11 Mile White Water Rafting on the Delaware River
Wet, Wild, and Always Fun – The Delaware River provides plenty of crystal-clear water and rapids all season
long. Whitewater rafting with Kittatinny is the highlight of any group's vacation. Rafting on the Delaware
River is perfect for novices and groups; no experience is necessary. It’s cool, wet, and fun for those hot
summer days. Calm pools offer time for a picnic lunch, sunbathing, and taking a dip in the crystal-clear water.
Kittatinny rafts hold up to six people You will paddle beneath cliffs and spectacular rock formations as you
take in the breathtaking panorama where the Poconos meet the Catskill Mountains. This is an unguided float on
the river.
Our rafting trip is designed for your safety and enjoyment. It's a ten-mile paddle with four named Class I
rapids from Pond Eddy, NY, to Matamoras, PA. Depending on water levels, it will take approximately five hours to
complete. According to Mosaic rules, everyone must always wear their PFD while on the water. We recommend
bringing water, food, sunscreen, the paddler's wallet, a long-sleeve sun shirt, chums / croakies (for any
eyewear), and closed-toe water shoes. These measures ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.
Class I to III Rapids include Stairway Rapids, Butlers Rift, Mongaup Rapids, and Mill Rift (elevated ratings in
high water)
- Cost: $TBD (Pre-paid per person).
- Approx. 9:00am ~ 4:00 pm
- Limit 40 People
- Distance from camp Put-In 25 Min / Takeout 20 Min
- Vehicle: Vendor Supplied Bus
- Click HERE for more details
Port Jervis Watershed Park Mountain Bike Ride
Cut through "virgin forest," the Port Jervis Watershed Park’s hiking and biking
trails offer a great combination of single-track, cross-country, and excellent downhill riding. These very
scenic trails offer tranquil moments along the three reservoirs and spectacular views over the Delaware River,
Port Jervis proper, and the borders of three states. It’s a vast tract of land boasting varying terrain and
old-growth tree areas. There are over 30 miles of trail built into the encompassing 1,868 acres in Port Jervis
and an adjoining 370 acres in neighboring Deer Park for hikers, bikers, and walkers, but not for motorists of
any kind. “It’s strictly a motor-free environment,”
This is a full-on mountain bike ride, with intermediate MTB biking skills required. You can choose an 8-mile-
or 11-mile route around the park for three to four hours. Part of the park is on a Mountain, and parts are in
the valleys around three lakes, with ups and downs in between. A suggested route will be provided, but the group
is welcome to adjust as needed. Rentals are available from Action Bikes
and Outdoor shop You are welcome to bring your own mountain bike in your own vehicle.
Bushkill Falls Hike
The “Niagara of Pennsylvania” Bushkill Falls is among the Keystone State’s most famous scenic attractions. This
unique series of eight waterfalls, nestled deep in the wooded Pocono Mountains, is accessible through an
excellent network of hiking trails, walkways, steps, and bridges, which afford fabulous views of the falls and
the surrounding forest. The drop of the Main Falls is approximately 100 feet. From the top of the first falls to
the bottom of the lower gorge, the drop is about 300 feet. In addition to the beautiful views of the falls,
there are plenty of places to marvel at the rock formations and plant life. Rhododendrons, hemlocks, wild
asters, maidenhair ferns, lichen, & moss are just a few of nature's wonders to enjoy. It's not
your typical nature walk; it’s a sightseeing adventure!
The group will take the two-mile Red Trail, which has many flights of stairs up and down along the water's
edge. Most of the trail (but not all) is decked, and many of the steps are decked as well.
- Please wear sturdy walking/hiking shoes that have good traction for slippery/ mossy rocky areas.
- Bring $$$ for purchases at the gift shop, trading store, and concession stands.
- Cost: $TBD (includes entrance, transportation, and MOCA admin fees)
- Time: 8:00 am~ 1:30 pm
- Limit 40 People
- Distance from camp: 21 Miles / 45 Min
- Vehicle: Passenger Van or Personal Cars (TBD)
- YouTube: Video 1 / Video 2
- Facebook / Vendor Website
- Vendor Trails / AllTrails of the area
- Click HERE for more details
Hike to Stairway to Heaven on the Appalachian Trail
Pochuck Valley to Pinwheel Vista is a gorgeous and diverse section of the Appalachian
Trail through northern NJ.
