Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

This information was taken from the park’s website

The nearly 70,000 acres of the recreation area are rich in both cultural and natural history. The ridges and river valley contain streams, waterfalls, geologic features, a diversity of plants and wildlife, and traces of past cultures, including significant Native American artifacts and sites.

Forty miles of the middle Delaware River are the primary focus of park recreation: fishing, boating, canoeing, and swimming. In addition, the park offers opportunities for hiking, biking, picnicking, hunting, auto touring, and good old fashioned outdoor recreation in general.

Today, the National Recreation Area receives between 4 and 5 million visits each year, making it the 8th most-visited unit of the entire National Park System.

The Delaware River flows through the spectacular Delaware Water Gap near the southern boundary of the park. The approximately 370-m- (1,200-ft-) deep, 1.6-km- (1-mi-) wide Vshaped notch in the narrow ridgeline of Kittatinny Mountain displays deformed erosion-resistant bedrock. Delaware Water Gap formed through a process of headward erosion and stream capture. Deformation of the bedrock during Appalachian mountain-building episodes hundreds of millions of years ago created an area of structural weakness in the rock. Erosion was concentrated at this weaker area, leading to the formation of the Gap. Other gaps in the region formed in a similar manner but lack the scale and grandeur of the park’s namesake feature.

More information on the park’s geology can be found HERE

How did we get here? Today, we have this beautiful wooded paradise for all of us to enjoy, but it wasn’t always that way. This park didn’t just appear by magic. It came through work,struggle, and sacrifice. It took an act of Congress. The history of this park is as painful as it is beautiful. The story of our creation is one of passion and a love of the land that was so strong that today, we get to benefit from that sacrifice, and that love.

Below is a timeline of the history of the park. Let the links tell you a story of great Americans and their commitment to their families, their neighbors, and their community.

1930s – The idea of damming a river as a form of flood control begins in New York. First modern proposals for a dam at Tocks Island come soon after
1955 – Hurricanes Connie and Diane devastate the valley, causing flooding, widespread damage, and high death toll
1956 – Delaware River Basin Advisory Committee created, includes representatives of 4 states
1960 – Army Corps of Engineers finalizes a plan for a dam at Tocks Island
1960’s – Record drought hits the Delaware Valley
1962 – Congress authorizes funding for the development of the Delaware River which provides funding for the Tocks Island Dam
1965 – Local community members join together to form the Delaware Valley Conservation Association to oppose the dam
1965 – Congress establishes Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to manage the lands that will surround the future Tocks Island reservoir
1966 – Lenni Lenape League forms to oppose pumped-storage at Sunfish Pond
1967 – Justice William Douglas leads a hike to Sunfish Pond in support of its preservation.
1970 – National Environmental Policy Act passes.
1971 – Save the Delaware Coalition unites dozens of organizations to fight the dam
1975 – Delaware River Basin Commission votes 3 to 1 against constructing the dam
1978 – Congress establishes the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River within the park, effectively blocking future dams
1992 – Congress de-authorizes Tocks Island Dam
1993 – Congress establishes Minisink Archeological Site National Landmark within the park


Today’s recreation area proves the claim of opponents to the dam, who said not only that the valley was worth preserving in its natural state, but also that a free-flowing river can provide recreational opportunities as enjoyable as those of a man-made reservoir.
 

With habitats ranging from rivers and ponds to dry ridge tops, the recreation area is home to a variety of animals, from black bears weighing up to 800 pounds to ruby-throated hummingbirds, only 3-4 inches long.

The Delaware River and its tributaries support more than 60 fish species, including species that make the park their permanent home and migratory species such as eels and American shad that travel between the upper reaches of the river and the Atlantic Ocean. Great blue and green-backed herons wade in shallows looking for fish, frogs, and crustaceans for a meal. Otters glide silently through the water. On the river’s floodplain, rich soil supports bountiful farm fields.

Visitors can commonly see white-tailed deer and wild turkey searching for food. After nightfall, the park comes alive with a whole new set of animals: foxes, coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, and, in the night sky, owls, and six species of bats.

As one travels from the river up the side of the mountain, one encounters everything from aquatic habitats to dry cactus barrens. The variety of soil types, differences in sun and shade, and variations in moisture create hundreds of micro-habitats and allow Delaware Water Gap to support diverse communities of plants.

While visitors to the Poconos expect to see cool, dark hemlock ravines, as well as hardwood forests, many are surprised to learn that Delaware Water Gap is also home to cactus barrens, sparsely populated with prickly pear cacti. An ambitious explorer can find a great variety of wildflowers in the park, as well as trees, ferns and innumerable other herbaceous plant species.