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New research commissioned by NPCA makes it clear that the park is generating enormous economic opportunity for local businesses, helping support the unique character of the Delaware River Basin.

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Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Photo © Rabbit75/Dreamstime.

Today, the National Parks Conservation Association is proud to announce new research showing Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area generated over $235 million for local businesses in 2021.

This new fiscal impact analysis report was developed by NPCA in partnership with economic development consultants Jon Stover and Associates. It follows a 2015 study using the same methodology. This update for 2021 shows an increase of millions of dollars in revenue for businesses and communities in Sussex and Warren counties in New Jersey, and Monroe, Northampton, and Pike counties in Pennsylvania.

“Every year, visitors from around the country flock to this national park, and the towns and communities that support it. This new research makes it clear that the park is generating enormous economic opportunity for local businesses, helping support the unique character of the Delaware River Basin.” Said Ed Stierli, Senior Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for National Parks Conservation Association.

“We hope policymakers take note of the thriving local businesses that work every day to build this outdoor recreation and tourism industry and attract diverse visitors to this one-of-a-kind place.” Stierli continued.

“Together, we must protect these communities, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and preserved lands along the Delaware River, from any incompatible industrial development that threatens them. The park clearly delivers revenue for local communities, but the beautiful rapids and other natural resources are what makes it priceless.”

Once touted as a scenic wonder of the world, the Delaware Water Gap is a mile-long stretch of the Middle Delaware River that slices through two mountains. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area includes the river and 67,000 pristine forested acres where visitors can enjoy hiking, camping, fishing and water sports in one of the cleanest rivers in the country.

“The data proves that Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area continues to be an economic driver for the region.” Said Leslie Gray, Vice President at Jon Stover and Associates. “A thriving outdoor recreation industry and federally preserved natural resources are a huge asset for surrounding local businesses and vibrant downtowns, supporting quality jobs and growing tax revenue.”

“This report demonstrates that ensuring visitors can access the scenic wonders and immense recreational opportunities offered by the Delaware River pays dividends for hardworking local businesses.” Said Timothy Leonard, Northeast Outreach and Engagement Program Manager for National Parks Conservation Association.

“But we know from experience that people do not just come to our national parks for the one-of-a-kind views or the recreational opportunities. They come because park staff and local communities make them feel welcome.” Leonard continued.

“That is why it is of paramount importance that policymakers work to provide adequate funding for a fully-staffed, thriving Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area that serves visitors of all backgrounds. This park is proof that if you take a beautiful place and work hard to preserve its natural character for all, people will come.”

View a report summary here.

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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org

MILFORD, Pa. — Up a winding mountain road two hours from any major city, a small parking lot appears through the fall foliage and it’s as busy as any Wawa. Cars from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York wedge into spots and forge a few new ones.

“Are you leaving?” drivers asked any hiker standing near a car.

Nearly all of them were there on this Friday afternoon in October to see Raymondskill Falls, the tallest waterfall in Pennsylvania, and one of the main attractions in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Encompassing 70,000 acres of mountains, forest, and the Delaware River, the Water Gap is one of the most popular outdoor destinations in the country with more than 4.5 million visitors annually.

What’s missing, fans of the area say, is the distinction of being named a “national park,” the crown jewels featured in documentaries and coffee-table books, often on the checklist of outdoors enthusiasts from all over the world. Groups like the Sierra Club, in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, along with other outdoors enthusiasts, are trying to change that, dropping “national recreation area” for “national park and preserve.”

“You never hear people say, ‘I’m going to go see all the national recreation areas in America,’” said John Donahue, who spent 14 years as park superintendent of the Delaware Water Gap. “This place, basically, already is a national park.”

Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York have no national park, the nearest being Shenandoah, four hours south of Philadelphia. Pennsylvania is home to several national historical parks, including Independence Mall and Valley Forge, which are both prized for their place in history. National parks like Yosemite and Grand Canyon, however, are designated for their natural beauty and resources. There are only nine east of the Mississippi River.

John Kashwick, vice chair of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club, said turning the Water Gap into a national park is a social justice issue. The Sierra Club has supported the proposal for almost a decade.

“It’s not just scenery,” Kashwick said. “Its proximity to large urban centers like New York and Philadelphia make it accessible to millions. There’s so many people who could be served by this park.”

Donald Miles, vice chair of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Sierra Club, said the move from a recreation area to a national park would, ideally, command a larger budget to address amenities and infrastructure.

“We basically see the same amount of tourists as Yellowstone but without the commensurate budget,” he said.

The Water Gap has an annual budget of $8.2 million from the National Park Service, while Yellowstone National Park’s budget is $27.6 million.