Hike boardwalks, a suspension bridge, hardwood forest, fields of wildflowers, train tracks, a cow pasture, a
boulder field… before steeply climbing the 1100+FT “Stairway to Heaven” to one of the best viewpoints in NJ:
Pinwheel Vista. Once on top, the Kittatinny Mountains are visible in the distance, farms in the valley below,
and on a clear day, High Point Monument. Then turn around and go back the way you came.
Moderate Hike. Trail surface ranges from super-duper-easy-peasy boardwalks to flat, hardpacked to dirt to
serious rocky sections. The “Stairway to Heaven” is a series of rock slab steps with switchbacks up Wawayanda
Mountain.
This is an out-and-back hike for 7.4 miles. We will go at a moderate pace of about 2 miles an hour and a bit
slower up the hill with periodic breaks. Hiking shoes or trail runners are required. Depending on the time and
interest of the group, we could stop at Heaven Hill Farm for ice cream on the return trip.
- Bring standard hiking gear: hat, food, water, hiking stick, and sturdy hiking shoes
- Cost: TBD (bring cash with you for ice cream)
- Time: 8:30 am ~ 4:30 pm
- Limit: 12 People
- 8:30 am ~ 4:30 pm
- Vehicle: Passenger Van or Personal Cars (TBD)
- Distance from camp: 45 Min / 32 Miles
- Click HERE for more info
Moderate 3 to 4 ½ mile Hike at Tumbling Waters and Scenic Gorge Trails at the Pocono Environmental Education
Center
PEEC Tumbling Waters Trail is along gurgling creeks through tranquil hemlock ravines, down to
roaring waterfalls, and up to views of the Delaware River Valley and the Kittatinny Ridge in New Jersey. This
3-mile orange-blazed trail begins along the Fossil trail, across from Pocono Environmental Education
Center's two group lodges, 30 yards up the campus road from PEEC's dining hall. At the end of the
first mile, hikers are rewarded with a beautiful overlook of the Delaware Valley and Kittatinny Mountains in New
Jersey at Hermits Hill. At 1.5 miles, take a series of switchbacks down 240 ft. to the waterfalls. We will enjoy
listening to the waterfalls while having lunch. Afterward, it would be best if you climbed back up the
switchbacks before continuing the main trail, which quickly ascends Killer Hill (total of 340 ft elevation gain
from the falls to the top of the hill). We will pass through 3 forest types: a hemlock forest, a mixed oak
forest, and a pine plantation before arriving on the shore of Pickerel Pond, which is a few minutes from the end
of this trail.
After a bathroom break at the main lodge, head back out for about another hour towards the Moderate to Easy 1½
mile Scenic Gorge, which begins with Ridgeline Trail. Experience an open hardwood forest ecosystem and a dark,
cool hemlock canopy along Spackman's Creek.
This hike repeats on Sunday.
Moderate 4.5 Mile Ridgeline Trail Hike at Pocono Environmental Education Center
The
Ridgeline Trail is a well-marked and well-maintained 4.5-mile/3-hour (without stops) moderate hike with less
than 250 feet of elevation gain. For the first half-mile and the last mile, it runs concurrently with the Scenic
Gorge Trail.
You pass through the oak-chestnut forest and then climb up and over ridges of sedimentary rock, descend from a
steep ridge – with the help of a rope – to the gorge below, where you visit the ruins of a cabin and its
abandoned earthen dam. Follow around forested wetlands, and dive deep into a mature Hemlock forest following
Spackman’s Creek. Even though the terrain is hilly, much of the area was farmed, and rock walls and a stone
chimney can be seen along the trail. Before you leave the forest, you come to a 15-foot waterfall on Alicia
Creek (AKA Sparkman’s Creek) and then hike alongside the stream back to your starting point.
This hike repeats on Sunday.
- Bring standard hiking gear: Hat, Walking Stick, Water, Food, Hiking Shoes
- Cost: TBD
- Time: 8:30 am~1:00 pm
- Limit 20 People
- Distance from camp 15 Miles /25 Min one-way
- Vehicle: Bus
- YouTube Video
Ridgeline Hike
- Click HERE for more info
Cornelia & Florence Bridge Nature Preserve
Enjoy a peaceful, easy walk through the forest near the camp. A good portion of the three miles of trails in
the Preserve is handicap accessible*, with gradual uphills and downhills (total elevation gain/loss under 200
ft.) and wide, mostly flat paths. You need to watch your step with rocks and tree roots in a few places.
