From the junction of its two branches at Hancock NY, to its mouth at Delaware Bay
and Wilmington, Delaware, the Delaware River flows more than 330 miles.

More than half of these miles are protected within five national parks units. For more information, please link to their websites from this page.

James L. Bauer

Canoeists on the Upper Delaware paddle past Hawks Nest NY.

A park of whitewater and cliffs

Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River (Home Page)
is a 73-mile stretch of free-flowing river with abundant whitewater, forming the boundary between Pennsylvania and New York north of Interstate 84. Of these 73 miles, 1/3 are designated as a national scenic river of the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System, and 2/3 are designated as a recreational river.

The river itself is the park. Except for some land at the Roebling aqueduct and the home of Zane Grey, almost all of the riverbanks are privately owned.

Hikers explore a trail on Kittatinny Ridge NJ near the Water Gap.

A park of calm water and river valley

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (Home Page)
is a national park encompassing the 40 miles of the Middle Delaware River (below) and 67,000 acres of river valley in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The park contains 100 miles of hiking trails(left), including 27 miles of the Appalachian Trail, as well as historic villages, scenic waterfalls, river beaches, campgrounds and canoe campsites.

Boaters size up the Middle Delaware at Smithfield Beach PA.

A wild and scenic river

Middle Delaware National Scenic River (included in this website)
is a 40-mile stretch of calm water within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (above) forming the boundary between Pennsylvania and New Jersey between Interstates 84 in the north and 80 at the Water Gap in the south.

The northern 35 miles of these 40 miles are designated a national scenic river of the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System; the remaining miles of the river within the recreation area (near the Water Gap) are designated a recreational river.

The Middle Delaware River is part of the Delaware River Water Trail, a unit of the National Recreation Trails Program.

Canal-barge riders can tour the Delaware & Lehigh Canal PA.

A park of canals and industry

Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (Home Page) encompasses sections of the Delaware River near Easton PA, and of the Lehigh River from Easton PA inland to mining country and to Lehigh Gorge PA.

The Corridor works with state and local entities to coordinate two 19th century canals, associated early railroads, state parks, and museums of anthracite mining and industrial history.

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The park is a National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary.

Bikers can travel the Delaware Canal towpath on the Lower Delaware.

A park of history and towns

Lower Delaware Wild & Scenic River (Home Page) is a total of 67 miles of the Delaware River in two separate sections, forming part of the boundary between Pennsylvania and New Jersey between Interstate 80 at the Water Gap in the north and Interstate 95 near Philadelphia in the south. Of these 67 miles of the river, 25 miles are designated as a national scenic river, and form a unit of the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System, and 41 miles are designated as a recreational river.

The park is managed in partnership with local entities, and includes state parks, scenic river towns, the Delaware Canal, and the historic sites in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey of Washington's Crossing of the Delaware in the Revolutionary War.

The National Parks System
The National Wild & Scenic Rivers System