Like Yellowstone, the Water Gap encompasses several states, and both the New Jersey and Pennsylvania chapters of the Sierra Club plan to present proposals to elected officials, Indigenous leaders, business owners, and residents in both states in the coming months. From there, it would require U.S. House and Senate support. This happened in West Virginia in December 2020, when the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve was created. New River is America’s 63rd national park and while the effort had overwhelming support, some locals in West Virginia feared the area simply did not have enough amenities — campgrounds, stores, parking spaces, and bathrooms — to stay in step with the uptick of tourists the name change would bring.

“The national park system of the United States of America is the gold standard in the world of conservation and stewardship,” one West Virginia business owner told the Guardian in May. “I don’t want this to be the place where the brand is diminished.”

The Delaware Water Gap already sees double the number of tourists New River does, but Sean Strub, mayor of Milford, Pike County, said he hasn’t heard any opposition to the possible renaming. Milford, the northern gateway to the Water Gap, already has a hotel, rentals, and restaurants, Strub said.

“The Water Gap is already a deciding factor in all our development plans here,” Strub said. “It’s why people move to Pike County and why they visit. The Water Gap can definitely handle a lot more people, but maybe not a lot more cars.”

John Christie, a Monroe County commissioner, said it’s too soon to say how the rebranding would play out. He does have concerns about the smaller roads that intersect the Water Gap and would hope that budget increases could address them.

“The infrastructure in that area does not support a whole lot of traffic,” he said. “I’d like to hear more, the arguments for both sides of this.”

The COVID-19 pandemic brought an influx of tourists to the area, Donahue, the retired park superintendent, said, and that highlighted some parking issues and prompted some trail closures to popular waterfalls, like Raymondskill. He said national park user fees and possible budget increases could help address those issues as a national park. Some national parks require entrance fees.

“It would require more improvement in parking, camping, river access -- just more opportunities,” he said.

Like New River, the Water Gap would be a national park with a preserve, which would secure hunting and fishing, two major traditional uses there. Miles said opposition from hunters was a concern when the Sierra Club first floated the idea several years ago.

“Hunters and fishermen will be among the first people we speak to,” he said.

Atop a vista overlooking the river and New Jersey, Donahue, 68, pointed out how precious the Water Gap is, given its location in the Northeast and how it was nearly lost. In the early 1970s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers planned to dam the river, and the resulting reservoir was supposed to supply drinking water to both Philadelphia and New York City. Activists and residents pushed back and the plan was scrapped. The National Park Service took over in 1975.

“There’s places where you can see all three states at once,” he said.

If the national park plan is approved, Donahue said, the change would happen “immediately.”

“This place already functions that way,” he said. “We’d basically just need some new signs.”

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is open year-round, but effective Jan. 2, the park will close most visitor facilities and some park-owned roads on both sides of the Delaware River.

There also will be reduced maintenance at some visitor use sites and parking areas at many sites will either go unplowed after a storm or be a the bottom of the priority list until other roadways and vital facilities are snow-free.

“Plowing and treating the main roads through the park is our top priority when we have snow and ice," said Bill Tagye, chief of facility management.

The park has more than 150 miles of dirt and paved roads which are ranked based on whether they provide critical access to and through the park, such as emergency access, as well as providing routes for residents to get to their homes within park boundaries.

Park staff stressed that even high priority roads may be closed temporarily if conditions deteriorate faster than road crews can keep up with or in the event of equipment failures or breakdowns. If that occurs, these roads will be reopened as soon as park staff can get them cleared for travel.

There are also areas which will be closed through the winter based on several factors including winterization of water supply systems, reduced custodial and maintenance staff, safety requirements, resource protection and other priorities for snow and ice removal.

The winter-long closures will go into effect on Jan. 2, 2024, or at the first significant snowfall, whichever comes first. Most sites will reopen on April 15 while others will reopen in May.

New Jersey roads

In New Jersey, the priority roads which will remain open include Route 602 from Millbrook Village to the NPS boundary; NPS Route 615; Old Mine Road between Flatbrookville and Pompey Ridge Road; Pompey Ridge Road to Route 615 and Old Mine Road between Millbrook and Flatbrookville.

Old Mine Road from the Worthington State Forest boundary to Millbrook Village, and the dirt section of the road near Van Campen Inn, will be closed for the winter.

There will be no winter maintenance of Old Mine Road (no plowing although the road will be open if there is no snow) between Mettler Road and the intersection with Route 206 on the northern end of the park.

Jager Road, from Old Mine Road to the park boundary, will also receive no winter maintenance.

Among other roads on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, Blue Mountain Lakes Road will remain open to the parking area for the Blue Mountain Lakes trail and will be closed to vehicles beyond that point for the season.

Mountain Road will be closed to vehicles for the winter, but visitors may walk, snowshoe, or cross-country ski on the road to visit Buttermilk Falls.

