Delaware Water Gap, PA - Mount Minsi to Mountain Road Loop

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.979776, -75.141934

Lenape Lake Parking - Note that parking has changed from years past.  There is now a one-way entrance and one-way exit and there is no longer ANY parking allowed along the road (thank goodness - that was a hot mess the last time I was here).  So if you don't get here early enough to get a place to park in this lot or the smaller second lot, you don't hike.

TRAIL MAP:

NY/NJ Trail Conference - Kittatinny Trails Map #120

HIKE DISTANCE:  8.1 miles

THE HIKE: 

I had hiked the traditional Mt. Minsi loop going up the Appalachian Trail and down the fire road and I had hiked Mountain Road separately so I knew the two could be linked to form a loop so this hike combines those into a quieter loop that avoids the crowds that Mt. Minsi draws.  But you still have to get there early enough to nab a parking space.

Starting on the Appalachian Trail from the parking lot.

Lake Lenape - The drive in was clear blue skies but the Delaware Water Gap was under a cloud so it was very foggy early on.

The AT goes left, right is the fire road where people usually return but we won't be doing that.

Rhododendron just starting to bloom.

This is an overlook.  You'll just have to trust me on that.

This little guy was in the middle of the trail ...

... so I moved him off to the side.

The sun!  Looks like we are coming up out of that cloud.

Brodie, the bigger person, packing out litter.

And yes, up out of that cloud just in time to see ...

... the view of Mt. Tammany.

Delaware River from the next overlook.

Continuing on the Appalachian Trail as a smooth woods road.

A short trail to the left leads to more views.

I didn't know it at the time since it was a last minute decision at the end of this hike, but we would be walking across that first pedestrian bridge later on.  The second bridge is Route 611.

The AT leaves the woods road as a foot path to the left.

Gas pipeline views.

Back into the woods on the AT ...

... the right on a gravel road when the AT crosses over.

This gravel road leads all the way down ...

... past the small Tott's Gap Road parking lot.

We continued on Tott's Gap Road past two gated woods roads on the right.  A little while after this boundary marker ...

... right on Mountain Road.

There are lots of puddles full of tadpoles to navigate around.

Honeysuckle

This pond was our break spot.

I sat taking pictures of this Eastern Phoebe ...

... then this dragonfly skimming the surface of the pond for lunch when all of a sudden that Eastern Phoebe swooped down and that dragonfly became lunch :(

Wood Thrush

After the gate we turned right at a yellow gate ...

... then left and crossed over on the dam.

Working our way back to the parking lot.

This is the second, smaller lot.

The larger lot where we parked was packed and many cars were circling looking for a spot.  This was at noon on a weekday.

Pin It