran north along a power line. We passed by an abandoned building and a dilapidated trailer home just before reaching a pond. When we arrived at the junction for the Cliff Trail, it was closed due to nesting Peregrine Falcons. We backtracked onto the Hackers Trail to access the Cliff Trail from the opposite direction. This section was open so we followed the trail to the first vista. From here I could see the Delaware River and across to New Jersey. We continued along the Cliff Trail as it travelled along the Raymondskill Ridge offering sweeping views along the way. Several vultures soared at eye-level as we hiked. It was a beautiful sunny day and by the time we reached the parking area, it was already full with people coming out to enjoy this perfect spring day.
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