Pennsylvania roads

On the Pennsylvania side of the park, US Route 209 is the top priority road for winter maintenance and treatment.

River Road will be closed just south of park headquarters prior to forecast snow and/or ice events and will not be reopened until priority routes are clear and safe and conditions permit. Zion Church Road will be plowed after River Road has been opened.

For those wishing to hike, snowshoe or cross-country ski in the park, the trails will remain open during the winter, but trailhead parking will depend on conditions and may be limited in some areas and road closures may also affect access to some trails. Parking areas will not be cleared of ice and snow until after all priority routes are clear and safe for travel.

The winter closure includes the parking lot and access road to Dingmans Falls. While restrooms will be closed, the trail will remain open and visitors may walk, ski, or snowshoe to the falls.

At Raymondskill Falls, the upper parking lot will close Jan. 2 - or the first significant snowfall - but the lower parking lot will remain open, as conditions permit. Restrooms will also be closed.

The Cliff Park trailhead parking area will receive no winter maintenance and will be open as conditions allow. Trailhead restrooms will be closed until May.

Along the McDade Recreational Trail which follows the river from Milford south to Smithfield Beach, parking area will be plowed after all other roads and facilities have cleared. However, Jerry Lees and Venturo trail access area will receive no winter maintenance.

Access to the Delaware River will be available at Dingmans Access, Milford Beach and Bushkill Access. Because Old Mine Road will be closed beginning Jan. 2, the Turtle Beach and Poxno Island boat launch areas will also be closed.

These river access areas will be closed temporarily during a storm and re-opened after priority routes are clear and safe for travel.

Users are also warned that river ice may limit access depending on conditions and the NPS does not clear river ice from launch areas. Eshback Access will remain open as conditions permit but will receive no winter maintenance.

For visitors, restrooms are available at Kittatinny Point Picnic Area, Blue Mountain Lakes parking area, and Millbrook Village in New Jersey and at Dingmans Access, Bushkill Meeting Center, Bushkill Access, Hidden Lake, Toms Creek, and Milford Beach area in Pennsylvania.

All other restrooms with running water will be closed for the winter including outdoor spigots.

Bruce A. Scruton

DELAWARE TOWNSHIP, Pa. − The restoration of George W. Childs Park enters its final stage this week, according to officials with the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

The once-popular area, just a couple of miles from Dingmans Ferry bridge into New Jersey, has been closed since winter of 2018 and will remain closed during the final stage of work which is expected to last through the fall and into early winter.

Park officials said the site, which once was home to a woolen mill then became a state park before creation of the unit of the National Park Service, will "tentatively re-open to the public in 2024" according to a news release from the park.

No specific date has been forecast, officials said, explaining that construction projects encounter delays due to factors such as supply chain issues, unforeseen circumstances, and adverse weather conditions.

The site closed to the public in March 2018 when a series of winter storms created an unprecedented amount of damage to utility lines, roads, trails and structures, primarily due to falling trees. Within the area, the wind, ice, and snow uprooted trees, leading to entire hillsides sliding downhill, taking trails and more trees with them. Those moving trees crushed trail bridges, choked Dingmans Creek and the waterfalls, and caused heavy damage to historic buildings.

While Childs Park was closed, the eastern end of Dingmans Creek and its waterfalls, accessible from Route 209, remains open to the public.

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“Storm impacts at Childs Park were significant, and restoration and repair are complex processes, especially given the sensitive environment in which it is taking place,” explained Kara Deutsch, who heads the park’s Resource Management and Science team. “When work is completed, Childs Park will be equally beautiful but safer and more resilient than it was before.”

Work already done includes removal of downed trees, damaged railings and posts; rebuilding a failed section of trail on an unstable slope; finishing required natural and cultural resource studies and environmental compliance processes; and coordination of the engineering and design for trail improvements and repairs to bridges and other built structures.

This final phase includes paving a portion of the existing train, lowering the slope from the parking area to the Woolen Mill sign which both improves accessibility and drainage; and installing a new accessible section of trail from the first bridge to the historic handpump shelter.

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Park employees and contractors have also removed an unsustainable stretch of trail between the second and third bridges on the west side of Dingmans Creek; and installing a trail and stair-retaining system near the fourth bridge.

The work also includes repairs/replacement to other parts of the trail, bridges and boardwalks as well as picnic areas and overlook areas. New guardrails are being installed throughout the side and there will be interpretive exhibits.

Childs Park was created by Philadelphia philanthropist and publisher George W. Childs who, along with friend George Donaldson, built the first rustic trails and dedicated it to the public in 1892. The park continued that mission after his death and was eventually given to the state of Pennsylvania by his widow. With the creation of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in the 1960s, the state deeded the park over to the National Park Service.