Before his recent death, Township native Charles Bridge donated his family's 300-acre property to Dingman
Township. Charlie had two specific visions for the property: to honor his late wife and mother's dream of
preserving it and to honor their wish that the land be accessible for public enjoyment. He also requested that
the Park be named the Cornelia and Florence Bridge Preserve in their honor.
*The section on Florence Trail between Service Road and Cornelia Trail is NOT handicap accessible. There are
too many rocks and roots to navigate, but there is a workaround to bypass this section of the trail.
- Bring a hat, water, Sneakers, and decent walking shoes. Some spots might get muddy if rained recently.
- Time:10:00 am~ 2:00 pm
- Limit: 15 people
- Distance from camp: The hike starts in camp
- Facebook / Website/ Historical Background / Park
Map
- Click HERE for more info
Grey Towers and Milford Town Tour
Grey Towers, the
ancestral home of Gifford Pinchot, first chief of the US Forest Service and twice Governor of Pennsylvania is
considered the birthplace of conservation in America. Today, Grey Towers serves as a conservation education and
leadership center, with programs that highlight the lives of the Pinchot family. We will have a one-hour private
tour of the mansion and grounds followed by a couple of hours exploring the rest of the grounds. If time allows,
we will take a short hike in the surrounding woods.
After Grey Towers, we will go to Milford, PA, where you can either shop at the local area shops or take a
self-guided tour of the Milford historic district, which dates back to 1733. Milford, PA, is the northern
gateway to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. An architecturally significant historic village (75%
is in a National Historic District), best known as the birthplace of the American Conservation Movement. The shops of Milford are chock full of
charming boutiques, shops, art galleries, and antiques.
Incorporated as a borough on December 25, 1874, Milford's history dates back to 1733, when Tom Quick was
the first settler. Milford, PA, was laid out by John Biddis in 1796. He named the streets after his children and
family and the lanes after his favorite fruits and berries. There are numerous historic buildings throughout the village; noteworthy among them are Forest Hall, Hotel Fauchere,
the Court House, Grey Towers, The Columns (exhibits The Lincoln Flag), the Upper Mill and the Community House, the Callahan House, the Dimmick
Inn, and the Tom Quick Inn. Strolling these tree-lined streets fills you with peace, beauty, and a touch of
nostalgia. (A Broad and Harford Streets section was designated a National Historic District in 1999).
Milford is located on an escarpment above the Delaware River. All waterways that drain into the river fall the 100-foot
(30 m) difference in height, creating what is known as a fluviarchy, a network of waterfalls. These also
provided water power to mills, which contributed to Milford's economy in the 19th century.
Dorflinger Glass Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary, Stourbridge Line Scenic Train
The first stop on our adventure is to delve into the exquisite crystal at the Dorflinger Glass
Museum. This museum is home to the nation’s most extensive brilliant Dorflinger glass crystal collection.
It has almost 1,000 cut pieces, engraved, etched, gilded, and enameled crystal. Dorflinger glass was so highly
desirable that it graced the White House tables for several presidents. This tour will take about 1 hour.
After exploring the Museum, look for critters while exploring some tranquil paths on the nearly 600-acre
grounds of the Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary has preserved the natural beauty and
wildlife of northeastern Pennsylvania.
Then enjoy a 2-hour trip to Lackawaxen leaving out of Stourbridge Scenic Train Line’s
Hawley station. Take in the beauty of the Lackawaxen River as it flows toward the Delaware River. Keep your eyes
peeled for remains of the Delaware & Hudson Canal and the wildlife that inhabits the river and surrounding
areas. Sit back and relax as you ride through the Northern Poconos. The railcars are heated, and restrooms and
dining tables are available on the train. The restored historic railroad coaches let you experience how relaxing
rail travel was from the 1920s to the 1950s. Take a seat in one of their two 1920s “Open Window” coaches and
relax as the train makes its way down the tracks. Or have lunch in the dining cars (bring your own).
- Bring spare cash for purchases, food, water, and sturdy walking shoes.
- Cost $TBD
- Time: 8:30 am ~ 5:00 pm
- Limit: 12 People
- Distance from camp:75 Min/ 55 Mile Round Trip Drivetime
- Vehicle: Passenger Van or Personal Cars (TBD)
- Click HERE for more info